A drum compost-maker works very well in the home-garden - with a couple of ifs - if you feed it with chopped up green-and-brown vegetation only [or you get clumping] - and if you turn the handle vigorously a few times each day. A power shredder-chipper "solves" the brown problem - which is really ensuring airflow - and kitchen scraps and soft vegetation provide the fuel for rapid decay. So why not let the pastry-pounders loose on the idea of combining the two devices to make a ShredPoster, I thought! Catch is, the noise that shredder-chippers make enrages the neighbours. Now if somebody could devise a silent shredder, the greenies - and the neighbours would applaud.
-- rayfo, Sep 17 2000

Stercorary http://www.cityfarmer.org/washington.html
George Washington's experimental compost building [hello_c, Sep 17 2000, last modified Oct 21 2004]

Red Wiggler worms http;//www.gardenworms.com
Anyone have better ideas in composting during the winter? [Camslozano08, Jan 02 2010]

'The brown problem'?
-- StarChaser, Sep 17 2000


I had the idea of turning a defunct clothes dryer into a solar powered drum composter. It would use either a hand powered or electric shredder beneath a top-mounted hopper, depositing the material into the drum, which would be powered by solar cells, and extra heat would be generated by heat collector/blower arrangement.

The extra heat would speed decomposition and destroy bacteria, since a dryer drum would not hold enough mass to generate the high temeratures needed to kill dangerous bacteria, salmonnella, e. coli, etc. The drum would rotate very slowly, so it would not require a large amount of current, and the whole thing could sit near the back door, making it more convenient.

This is definitely halfbaked, as I haven't worked out all the technical details, insulation etc, or modifications to the drum to allow the top mounted hopper, or how to scoop the compost out of the drum. I hav'nt been able to salvage a dryer for experimental purposes, as my local compacter station won't let me salvage stuff from the metal bin anymore (my cheif source of bicycle parts - I also have several dryer drums, which I use for outdoor planters), due to insurance reasons or something. They also stopped using the big tub grinder to shred tree branches, etc (the drivers who run the equipment claim it's too much work, and the resulting mulch from which I used to use to keep the weeds down in my leach field - I'm having a hard time finding suitable bamboo plants).

It might be a tad expensive, new low voltage motor, solar cells, fans, etc, but I could really use something like this for household waste which I generate in relatively small quantities - I solicit contributions of grass cuttings in the summer, and leaves in the fall, and get manure from the compressor station for the bulk of my compost requirements, but I'd prefer less potentially chemically contaminated sources for edible plantings.
-- Scott_D, Sep 17 2000, last modified Sep 19 2000


This is a spin off of an idea I had for a solar powered kiln, using fresnel lenses - another mass of technical details I hav'nt quite worked out yet.

Also, has anyone run across the specs for a solar water heater using a geodeosic mirror dish? I read about this years ago, I cant remember where, and it was supposed to generate enough heat to flash water into steam instantaneously - ideal for hydronic heating and household hot water.
-- Scott_D, Sep 17 2000


Scott: Shouldn't be a problem to modify the dryer to allow addition of stuff...Don't change the drum at all, just punch a chute through the door and put a lid on it. Have it angled down so stuff doesn't jam into it and back it up.
-- StarChaser, Sep 18 2000


I've also seen things that were sort of like small cement mixers to do compost in, and even a totally manual one. Like a garbage can with fins inside, you rotate it once a week or whatever. Also seen a dodecahedron, where you roll it to a different numbered face each day, and when you hit '12' you have good compost.
-- StarChaser, Feb 09 2001


I have a cement mixer, that is used infrequently. Good idea to use it for compost, won't do any harm to fill it with kitchen waste etc.

Half-baked, as I have not worked out how to shred stuff yet. Also mixing: I have a plaster mixing attachment for my electric drill that could be used, used more!! to turn over compost, that could be placed in my muck bucket when the cement mixer is in use, or if you don't have a cement mixer a cheap option.

My axe for firewood could be used to chop stuff up, this would be quite effective and helps to keep one fit in the Winter months. Muscle power noise is more acceptable to neighbours than machine made power (Research required) well, I think so.

I add water to my kitchen waste bucket, this saves water, bit daft in merry England, but keeps flies and smells away and kick starts the compost process?
-- uked, Jan 06 2002



random, halfbakery