Kitchen scraps can go straight into the bin. I suppose if you wanted to you could put kitchen scraps through a blender first as I occasionally do. But usually I use my blended kitchen scraps as a mulch.

Great idea! This invention of course, would be a superior improvement over shoveling the processed slurry 3 ft from my portable chipper/shredder to the bins - despite the inconvenience of removing the food processor/blender/chipper kind of thing from the bin tops for access, whenever the compost needed turning.

The machine would also need to be stored in the garden shed when not in use - unless it was built to NASA specs with weather-proof components. But who cares about the trade-off of that exorbitant expense?

Another machine to service besides my chipper/shredder for reducing branches into useful mulch, would also not be a problem, with the huge convenience this invention could be.

Yeah . . . that's a great idea. ;^)

And, of course, it would have to be operated by solar power, so I wouldn't be too ashamed to use it.

There are leaf shredders that are electric and mount on top of a garbage can I bet a lot of composters could be adapted to use that

And they tend to be real cheap on craigslist at the wrong time of year

WOW! That is too weird!

We're working on the concept stage of a device that sounds like it might fit the bill.

It is going to be the front end of a {{gwi:320744}} turned on it's back so the discharge hole will be on the bottom. The auger flighting will be sharpened and turned at a slow speed. This will cut up any pieces and mix as it turns. Once the mix is done, a door on the bottom will slide open and the materials will fall out, all mixed up and shredded. Water can be sprayed into the mix as it turns to get a nice uniform moisture level.

We have a John Deere blower with a blown engine from the dump. We've started to take it apart but that's as far as we've gotten. Will have to remember to take pictures. :-)

Doesn't need weatherproofing, it's a snowblower part. Might be hydraulic driven or electrical, haven't decided on that yet.

Lloyd

You don't need no stinkin' contraption for that stuff. My patented (not) no-turn compost method is a better invention.

Kitchen scraps? Isn't that known as chicken treats? Our ladies process the scraps and give us, ahem, "compostable extrusion."

Come to think of it, scraps, clippings and such are preferrable to a slurry, because you want air pockets in the pile.

An extra-large one of these, with a very coarse blade, fixed to the side of the bin, might be helpful, though, as well as providing an opportunity for exercise.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:320747}}

Well if we're gonna go with our favourites, I pick this!

Lloyd

Not quite feasible for the homeowner, but this thread reminded me of a presentation I went to recently by Converted Organics which makes organic fertilizers from industrial food waste. They take truckloads of produce, food prep waste etc. and pulp it all and compost the slurry in a vessel. I think the pulping machine has a 300 hp motor on it. :-] Could be a bit oversized for the home.

http://convertedorganics.com/

Ooooh Lloyd ... that grinder is just what I need on my city lot.... especially the part about "colored" mulch.

I'm working on a Barrel Screen device - 6.5' long x 3' diameter, with adjustable angle, that I can load with my tractor front loader, to roll-dump large stuff out the end as a screener and collect the screened stuff below.

With replaceable solid cover plates (replace the screens) to use it as an enclosed mixer when level, to mix compost feedstock and soil (instead of using the front loader bucket to mix material). Powered by a 5hp speed-adjustable 240v electric motor with chain drive, 'cause the unit will need to vibrate a bit on its hinged pillow blocks.

Plan to build it over the 4' x 4' x 7' concrete Mixing Bin so I can still pick up the screened or mixed material with the front loader bucket.

Also watching EngineeredGardens' blog for his compost-turning invention... EG -- How's it comin'?

I like Lloyd's snowblower/mixer idea, but even running slow, will need a cover, unless the upside-down bin holding capacity is extended...? Might have to extend the auger teeth though - and upside down, the 'throat' might be used to push shredded material through a screen, with a rotating blade on the screen - like a meat grinder? Hope Lloyd does take photos of the remake process.

SoilGuy

Barb, I guarantee you would be the envy of the neighbourhood with one of them on your driveway! All the guys would be staring fer sure! Fire that puppy up on a Saturday morn, well, you get the picture. I love the sound/smell of a big throaty diesel engine coming to life, reminds me of, victory!

Robert, will have sides and a shield, safety first. We are considering putting cutting blades on the auger and maybe having fixed ones on the bottom. These would be replaceable as they will eventually wear. No plans to modify the throat area. Once it's mixed, chopped a bit and moist, I'm good with that.

Lloyd

Hmmmm, fixed blades on the bottom for the auger cutting blades to work against. Now that's strong.

The auger can be removed for cleaning I presume - how much volume of material do you think that machine could handle?

How do you empty the contents once they're chopped/mixed? The original auger is designed to move material into the center (throat), right? So material is moved upward in center, against the shield, then back down the sides to be moved toward the center again...Is that a complication for the shield?

I'm liking this idea better and better.

SoilGuy

Well,

While I'm sure that the idea here is to make composting easier and more fun ... the ideas for this Invention seem to come right out of a script for the "Red Green Show".

And since many of the posts here come from North of the 49th parallel perhaps old Red should be our source of inspiration.

Just remember to build this contraption you will need lots of the handyman's secret weapon ... Duck Tape!

I'm pulling for ya ... we are all in this together!

hahahaha! the red green show, that's hilarious. I knew Lloyd reminded me of someone. rofl. this is some pretty hard core stuff. what about sharpening the blades inside a washing machine and putting it on the spin cycle??? :)

"I'm a man. But I can change. If I have to. I guess."

But seriously. Somebody needs to invent a Compostulator, a variation on the Chrysler Turbo Encabulator.

Here is a link that might be useful: Encabulator

RG show, one of my favorites!!

"When the going gets tough, switch to power tools."

"There's only two things that excite a man, expensive toys and real expensive toys."

"If it ain't broke, you're not trying!"

They're like Commandments, for farmers!

:-)

Lloyd

P.S. Keep your stick on the ice!

I KNEW I could rely on you guys to come up with an invention. The winner so far is Lloyd's favourite. It's a tad big though for my yard...durn

Okay - I seem to have led a sheltered life because I have never heard of "The Red Green Show". Soooo....of course I had to investigate. OMG!! He's hilarious! I just finished watching some YouTube videos of this show and my stomach is aching from laughing so hard.

The one entitled "Perpetual Motion Machine" is the one that most reminds me of Lloyd's post (WOW! That is too weird!).

Reading about a snowblower turned on it's back...with a blown engine from the dump seems to fit right in with Red's way of life. You go Loid!

Val

Here is a link that might be useful: Perpetual Motion Machine

Val, watch the lawn mower coffee one, it is hilarious!

Lloyd

STOP! STOP! I can't take anymore. The lawn mower coffee one IS hilarious.

Ya gotta wonder - WHO thinks this stuff up?!? LOL

Val

Robert - I just picked up the 6x6 posts for it yesterday. Most of the components needed for the project are here, but I'm still waiting on the pulleys and auger. I hope to start on the framework of the support system after the holidays. I'd like to put it into action before the end of January.

EG

Lloyd,

How are you going to "feed" the beast? The size of the opening on a single snowblower would be maybe 3' x 18"? (Remember I am an Aussie and now live in Cali... not much exposure to a snowblower)

I was thinking, having seen some of your photos, that perhaps 4-6 blowers sequenced together might work for you. That way the feeding can be done with the big dumping-mchine-thingy you have (the bucket on the tractor). That would just be a welded axle basically I think.

Then the chewed up stuff could go into a trough with an archimedes screw (or convayor belt) and be lifted straight into that cool screen thing you posted photos of a while back.

If ya gonna make it mechanical, it's ALWAYS better if its BIGGER right?

Peter

it's ALWAYS better if its BIGGER right?"

You'd think. :-)

This is going to a small scale unit to be fed by a single person. Eventually if I want to go big time I'll find a used feed mixer wagon. With side extensions, we're guessing a 2 foot by 3 foot opening on top. This is flexible and will depend on scrap we have.

For now, its purpose is to take paper bags of kitchen waste, rip 'em up and mix all the contents up with shredded leaves/straw. The mixture will be composted normally either in the tumblers or a bunker.

Lloyd

Who wants mower coffee LOL I don't shred I'm too lazy, slow and steady wins the race? Thinking air pockets are on my side. But shredders are cool I worked for a tree service for a bit theirs was friggin huge it ate everything no problem. Lots of fun.

Back on the original message, I was going to use a small stainless steel sink with an insinkerator disposal device to process kitchen and garden scraps into a slurry. This would be especially handy during harvest when I'm processing tomatoes, strawberries, etc. and have significant volumes of materials. The slurry could be applied directly onto the garden beds, or it could be allowed to marinate prior to application.

Now, Idaho Gardener, you have a great idea! You can always find SS sinks at Sally Ann shops and a cheap insinkerator would work. Use a hose to wash the stuff down, collect in a bucket and voila! A green slurry to dump in with compost to heat it up. And, aren't insinkerators NASA approved? I could see this part of my potting bench close to my composters. Not quite as much fun as Lloyd and Kikifoow, but a tad more practical.

Basically, RG explains your needed invention in the attached video.

7valleyplantcycle.com

Here is a link that might be useful: Garbage Disposal Composter

Hey crownpc .... mega thanks for the Garbage Disposal Composter video .... please continue to keep us posted on this dude's videos ... the one about making coffee is a gem!