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Finished my compost bins

I finally finished my compost bins over the weekend. I decided to build a triple-bin (turning bin) system, each approximately one cubic meter (3′x3′x3′.)

The bins are constructed entirely of cedar (renewable, weather resistant, and generally termite resistant), using cedar fence panels and 2×4s. The lids are made from cedar 2×2 deck-railing slats, covered in a square, wire mesh (to keep the birds and squirrels out.) The bins are held together with cedar-rated Deck Mate screws, which I had left-over from another project. (It’s pointless to use nice, weather resistant wood if you’re just going to join it with cheap, rust-prone fasteners. Spend the extra money on rust-free nails/screws/staples so you don’t end up with rust stains running from every joint.)

For those new to three-bin compost systems, here’s how they work:

1. New compost materials are put into the bin on the left. (You can still turn materials in this bin like normal.)
2. Part-way through the composting process, you shovel-out the materials in the left bin and move them into the center bin. (This provides opportunity to fully flip/aerate the pile.)
3. When done, shovel the center bin’s pile into the right bin. The right bin stores ready-to-use compost.
4. Once you have a cycle going, you can have a new pile starting, while still having a steady stream of available compost.

It’s hard to tell in the picture above (by design), but the front of each bin opens for easy access. The doors are held on with a simple gate latch:

The screen lids lay on top of each bin, resting on simple guides made from exposed screws. The mesh is attached using staples:

Using cedar raised the materials cost a bit, but the extra durability should be worth it in the long run. All said and done, the materials were a bit over $100 for the whole unit (which is still significantly cheaper then buying a pre-made bin this size.)

For more on composting, see:

• Building Bins and Boxes for Yard Waste Compost
• How to Make Compost, a Composting Guide
• Composting on Wikipedia
• How to Compost on wikihow
• Composting Practices
• Compost on Wikipedia
• Container composting on Wikipedia
• Flickr pictures tagged with compost and compostbin

Links from May 15th through May 19th

Links from May 15th through May 19th:

• Linux.com :: What can you do with a second Ethernet port? - Nice tips on bonding / bridging multiple network interfaces.
• Urwid - Console UI library for Python that's a bit more high-level then using curses directly.
• hackety org » Some Chrome For Pjs - XUL chrome for processing.js that mimics the processing.org UI
• Google Doctype - Google Code - Web development reference

“Official Arduino Ethernet preview board”

Adding Internet connectivity to your Arduino projects might be getting a lot easier:

(Via: Matt Biddulph)

[Update: 2008-05-15]
Those shopping for Arduino’s might also check out this new Arduino Nano:

(Via Arduino Nano: all-in-one design for breadboard use.)

Austin Python Users Group meeting tomorrow (May 14th) with guest speaker Greg Wilson

This month’s APUG meeting will feature guest speaker Greg Wilson, author of Beautiful Code, Data Crunching, Parallel Programming Using C++, Practical Parallel Programming, etc.

For more details, see: http://wiki.python.org/moin/AustinPythonUserGroup and http://python.meetup.com/188/.

Hope to see you there!

Links from May 9th through May 12th

Links from May 9th through May 12th:

• Yahoo! Internet Location Platform - YDN - "The Yahoo! Internet Location Platform provides a resource for managing all geo-permanent named places on Earth."
• Texas AgriLife Extension - Argiculture and Natural Resources - Lots of good links for growing plants in Texas.
• Python with a modular IDE (Vim) - Nice tips on using VIM for Python development.
• John Resig - Processing.js - A JavaScript implementation of Processing using the Canvas. WOW.

Links from April 30th through May 8th

Links from April 30th through May 8th:

• Piwik - Web analytics - Open source - Claims to be an open source clone of Google Analytics.
• Designers Toolbox: Design Resources - Sizes, measurements, templates, etc., for common design needs. (Ex., envelopes, banner ads, etc.)
• Boodler: a programmable soundscape tool - Programmable soundscapes in Python
• Webstemmer - Webspider for news sites; Identifies and extracts articles.

Links from April 14th through April 30th

Links from April 14th through April 30th:

• twish - Google Code - A Twitter shell written in Python
• Greenling Organic Delivery - Local food and Organic produce and groceries home delivered - Austin and San Antonio
• Johnson’s Backyard Garden - A small, family-run and community-supported farm, serving the Austin, Texas area.
• interactions magazine -

How to become a genius

“You must clarify your goals, gain knowledge through spaced repetition, preserve health, work steadily, minimize stress, refuse interruption, and never resist sleep when tired. This should lead to radically improved intelligence and creativity. The only cost: turning your back on every convention of social life.”

Citation from: Want to Remember Everything You’ll Ever Learn? Surrender to This Algorithm.