How to Make a Compost Tumbler From a Steel Drum

Preparing The Drum

• 1

  Wash out the steel drum thoroughly and leave to dry.

• 2

  Cut around the top of the steel drum using a circular saw and a blade meant for cutting metal. Wear safety goggles and gloves. Keep the top to use as the compost tumbler lid.

• 3

  Drill 30 to 40 1/2-inch holes around the sides of the steel drum.

• 4

  Measure the length of the drum and mark the halfway point. Drill a 3/4-inch hole, followed by one on the opposite side, so the two holes line up.

Making The Frame

• 5

  Measure and cut the 1-inch by 6-inch lumber into five lengths, each of 24 inches. Lay one of the pieces down and measure along the length to the center point, then mark. Make an inverted T shape by placing another piece of lumber underneath it at 90 degrees. Make sure the upright overlaps the center point you’ve marked equally in both directions.

• 6

  Drill two 3/8-inch holes on each side of the center mark and put a 3 1/2-inch by 3/8-inch carriage bolt through each (four in total). Put a washer and a nut on each of the threads, then tighten down with a wrench. Repeat the process with two more pieces of the wood you’ve cut to make the sides of the stand for the compost tumbler.

• 7

  Stand each piece with the vertical upright. Put the remaining piece of cut wood between them at the base, right at the center of the inverted T. Nail it in place on one side using three 16d galavnized nails. Complete the composter frame by nailing it to the other side of the frame in the same spot.

Completing The Compost Tumbler

• 8

  Measure down 1 1/2 inches from the top of each vertical and mark a line. Measure across the vertical at this line and mark the center point Drill a 7/8-inch hole here and repeat on the other side of the frame.

• 9

  Feed the 3/4-inch pipe through one of the 7/8 inch holes you just drilled in the vertical. Then feed it through the 3/4-inch holes you’ve drilled in the center of the steel drum to hold the drum in place on the frame. Finally, feed it through the 7/8 inch hole on the other side of the frame. Hold in place by tightening a pipe cap onto the threads at each end of the pipe.

• 10

  Put compost in the drum, layering plant waste and grass clippings. Fit the lid back on and secure with two bungee cords in an X shape, stretched between some of the holes you’ve made in the drum. Turn the drum twice weekly to keep the material inside aerated; this will help it break down more quickly.