Homemade compost tumbler

I don't need to expound the virtues of composting.  It's something I've meant to do for ages.  Composting in a tumbler is also easier and faster.  After looking around on-line at compost tumblers, I decided to try to build one as pre-made ones - especially big ones - are quite expensive.

Materials and Methods:
-55-gallon drum (this was most problematic - Orscheln's farm supply had them out in front of the store after Menards didn't have them and a call to Lowe's also turned up negative).  Any large drillable cylinder will work.  Be sure it didn't hold anything toxic beforehand.  Unscrew the spigot if it has one.
-large board
-4 non-pivoting wheels with bolts to fasten them to board
-sealant to weatherproof the board
-bricks or something to elevate the board

This is easy!  Just remember to measure twice, drill once.
1.  Weatherproof the board.  It will be sitting outside and you don't need it to rot.  Look for a weatherproof agent that's not going to leach toxic chemicals.
2.  After your sealant is dry, carefully determine where the wheels would need to lie on the board in order to get your drum to spin.  I used a wood shim (though a plastic ruler would do it too) to hold the wheels in a flat plane against the side of the drum and figure out how far apart they should be.
3.  Mark distances on the board.  Mark holes to drill for bolts.
4.  Drill holes and affix wheels.  Ensure tumbler is in contact with all four wheels and rolls before bolts are tightened.
5.  Drill a bunch of holes in the drum - I avoided the areas that the wheels would roll over, but the rest is well perforated.  I had to step up with my drill bit from a medium size (7/32") to the bigger ones (5/16" or 3/8") as the largest drill bits would not fully or cleanly penetrate the thick plastic on the first try.  I probably put 70 holes in that sucker.
6.  Sit outside slightly elevated from the ground using bricks.  This should save wear and tear on the board and make it more difficult for dirt to get into the wheels.  The cleaner you can keep the wheels, the better!

Since the drum is quite lightweight, I'll probably bring it into the garage if it's empty... which mine is NOT.  I cleaned it out and added my first load of brown and green (should be between 5:1 and 8:1, respectively) and some moisture.  I'll be watching (and sniffing) closely to ensure it warms up and smells right.  My garden should be happy this year!