Compost bin manufacture
Practical Action
e) Remove the moulds
If rapid hardening cement was used, the mould can be removed after 24 hours. Special care
should be taken to remove the moulds from the concrete rings. Inner mould should remove first to
minimise possible damage.
1. Remove bolts and nuts in the flange of the inner mould and loosen it from the mould with a
little knocking (Plate-19).
2. Remove the inner mould with little curling (slide upwards) (Plate-20).
Plate – 19
Credit: Practical Action South Asia
Plate -20
3. Remove the nuts in outer mould and separate it carefully from the ring (Plate – 21).
Plate-21 Credit: Practical Action South Asia
The plugs that were used for aeration holes need to be removed in 3-4 hours. It is a little
bit difficult to remove them after hardening.
Other components of the bins are easy to separate. A little knocking may be required to
loosen the concrete blocks from the moulds.
These blocks are suitable to use after two weeks of maturating. (It is better to spray some
water during the curing period.)
F) Painting
Painting can be done after the initial maturation period (2 weeks). Any colour can be used but
dark colours are preferable to absorb more heat from the environment. Green is commonly used
due to its association with environmentally friendliness.
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