#composter

There are different ways to do this – with a permanent air tube, a fork or a compost screw-turner. But if turning compost isn’t for you, then Costa has an alternative – a compost tumbler. These spin on a central axle so make turning easy. They are also enclosed and off the ground, keeping vermin out, and they’re easy to unload – wheel up your barrow, remove the lid and tip the compost out.

You can buy one ready-made but here's how you can make your own.

What you’ll need:

TOOLS:

- Power drill

- Spade bit (to diameter of pipe - see below)

- PPE: glasses, ear protection

- Clamps

- Saw (circular saw is easier but you could get away with a decent hand saw)

- Pencil

- Set square to mark 45 degree cuts

- Tape measure

MATERIALS:

- Approximately 6 metres of timber, ideally around 42mm x 100mm, hardwood or treated for outdoor use

- Galvanised or stainless-steel screws

- Plastic food storage barrel, around 200 litres *

- Threaded galvanised pipe (this will be the tumbler’s axle) **

- Plastic spacers that fit over the galvanised pipe ends to stop the barrel hitting the frame (cut to size as needed)

- 2 metal pipe end caps to same diameter as pipe

* Barrels are easy to source from food wholesales – Costa has a 220L one that was previously used for transporting bulk olives. Ones with a screw top are good to enclose the materials. Food-safe containers will have a symbol on the side featuring a cup and fork.

** The metal axle needs to be long enough to fit through the barrel with enough spare on either end to fit through both planks of wood at either end, plus 3-4cm extra for ease of movement.

What you do:

First, cut the timber for the frame legs, approximately 4 x 1.5m pieces. You will need at least two shorter pieces for the cross bracing, but these can be cut later. If these legs are joined at right angles to each other at the top of the frame, your axle will be about 1m off the ground; to lift it higher, either cut longer legs or join the legs at a more acute angle (less than 90 degrees).

Mark off where you need to cut the timber, using the set square to get a straight line and cut to length.

Clamp two leg pieces together then use the spade bit to drill an axle hole through them, about 100mm from the end or so the hole sits in the centre of the area where the two pieces of timber will cross. If your drill bit is long enough you can cut all four pieces of wood in one go, otherwise repeat this for the other two legs.

Unclamp the legs, arrange them at right angles (or at your chosen angle to achieve the desired height; see above) clamp them together again and fix in place with screws. Repeat with the second pair of legs, making sure you fix them at exactly the same angle as the first pair.

Next, calculate the central point of the barrel – this is where the axle will go through and it won’t spin properly if it’s off-centre. To do this, measure the height of the barrel, then halve this and use that measurement to mark the point that is halfway. Next measure the circumference of the barrel and again halve this to work out two halfway points; these points on either side of the barrel are where you need to cut two holes, again using the spade bit, for the galvanised pipe to fit through.

The hole needs to be a good snug fit to avoid any leakage, so don’t be surprised if it takes a bit of effort to push the axle pipe through.

Next place the barrel on a wheelbarrow to support it while you fit the frame around it.

Put spacers on either end of the galvanised tube axle.

Fit the timber legs on the pipe ends and screw on the metal caps to hold it in place.