- 1). Choose a solid metal drum that is free of rust. Purchase this at a local farm and fleet store, or you may be lucky and find one that is being given away for free at a factory. Do not use a barrel that has been used to store chemicals as there may be residue present that you do not want on your plants. Rinse the barrel out with a garden hose and allow to dry.
- 2). Mark a section on the side of the barrel approximately 18 inches wide and 9 inches tall. Carefully cut out this section with a jigsaw. Use a metal file and smooth away rough edges all the way around the opening. Take your metal hinges and firmly attach the cut out section to the barrel. Make sure the door opens and shuts easily. You may want to smooth the edges of the door as well with the file to prevent cutting yourself when adding materials.
- 3). Using a power drill, drill several holes in the barrel all the way around. You will want these drainage holes to be about an inch in diameter. Make these holes approximately 3 or 4 inches apart around the entire circumference of the barrel, and in rows that are anywhere from 6 to 8 inches apart. This will allow air to flow through your barrel and excess water to have a place to drain out.
- 4). Take two treated 2-by-4 pieces of lumber and form an "x" with them. You will want to use pieces that are about 4 or 5 feet long each so your barrel will sit a comfortable 2 or 3 feet off of the ground for ease in turning. You need to make two of these pieces that are exactly the same height. Connect each x-shaped piece together with a horizontal piece of lumber around 4 feet long. Add a diagonal brace using a piece of wood approximately 18 inches to each x-piece to support the weight of the barrel.
- 5). Add a turning lever to the side of the barrel. Use your power drill to attach the crank securely to the barrel's flat bottom with sheet metal screws, making sure that the lever has enough clearance to turn a complete revolution. The crank may be stiff at first and not want to turn easily. If this is the case, use a spray lubricant to loosen this up so your barrel can be rotated efficiently. Turning the barrel 2 or 3 times a week should keep the crank loosened up enough to turn freely, but you may want to spray with lubricant once a month to avoid rust buildup.
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