55 gallon drums

[ncboman]

Friend of mine at the local Kubota dealership gave me four nice metal barrels recently. They get hydraulic fluids in them and go thru a number of these barrels regularly. ;););)

I planned on using them all for rain barrels but I've decided to build compost tumblers with two of them. One of my customers mows several acres of land with a grass catcher mower and has a BIG pile and steady supply of grass clippings so I'm scarfing those as well for the fodder.

The land here is sandy so I have to either import or make the really good garden soil I use. I've made compost for years using the wire cage method but it's slow and not as efficient as a tumbler. With our renewed interest in gardening, we'll be using a lot of compost and I'm lookin forward to the quick results (~2weeks) a barrel will yield.

I'll post some pics of how I make the tumblers and compost as the project progresses. :)

ncboman

[Bill Gunn]

I looked up the MSDS for Hydraulic fluid...

Keep some toilet paper handy... Just in case !! :p :p

Potential Health Effects:

If swallowed, large volumes of material can cause generalized depression, headache,
drowsiness, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Smaller doses can cause a laxative effect.

[ncboman]

Bill, you doan think I'm cleaning the barrels first? :rolleyes:

Cookin compost gets hot. Doan want the barrels exploding. :D

ncboman

[DaveHawk]

Barrels go fast around here. I posted having 6 barrels for the taking yesterday, 3 plastic and 3 medal gone today.
Vinegar will be a good cleaner Alan

[ncboman]

thanks Dave, I hadn't thought of that.

I'm using dishwashing detergent that breaks up grease. I'll give em a vinegar bath too. Vinegar is cheap so that's right up my alley. :D

Right now the barrels are air tight so cleaning them isn't hard.

ncboman