How Do You Make A Wood Barrel?
Much of a modern cooper’s work is in barrel making. To make a good solid barrel as well as a cooper takes years of hands-on training, absorbing a skill-set that’s as much art as it is technique. This doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy making your own barrels now. It’s a big challenge to make a barrel that’s strong and leak-free, but with the proper tools and technique you can be well on your way to success. Locate the wood for your barrel. You’ll need rough wood oak planks from trees that were at least 100 years old and contain a very tight grain. The planks must have been air-dried for three years prior to beginning work on them for the barrel. Prepare the wood to serve as staves for your barrel. Cut the wood to the length of your barrel height. Taper the ends so that they will give your barrel a curved shape. Carve out the inner portion of the staves. Place the staves together in the iron hoop known as an assembly jig. Fill the hoop with the stave ends completely encircled. The staves are
