Playing with Power Tools

So I've been trying the composting thing since we got the house, more or less; I got a composter kit last year, and it's more or less full.  So this year I've just been making a pile next to it while the stuff inside it finishes breaking down.  Well, the pile has gotten... kinda big:

Turning it was something of a pain, and I had to cut up a lot of the sticks in it more when I did so.  (But I have a pitch fork now!)  Anywho, I started looking at my options for adding a second compost... something, and I found a whole brochure of plans from the state of California.

The single compartment wood bin on pages 5 and 6 was closest to what I was looking for, although bigger than the space I wanted to put it in (a 3'x3' footprint).  It called for 4'x1"x6"s, and after browsing through Home Depot's available lumber, and with their guy who cuts lumber out when we were there, I ended up getting a dozen 6'x5/8"x5 1/2" boards to cut in half to make a 3'x3' box.

This meant I finally got to play with the reciprocating saw we got last year:

The door in the background used to be on the inner front door from before they enclosed the porch; it's been living in the garage since sometime before we moved in.

Other than the heat, it was really pretty out; I ended up putting a fan in the garage while I was working.

So once I got all the slats cut, I attached half a dozen to three 42" 2"x2" newels for each side.  The double newels on one end allow for the slats to be added or removed from the front for easy loading and unloading of the box.  I used 1 1/4" screws since I was using thinner slats than the plans called for.  I'm getting better at using the drill, although the pressure-treated wood tends to clog up the bits somewhat.

Once I had the two sides assembled, I attached the back slats, making sure to attach them in such a way that the front would be wide enough to accommodate the sliding front slats.  (You can see the citronella candle in the background here.  They've been working pretty well for me.)

The plans call for making a sliding cross-bar on the top, but I screwed it to the second front newels to make it a bit sturdier.  Tomorrow we'll get it moved out to the backyard, and I can move my big pile of loose yard waste over.