How to Build a DIY Compost Barrel Tumbler

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Step 1

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Waste becomes compost thanks to millions of hungry microbes, which break it down and convert it to nutrient-rich fertilizer. Those microbes need oxygen to thrive, and that’s where tumbling composters come in. Turning compost over in a drum every day creates fresh air pockets in the mix, and the thorough, consistent mixing speeds up decomposition. You can accomplish the same thing by churning a pile of compost with a shovel, but a drum composter makes it much easier.

Buy or DIY?

Most tumbling composters follow the same basic design—a drum on a stand. You can buy tumbling composters online or at any garden center for as little as $150 for the smallest units and up to $400 for the large fancy rigs.

Or you can build our version of a compost barrel using a plastic 55-gallon drum. The compost tumbler drum and stand together cost about the same as low-price models on the market, but this DIY tumbling composter will be stronger, sturdier, and have more features.

It takes a full day to customize the drum and build the stand. We used rivets to speed up the assembly of the compost bin tumbler, but screws, nuts, and lock washers work as well.

How to Find a Barrel

You can ask for free, used 55-gallon polyethylene drums at places like car washes, food processing plants, and industrial manufacturers. Since beggars can’t be choosers, you’ll probably wind up with a white, green, or blue drum. If that doesn’t fit your backyard color scheme (paint doesn’t stick well to polyethylene), contact a container company and order the color you want. We ordered a black ‘tight-head’ drum (which means the top is permanently sealed to the drum) for about $50 from a local supplier.

Mount the Compost Tumbler Door Opening

  • Use a jigsaw to cut a door panel slightly smaller than the width of your wheelbarrow.
  • Bend 1/8-in. x 1-in. flat aluminum stock around the drum to form side reinforcements for the door opening.
  • Clamp the aluminum strips in place so that a 1/2-in. of the aluminum extends into the door opening.
  • Fasten the strips with rivets or nuts and screws.
  • Then cut flat aluminum pieces for the top and bottom of the door opening and the hinge side of the door.
  • Mount the top and bottom door opening reinforcements in the same manner.
  • Mount the hinges at the bottom of the door opening so the door hangs down when you empty the drum.
  • Finish the door by adding the latches.

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