DIY compost tumbler?

[WanderingOak]

I have an old clothes dryer that has probably bit the dust. Rather than just having it hauled. I am probably going to scavenge it for anything usable. One thing that I have been thinking about is using the frame and drum to make a compost tumbler. I would probably pull the motor and all of the electronics, and remove the top of the dryer, perhaps rigging hinges of some sort. In one side of the drum, I would cut and hinge a hatch for fresh organics. I wouldn't want to use the door for that purpose, because once the tumbler was more than 1/4 full, I would have difficulty keeping the compost in. If the bearings on the drum can handle a full load of wet laundry, they should be able to handle a full load of compost. To crank the tumbler, I would use the existing pully on the drum, and rig a crank to turn the belt near the top of the back of the dryer.

Has aybody else seen such a conversion before? Can anybody think of a reason why it wouldn't work? I haven't opened up the dryer yet, so I don't know exactly how I am going to rig the crank yet, but everything else seems straightforward.

[moopups]

Mine is a 55 gallon drum that has a detachable lid, I simply drilled holes for a plumbing flange in both the lid and the bottom, centered. And then put in a pair of 6 inch long pipes that fit into a double U shaped frame. There is a cut out in the side, equipped with a hinged door that latches. It turns by hand with out any problems.

[Bearfootfarm]

Every compost tumbler Ive ever seen had solid sides. Every dryer Ive ever seen has holes in the drum. I would think youll have a big mess with that set up

[WanderingOak]

Originally Posted by Bearfootfarm

Every compost tumbler Ive ever seen had solid sides. Every dryer Ive ever seen has holes in the drum. I would think youll have a big mess with that set up

The ones I have used have two vent cut-outs 180 degrees apart in a solid fiberglass drum. Supposedly, they will not work unless the vents are oriented straight up and down. I've been thinking about situating the tumbler on top of a shallow drain pan that my washing machine used to sit in. It would catch the compost 'tea' and allow me to drain it off for the garden.