I have a wooden flow through type and a worm inn type bin. Both of these bins I built and neither took more than a few hours to construct. I wooden FT was built of entirely scrap material I had laying around while the bag type cost somewhere between $10 and $15.

For as simple as a worm bin is to build I can't justify spending more than $20 on one.

What material did you use for the net portion of the worm inn?

0.0 where did you buy the material for the worm inn? and also can you show pics. i don't really want to build one as well i have no way of bringing home lumber nor scrap lumber yet alone tools to make the bins. i actually was thinking of making a wooden bin but then again someone used all the wood scraps.

I think you already decided, but needed to hear it.

Buy a commerical worm bin (preferably cheap as you can get away with.) It's what I did.

First thing to do is look into your city's public services. My city has a vermicompost workshop that you pay a subsidized fee to attend their workshop, listen to their lecture, get instructional booklet, assemble provided bin with bedding, sand, soil (for microbes) and composting worms. The price I paid is as same as you would pay for only worms. That way, you have confidence your worm bin is properly set up and it's good to go.

These days, the cities are jumping on "going green" bandwagon so most cities around my area now have vermicomposting / composting workshops at reduced prices. The city's bin tend to be simple in design. It's just a bin, not fancy like flow-through or stackable.

If your city don't offer vermicompost service (boo them!), then try to find a cheap commerical bin. These are usually simple in design, most likely a bin, not flow-through or stackable.

When you get your first bin, you can start collecting any free, spare parts as you find them for a second, better bin. After a year or so, you'll be experienced and wise about how to manage the bin and harvest their castings so you can build your second bin just way you want it to be with no expenses.

no i have not decided. mainly because i have better stuff to use that money and i can make cheap bins yet those take up more space length wise and are harder to harvest but that will not be for a while..

also my city is not big on composting/vermicomposting in general. most people here are into technology nor have gardens at all.

but i have been looking up the prices of worm bins and cheapest i can get them at with shipping is $80. i was afraid it would be around $100. so at that price im thinking i can spare my aquarium project and get the worm bin if i don't have the money which i will assume i will just use make shift bins make them flow throughs and build up.

The worm bin needs a container that will hold the worms, bedding, and food reasonably block fruit flies and allows you to harvest it somehow.

Use a little creativity.

One bin I built from scrap wood and one I sewed from a piece of nylon.

Also go read these threads:

5-gallon-bucket X worm inn -- call it an F1 hybrid
This is about some of the bins I have built along with a photo

three big mistakes
This is about an old timer's lessons with worms

redwormcomposting.com also talks about several different bins.

A few simple options jump to mind
A laundry bin with some type of sheeting nested in it - say a cloth shower curtain or piece of nylon or sheer window curtain

A concrete mixing tub - About 24" x 36" and 6" deep made of black plastic - no more than $5 each and I have seen photos of commercial worm guys who use these bins almost exclusively

Someone had the idea to buy an old backpack at goodwill and use that - search this forum for the thread

How about a reusable type cloth grocery bag that are sold for 99 cents at any grocery store? Sure it won't hold much but you could have several.

Search for "creepy pants" around here and you'll see a pair of jeans used as a worm bin which, I think, went to spawn the worm inn. From what I read these worked well.

I agree with mr van 100% Re-purpose something else to make a worm bin or be creative and make one yourself. I have not spent much money at all on my worm hobby. So many free things that are regularly thrown into a dump can be used as a wormery. Maybe salvage the wood from a couple of free pallets and nail them back together into a fine worm bin.

Re-use and re-purpose... Be creative and have fun.

Raising worms without spending money on a commercial bin is half of the fun of vermicomposting. A reason to purchase a bin would be to keep room mates happy.

i have been using creativity. been using w.e. i find to make worm bins i just thought if the commercial ones was worth it or not but since most people don't agree i think i won't buy one after all.

i been using old containers, coolers,etc.. i cannot make one out of wood since i have no power tools.

only thing i find hard about these make shift bins are harvesting but then again i thought to myself how long will i be harvesting only about like once every 2-3 months or longer