[Ansteorra] barrels

[Harris Mark.S-rsve60]

> One of these days I need to make my own barrels.
That's what I thought, too.

Then I bought a book on coopering (making barrels) and found out it is not as easy as you might at first think, especially for barrels meant to hold liquids. Among other things, the wood for the barrels must be split radially from the tree, not cut in slabs as with a saw. The barrel staves curve in three dimensions, and even the thickeness of the slats changes. I don't think coopering is a project for a beginning carpenter, which I definitely am.

For more details on coopering, check this file in the CRAFTS section of the Florilegium:
coopering-msg     (48K)  9/12/01    Making and maintaining barrels and kegs.
http://www.florilegium.org/files/CRAFTS/coopering-msg.html

And if anyone here HAS made some wooden barrels or tried to, I'd love to hear of your experiences.

THLord Stefan li Rous
stefan at florilegium.org