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Bluemansailor · 25-11-2013, 07:30

Decided to go with a composting/ drying head for when I brought my boat it had the holding tank in the aft port locker- long hose connected to the toilet that always clogged and filled up quickly.

Made mock ups of the C-head and Natures Head- both turned out to be too big for the space I had available in the head. So I decided to build my own, made the molds, but got side tracked doing other projects and getting the boat ready for the winter- as I am a full time liveaboard now.

Designed my own divertor, made a mold and finished laying it up last weekend in fiberglass. Totally have no idea if it will work smoothly, but the way I've designed my system I can always change it and make another one. It was my second attempt at mold/laying up fiberglass, not that hard!
Here's the mold..

made up from different pieces of wood, glued together then multiple layers of primer, sanded and waxed.
Here's the finished divertor.

gel coated and ready for the next step.

Almost done making the body of the composting head, fiing a couple of dents - hopefully will lay it up over the holidays

Brought the pee tank and agitator from Natures head.

Hope that by Christmas it will all be done and installed. Be happy to help anyone who's interested in doing the same projected.
thanks

Ocean Girl · 25-11-2013, 09:36

Very nice! Yes, anything you want to impart about this project would be great.

How big will your composting (desiccating) bin be? Our looks like it will end up to be smaller than expected, but our little camping toilet that we are using during the construction process lasts at least a month. We have no agitator, but that doesn't seem to be a problem so far. I have plans for an agitator if our permanent system needs it. We will definitely have a nicro vent plumbed from poo bin to deck to help with the drying process.

I'm working on a bladder design that fits under the shower sump access hatch. A 2.5 gallon portable bladder will fit, and with a few quick connect fittings, should be easy to check levels and change out.

Now that winter is here, will be interesting if the head still works as well as it does in warm..?

Anyways, thanks for posting, beautiful separator

Blue Crab · 25-11-2013, 10:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ocean Girl

Try cocotek, renewable and less chance for bugs.

Still looking but using peat due to availability. Also mixing in diatomaceous earth as bug killer per reading somewhere.

jkindredpdx · 25-11-2013, 19:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ocean Girl

We have jugs for pee, empty in bath house every couple days. I put a table spoon of Raritan CP in jug after each empty, keeps it from stinking... The poo is about once a month, in a compostable bag to dumpster... Might have to start a writing campaign about adding compost bins near pump out stations

I received my Oregon Marine Board survey... the results determine their funding and priorities. They provide two solar composting toilets at landings on the Columbia River (that I know of) and are very forward thinking. I suggested they provide compost bins for boaters at the pump-out stations.

I completed the vent for my secondary compost bucket this week. The material I transferred from the toilet had no odor or sign of poop but there were paper remnants. After installing my stirrer, I expect even better results.

Bluemansailor: Nice pics and description! Please post more as you move ahead.

Blue Crab · 26-11-2013, 03:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by jkindredpdx

Bluemansailor: Nice pics and description! Please post more as you move ahead.

Yep!

One of the highlights of these pages is the really high quality work and ingenuity we see. When I was boat shopping I ran into a chess board inlaid into the saloon table.

jkindredpdx · 30-11-2013, 13:20

Soooo. I'm down at the marina on Sedna when my new neighbor, youngish guy who's rebuilding his 36' Catalina, wanders over to see what I'm doing. I explain that I'm installing a composing toilet... he says, "well that's going to be too heavy." I say, "It's actually lighter and less complicated than my old head." "But, you'll have to carry all that poop." "Here's my secondary composting bin" I say, handing him my 1/3 full 3 gal bucket and a coco-brick. "I'm planning on cruising in the ocean" he says, "and there wouldn't be anyplace to empty it." "Might not work for everyone" I said, adding that I had to get back to work...

Gotta admit, it is more complicated to make everything fit than I expected... what normal person would ever take 116 pictures of their head?

Blue Crab · 30-11-2013, 15:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by jkindredpdx

Soooo. I'm down at the marina on Sedna when my new neighbor, youngish guy who's rebuilding his 36' Catalina, wanders over to see what I'm doing. I explain that I'm installing a composing toilet... he says, "well that's going to be too heavy." I say, "It's actually lighter and less complicated than my old head." "But, you'll have to carry all that poop." "Here's my secondary composting bin" I say, handing him my 1/3 full 3 gal bucket and a coco-brick. "I'm planning on cruising in the ocean" he says, "and there wouldn't be anyplace to empty it." "Might not work for everyone" I said, adding that I had to get back to work...

Everybody's an expert.

I wasn't born crabby. It just happened along the way.

jkindredpdx · 01-12-2013, 12:33

FYI. Nothing new here, but thought I'd share the beginning of my Saga... I hope someday people look back on it as the war and Peace of Poo!

Ocean Girl · 01-12-2013, 12:55

Great write up. We are way behind on our project. I had to to have a medical procedure and it knock me on my butt

, wasn't supposed to. Anyways, I'm hoping to get some epoxy on my wood, my hubby will then be able to install toilet.

Now question!
The grate you have at the bottom of the bucket, is that the head or composting bin? Is your vent plumbed to below the grate? I've not seen that set up before.

magentawave · 01-12-2013, 15:27

Bluemansailor - Very nice job you've done there but since there is a relatively small hole for the #2 to enter, aren't you concerned about having to clean poop off that all the time?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bluemansailor

Decided to go with a composting/ drying head...

jkindredpdx · 01-12-2013, 21:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ocean Girl

...Now question! The grate you have at the bottom of the bucket, is that the head or composting bin? Is your vent plumbed to below the grate? I've not seen that set up before.

Sucks the way life messes up plans. Get well soon.

About the grate. I got it to help air circulation in the secondary compost bucket but I'll need to cover it with screen since the peat/coco material is so fine. I'm putting small vent holes near the bottom and one large vent tube near the top. I decided an internal chimney was superfluous.

Ocean Girl · 09-12-2013, 19:58

Anyone putting coffee and tea grounds in the head?

belizesailor · 09-12-2013, 20:08

Put them in my shore based system all the time. Non meat kitchen scraps too.

Re ventilation grate. Important that the compost pile is well areated. I have a similar grate in my shore based system. PVC pipes on the sides are part of the ventilation system. Also use a 120mm pc type cooling fan to help with air circulation. My compost bin is a bit large for a boat, but same concept.

Pic in next post.