On 25/10/2016 14:44, Chris Hogg wrote:
On Tue, 25 Oct 2016 13:54:57 +0100, Derek
wrote:

I have been asked by a local charity, to build a number of compost
bins, I plan to do it with pallet boards, but I have a couple of
questions. They will be situated in a field.

1) Would you line them with plastic sheeting?

2) would you put on a lid?

Thanks

Potentially, a compost bin made from pallets is very simple to
construct. All you need is two rot-proof stakes per pallet*, and
either two, three or four boards per bin, depending on whether the
bins are contiguous or not, and a sledge hammer. Get someone to hold
the pallet upright on edge, with the slats horizontal, and drop a
stake down each 'slot' and drive home with the sledge. Move to next
pallet etc. At best you should aim for three heaps in a row: one
filling; one maturing and one emptying. That makes eight pallets and
sixteen stakes. Some people might even have four bins, to allow for
turning a partially matured heap into an adjacent empty bin. I manage
with two.

I have three built as you describe approx 8' cubes 3 sided from scrap
pallets/shed doors. I don't bother to cover mine since I add so much
stuff at once that the heap gets mad hot and will digest almost
anything. I have had it up to smouldering internally once or twice.

This arrangement allows you easily to lift out and replace individual
side panels to access the compost or replace them when they've rotted.
I suppose giving the boards a coat of wood preservative might prolong
their life a bit, but some people are wary of the chemicals in the
preservative getting into the compost and then later into food crops.
Probably all in their minds and not a problem in reality, but pallets
are easy enough to get hold of anyway.

I guess with a coat of yatch varnish or creosote they would last a year
or two longer but I never bother. They rot away over 5-10 years from the
bottom upwards.

*I have some aluminium rafters salvaged from a conservatory re-build,
but I guess framing from an old ali greenhouse or angle-iron from old
bed frames would be as good. Timber, especially garden-centre stakes,
rots in no time!

Scaffold poles are about the right size.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown