Joel_BC
Super Self-Sufficient
Compost, if it’s going to finish well and be usable in a fairly brief amount of time, needs aeration. I wanted a way to do some of that between major “turnings” with a pitchfork. Yesterday, I came across heavy-duty steel tent anchors for $4 each, and I bought one. This morning I cut off the loop at the top, did a little pounding on my makeshift anvil to straighten the shaft, used an angle grinder to finish the end of the shaft I’d removed the loop from—and voila!
My idea from the start was to put the auger into the chuck of my D-handled 1/2-inch electric drill. I snugged it into the chuck, gave it some test spins, and was pleased that it doesn’t vibrate the drill at slower or full speeds.
The various maneuvers involved with modifying the anchor to function as a compost auger probably took me no more than 12 minutes.
I can use this auger to aerate even fairly clumpy or damp masses of unfinished compost, as I gradually layer them up over the weeks & months. The reach of the auger is a shade over a foot. After the pile builds up, for aerating deeper layers of it—if/when needed—I'll go back to using a long steel punch bar, or to the pitchfork if I’m feeling ambitious and energetic.
My idea from the start was to put the auger into the chuck of my D-handled 1/2-inch electric drill. I snugged it into the chuck, gave it some test spins, and was pleased that it doesn’t vibrate the drill at slower or full speeds.
The various maneuvers involved with modifying the anchor to function as a compost auger probably took me no more than 12 minutes.
I can use this auger to aerate even fairly clumpy or damp masses of unfinished compost, as I gradually layer them up over the weeks & months. The reach of the auger is a shade over a foot. After the pile builds up, for aerating deeper layers of it—if/when needed—I'll go back to using a long steel punch bar, or to the pitchfork if I’m feeling ambitious and energetic.
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