DIY Compost Tumbler Guide - Our Backyard Farm

A DIY compost tumbler is a sealed container which can be rotated to mix compost materials. It also helps regulate and maintain heat generated by the composting process, thereby speeding up the decay of compost materials.

Compost tumblers are quite useful materials to have on a sustainable backyard farm as they save you time that would be otherwise spent turning the compost pile.

Purchasing compost tumblers can, however prove to be quite an expensive expenditure. That’s why, in today’s article, we’re going to show how to construct a homemade DIY compost tumbler.

1. Gather materials for your tumbler

To construct a standard compost tumbler, you will need to have these materials ready:

A 55 Gallon barrel. You need to make sure it is clean and was not previously used to hold poisonous substances.
4 non-pivot wheels so you can easily move the compost tumbler
Pivot hinges
Bricks
A flat wood board
Pin locks
Hand drill
Any kind of saw

2. Construct the tumbler

Using a saw, cut a rectangular hole in one side of the barrel. Make sure the hole is big enough to comfortably accommodate a shovel or rake.

Re-attach the cut portion of the barrel using the pivot hinges and pin locks to form the door to your compost tumbler. The pivot edges should be on the top end, with the pin locks placed at the bottom.

3. Set your tumbler on a platform

Screw the 4 non-pivot wheels on the four edges of the flat wood board, then, carefully place the compost tumbler on these wheels. Make sure the wheels are neither too wide nor narrow.

You can rotate your tumbler on these pivot wheels without moving the whole component – cool, right?

4. Make holes on your tumbler

Using a hand drill, make tiny holes all around the barrel – there is no specific pattern to follow. These holes provide proper aeration and ventilation, important factors for speeding up the composting process. They also provide an avenue for drainage should the compost become too moist.

5. Final assembly

Place the plank with the tumbler on the bricks to provide a raised platform, spin your tumbler a couple of times, and if it doesn’t fall off, boom! You are good to go.