Build a bin

Create a simple and inexpensive compost bin using a few wooden pallets and some reclaimed timber.

Your will need: 4 x wooden pallets, 100mm exterior screws, exterior latch with screws, 2 x exterior hinges with screws, reclaimed 2.4m fence post, Resene Moss & Mould Killer, Resene Timber and Deck Wash, Resene Waterborne Woodsman tinted to Resene Cherrywood, bucket, garden hose with clean running water, paintbrush, paint stirrer, saw, screwdriver, spade, pencil, rubber gloves, stiff-bristled brush, tape measure.

Top tips: Build up your compost heap in layers, alternating dry and twiggy matter with greener waste (such as lawn clippings). Shredded cardboard and newspaper, vegetable peelings and even old woollen or cotton material will all decompose nicely. Site your compost bin in a sunny spot with good air movement. A square of carpet placed on top of the compost heap will prevent it from becoming saturated during very wet weather.

Step one
Mix one part Resene Moss & Mould Killer to five parts clean water.

Step two
Wearing rubber gloves, thoroughly soak the wooden pallets and reclaimed fence post with the solution and leave for 48 hours.

Step three
Mix one part Resene Timber and Deck Wash to three parts clean water.

Step four
Scrub the wooden pallets and reclaimed fence post thoroughly with the solution using a stiffbristled brush.

Step five
Rinse well with clean water and allow the wooden pallets and reclaimed fence post to dry.

Step six
Carefully stir the Resene Waterborne Woodsman.

Step seven
Apply two coats of Resene Waterborne Woodsman to the wooden pallets, allowing two hours for each coat to dry.

Step eight
On a level area of ground, assemble three of the pallets, as shown, fixing at the corners with screws. Ensure there is a gap between the back of the compost bin and the fence to allow for air circulation.

Step nine
Cut the fence post in half and fix each half to the front edges of the compost bin using screws, sinking the base of each fence post into the ground, as shown. Ensure the fourth wooden pallet will comfortably fit in the gap between the fence posts.

Step ten
Apply two coats of Resene Waterborne Woodsman to the fence posts, allowing two hours for each coat to dry.

Step eleven
Fit the fourth wooden pallet into position and fix with hinges and the exterior latch.

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