Wire Bin

Materials

• at least a 10-foot length of 36-inch-wide 1-inch galvanized chicken wire or
• at least a 10-foot length of ½-inch-wide hardware cloth (Note: The maximum bin diameter for a given length of chicken wire is the length of chicken wire divided by 3.14)
• heavy wire for ties
• three or four 4-foot-tall wooden or metal posts
  (for chicken wire bin)

Tools

• heavy-duty wire or tin snips
• pliers
• hammer
  (for chicken wire bin)
• metal file
  (for hardware cloth bin)
• work gloves

Building a Wire-Mesh Holding Unit Using Chicken Wire

1. Fold back 3 to 4 inches of wire at each end of the cut piece to provide a strong, clean edge that will not poke or snag, and that will be easy to latch.
2. Stand the wire in a circle and set in place for the compost pile.
3. Cut the heavy wire into lengths for ties. Attach the ends of the chicken wire together with the wire ties, using pliers.
4. Space wood or metal posts around the inside of the chicken-wire circle. Holding the posts tightly against the wire, pound them firmly into the ground to provide support.

Building a Wire-mesh Holding Unit Using Hardware Cloth

1. Trim the ends of the hardware cloth so that the wires are flush with a cross wire to get rid of edges that could poke or scratch hands. Lightly file each wire along the cut edge to ensure safe handling when opening and closing the bin.
2. Bend the hardware cloth into a circle, and stand it in place for the compost pile.
3. Cut the heavy wire into lengths for ties. Attach the ends of the hardware cloth together with the wire ties, using pliers.