My $1.59:

Love the title. At first I thought you meant Worm Bin but a Worm Inn is even better.

"I see a lot of love for the Worm Inn on the internet" Where? I pretty much live here and don't get out much.

"but I am cheap" We're right there with ya.

"and want to go bigger than a single worm..." We all do. We can relate.

"I can use the barrel as the support system" I am so glad you wrote this. It is the main reason I replied. I applaud good support for the system. So many beginner vermicomposters forget this critical element. Vermiompost is Heavy. We are always explaining, "No a little plastic office supply drawer system will not hold up to the weight."

"More work than it's worth?" Might be said of a lot of my personal vermicomposting efforts. Join the club.

"I like the advantage of the Worm Inn's ability to keep things fairly dry (and less stinky..) but want to go bigger if possible." Yep. Me too. I find vermicompost so heavy it fights back many of our efforts to control and direct it. This is a battle I am presently in right there with you. Let's hope we win the war. Glad you are here because we are going to need a whole bunch of you all way smarter than me. Might be easier than you think plus the posters here aren't too shabby themselves. They are all on the path towards vermicompost greatness.

You might want to read my post here on my experience with a Worm Inn. It is still a project in process.

You might want to read, and probably already have, read about Bently's Vermicompost Pants.

Maybe with the direction you are taking the most can be learned by the posts everywhere online and youtubes of those who have tried super sized flow through bins. Those who have not had structural failures have had issues with vermicompost not flowing. It just stays there no matter if there is even a bottom on or not.

I do not think nylon is what you want. It does not breath.

I do not think that rubberized olive drab material with a coating on it is what you want. It cracks and flakes.

You may want like $1 Walmart pack your own grocery bags are made out of. But they have not enough structural strength.

I believe the material Worm Inns are made out of is...

Thanks for the quick response equinox equinox!

I've done a few DIY projects with our garden so I learned about 'heavy' the hard way so YES I am a fan of over doing supports if possible. LOL.

Funny you mention the "Creepy Pants" project.. that was what gave me the idea that a "Worm Inn" didn't need to be just a commercial purchase. The Worm Inn started as a DIY experiment and idea so it can be 'reverse engineered' into something else.

The commercial Worm Inns are made from Cordura (and I believe a little 'tent' screening on the inside of that too).

I have the "Willy Pete" bag (aka "waterproof" ) bag that you mentioned with the rubberized/nylon. That would be wrong for this as well as too small too. I have to dig out the duffel and fill it with water first to see how it weeps liquid⦠if the weave is too tight or it doesn't 'sweat' moisture very well I will probably see about making an oversized 'laundry sack' design out of the Cordura material like a Worm Inn uses.

I have a 'reusable' grocery bag as you suggested in a repurposed pickle bucket right now actually (great minds think alike I guess). I snipped a hole in the bottom and have it tied shot. I secured it to the top of the pickle bucket by stealing the rubber seal that was inside the bucket lid, tied as simple knot in it and the stretched that 'rubber band' around the top of the grocery bag that was folded over the top of the bucket⦠(I should get pics instead of trying to explain I guessâ¦). I guess I could call this a 'mini Worm Inn' project LOL.

DIY flow through systems made out of barrels with a hole cut out of them have collapsed. I would be concerned that your access hole would weaken the barrel too much.

If your nylon duffle doesn't work, you might be able to find an older canvas one at an Army surplus store. I think we used those up until the early 80's and I've seen a few of them floating around with older, crustier Soldiers.

I was thinking making something out of weed blocker cloth might work too