DIY products from wooden barrels. Making a wooden barrel with your own hands

Wooden barrels are not only convenient, but also beautiful. Despite the fact that today it is easy to find other dishes, they still continue to be used for water and bulk substances, and pickling vegetables. Modern technologies for making barrels according to drawings from wood of various species have stepped far forward, but in many respects they remain true to the traditions of antiquity. In this article we will share our experience and talk about how to start mastering cooperage at home. Perhaps soon you will make your first barrel with your own hands.

A little history

According to some researchers, the ancient Greeks knew about cooperage, who stored water, wine and oil in large barrels. However, there is little information about that era, and the actual evidence dates back to a later period - 1-2 centuries. ad. The first reliable data allowing us to talk about the Bondar case in Rus' dates back to the 8th century AD. e. At the same time, scientists suggest that this craft began much earlier.

Throughout history, coopers were highly valued, because even now there is no real alternative to wooden utensils.

Cooperation traditions

From time immemorial, this work was considered the lot of men. This is due to the fact that it requires remarkable strength. Even now, when a master can use the achievements of science and technology, there are practically no women in the craft.

Another tradition is related to the fact that cooperage has changed so little over time: it does not recognize anything artificial and synthetic. Today, any wooden product can be reliably glued together with special harmless compounds and covered with a layer of a substance that protects the material from moisture and other external influences. However, in the Bondar business, none of the above applies. Like several centuries ago, it uses only natural wood. For reliable fastening, neither glue nor metal hoops are required; any connection can be made using wooden dowels.

Be careful: traditional cooperage can only be made of wood.

Wood

It is the basis of cooperage. Wood is selected taking into account the product. Not only its physical properties, but also its composition depend on the source. In addition, experienced craftsmen take into account the season of harvesting the tree and the conditions in which it grew. They knew how this or that factor affected the plastic properties of wood, because it was important that the wood could be easily split, cut, and bent when steamed. All this influenced what type of dishes could be made from it.

What kind of wood do coopers use?

Over many centuries, craftsmen have chosen those trees that have the best properties and are more suitable for the craft than others. They are considered the most convenient, and products made from them are of the highest quality:

Deciduous trees:

Oak For many craftsmen, its wood is considered unsurpassed. It is heavy and durable, like the tree itself, and its hardness is comparable only to ebony. It is difficult to cut, but pricks easily. If oak wood is steamed well, it will become flexible, and this is the main characteristic for making barrels. Craftsmen have long noticed an interesting pattern: the harsher the climate in which the oak grew, and the worse the soil, the better the wood, and therefore preference is given to trees grown in northern latitudes. Even today they are valued much higher than others.

Oak wood is not afraid of drying, but does not like it if they try to artificially speed it up. Craftsmen dry wood only under natural conditions. To give the wood a decorative appearance, it is immersed in water for several years. You won't be able to achieve this effect with varnishes - they will leave unsightly stains. Over time, oak in water will not crack or be affected by fungus, but on the contrary, it will only become stronger.

Wells were built from such wood; as a result, the water in them always remained clean and cold. They were also used to make piles that did not rot even after decades. Barrels made of such material are expensive and heavy, but they will serve you faithfully for many years.

make the first barrel with your hands.

Aspen. This is the second most widespread tree in Russia. It is second only to birch. Its wood is similar to poplar - it is characterized by high density and uniformity. It is easy to cut and processed on a lathe, splits easily, but almost does not crack. Dishes made from aspen are light and durable. It is also important that wood is excellent for decorative carvings, and therefore you can create real works of art from it. Aspen is not afraid of water, so it is used for making barrels. People have long noticed that cabbage in such a tub retains its white color and elasticity for a long time. After prolonged exposure to water, the wood swells, but in cooperage this is considered an advantage, since the planks eventually close together so that they become difficult to distinguish.

Linden . There are more than 50 varieties of this tree, which are found throughout Russia. The properties of linden have been known for a long time. Coopers know the ease with which this wood can be processed, its delicate shine and uniform white color. Linden is easy to cut and splits both along the layers and in the radial direction. It is flexible, almost does not crack, weighs little and retains heat well, so it is used for the manufacture of barrels and tubs for baths and other products that do not require special strength. Lovers highly appreciate the fact that linden wood is not susceptible to the influence of microorganisms, as well as for its pleasant aroma.

Larch. Its wood is stronger than oak with almost the same density, which is one of the main advantages. At the same time, it places serious demands on processing. Due to its density, it cannot be kept in water for a long time, since during drying it will create strong tension in the wood. It is almost impossible to impregnate it with protective compounds, and the high resin content makes it difficult to work even with a professional machine. At the same time, the demand for larch was and remains high. Products made from it are considered elite and are expensive, but professional companies and cartels usually work with such wood.

Pine . This tree is one of the most common not only in Russia, but throughout the world. Good density and hardness make it an extremely convenient material for processing. The only thing that can complicate the work is the low flexibility of the wood. It is also important where the pine grows. Trees from northern latitudes are more durable, and therefore are preferable for the production of cooperage products.

Cedar. Cooperation masters love its wood because it is easy to work with and the results are excellent. It is soft and pliable, easy to cut and process, and practically not subject to rotting. Separately, it is worth noting the pleasant color and aroma, rich in resins. The barrels that come out of it are strong and beautiful, not afraid of temperature changes and moisture. There is no need to treat the wood with any compounds, and therefore it retains its natural color and aroma for a long time.

Why do we pay so much attention to wood? Because real craftsmen know that each tree affects the quality and properties of the finished product. For example, durable oak is not suitable for making barrels for honey, because it darkens in them and acquires an extraneous aroma. But such cooperage products are perfect for storing cognac, wine and whiskey, because they allow you to discover new aromas and shades in alcoholic drinks.

If you decide to learn a new craft, in addition to knowledge, you will also need equipment.

Tools

Without them, the master is like without hands. Today, tools can be bought at any store, but many coopers, like in the old days, prefer to make them themselves so that they fit like a glove. We will not discuss which option should be chosen; this is a personal matter for each master and depends on his skill, the amount of free time and his own preferences. We'll tell you what you'll need to get started.

1. Carpentry workbench. Make sure it is equipped with a vice and toolboxes, and is suitable for your height.
2. Jointer. It is a plane with a double knife and is used for finishing wood processing.
3. Tool for planing edges.
4. Machine gate or chain tie. Useful for tightening rivets.
5. Plane, scraper.
6. Clamps for assembling the frame.
7. Morning.
8. Heels.
9. Cooper's bracket.
10. Own patterns and templates.

Cooperage products are made from planks called staves or frets. Their shape will determine the parameters of the future product. The complexity of the work will depend on the desired result and the wood chosen.

Another important point is the choice of material for the hoop, which will tighten the frets so that the barrel does not fall apart and leak. You have two options: metal and wood. The first one is stronger and easier to work with, but wood allows you to get the same result and make the barrel even more beautiful, especially if you choose it correctly. The choice of material is also yours.

Once all the tools are prepared and the materials have been selected and purchased, it is time to start making your first barrel. You can work both at home and in the workshop. Just make sure that the room is spacious and that it is easy and convenient for you to collect garbage.

Work process

Let's start by deciding on the shape of the barrel. Not only are your personal preferences important, but also practical considerations.

• The traditional shape for barrels is grooved (the walls of which are curved in a parabola). It is easy to use, but the manufacturing process is difficult for a beginner.
• A cylindrical barrel is easier to make, but more difficult to use. Firstly, it is difficult to connect rivets with hoops of constant diameter, and secondly, when the wood dries out, they will no longer hold the frets. As a result, such barrels are rarely used.
• The cone shape is the golden mean - they are easy to use and have fairly reasonable requirements for production. Using the example of such a product, namely a tub for pickles, we will analyze the instructions.

Making a barrel in stages

Step 1: Blanks.

You must prepare and process all the components of the tub. Let's go in order.

1. Rivets. The success of your work depends on their quality. They are usually cut out with an ax from a cut tree, usually from its lower part. The work process is almost the same and varies slightly depending on the wood. Oak is the most commonly used wood, but you may choose a different wood based on what we've covered above.

So, let's start pricking. It can be single-row or double-row. The first type is suitable for thin blocks, the second - for more massive blocks. The steps in both cases are the same: it is necessary to split the ridge in half so that the line passes through its middle, then divide each of the resulting blocks into equal parts, then split the quarters again. The result should be eight blanks. For thin logs this is enough, and you can move on to the next step. If you are working with a large deck, you will have to resort to double-row punching. To do this, split each of the eight pieces in half along the annual ring. The resulting logs are called gnatinniki by coopers. Each of them must be split in the radial direction, with the smaller one producing 1-2 pieces, and the larger one - 3-5. After this, all that remains is to prepare the resulting blanks: remove the wedge-shaped protrusions and sapwood, and then dry them. This can be done naturally, in which case the process will take about three months depending on the wood, or drying can be accelerated using special equipment.

After the blanks are completely dry, they can be used to make rivets. To do this, you will need templates and patterns, which you can make yourself in accordance with the parameters of the product.

• mark the workpieces;
• round and bevel the outer surface with an ax;
• process it with a straight plow; a plane will also work;
• plan the inner side with a fillet or humpback staple;
• trim the edges of the frets with an axe;
• Using a jointer, level all surfaces.

The result should look like this:

How many rivets will be needed? Let's do the math. First you need to find the largest perimeter of the tub. To do this, the diameter of the wide base must be multiplied by 3.14 (the number 𝝅). This will give you the sum of the widths of all the rivets. But they don’t always turn out the same! To avoid wasting time measuring each one, we recommend setting aside a straight section on a flat surface equal to the sum of the widths and laying the rivets on it until it is completely filled.

2. Hoops. We will consider the simplest option, for which we will need a hot-rolled steel strip. We work according to the following scheme:

1. We measure the required length of the tape. We calculate the perimeter of the tub at the location of the hoop, add double the width of the strip.
2. We bend the strip into a ring, the ends overlap. To do this, you can use a hammer. We make two holes 4-5 mm, install rivets.
3. Flare one edge of the hoop from the inside with hammer blows.

For the small barrel we are making, two of these hoops are enough.

Step 2: Assembly. When all the pieces are assembled, all that remains is to connect them together. This process may take a few minutes for an experienced professional, but it may take you longer. The procedure is as follows:

1. Take a small hoop and attach three rivets at equal distances. We get a tripod, which we then place in a vertical position.
2. We insert the remaining frets one by one, filling the space between the rivets.
3. We take a heel and a hammer, and with their help we press down the small hoop so that it securely fixes all the parts.
4. We put on the lower hoop and lower it in the same way.
5. Using a thicknesser we draw a line at the ends and file along it.
6. We remove irregularities inside the frame. This is easy to do with a stapler.
7. We process the ends with a humpback plane.
8. We remove the chamfer inside the frame from the ends. A straight plow will help you with this.
9. Using a morning jig, we cut a groove into which the bottom will be inserted.

Step 3: Installing the Bottom. For this part, the widest and thickest blanks will be useful, as there will be fewer joints. The procedure will be as follows:

1. We fugue the edges of the boards, assemble and combine them on the workbench.
2. Determine the radius of the bottom. To do this, we place the legs of the compass in the groove and select a solution that divides the perimeter into 6 parts.
3. Using it, we draw a circle on the combined planks.
4. Within the circle we make marks for installing studs.
5. We release the boards and drill holes in the marked places and insert the pins.
6. We join the planks on the pins as tightly as possible.
7. We plan the bottom on both sides.
8. Draw a circle of the same radius from the center.
9. We cut out the bottom with a circular saw, leaving a margin outside the circle.
10. We remove the chamfer from both sides with a straight plow.
11. We loosen the fastening of the rivets, turn the tub over, insert the bottom and fill the large hoop again.

At this stage, our barrel is almost ready - all that remains is to check it for leaks, make a lid and a circle. These tasks are not difficult, so we will not describe them in this article.

That's all, your first barrel is ready to pickle vegetables for the winter.

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  5,190.00 rub.

To build a bathhouse, you can choose the traditional option - cut down a small one or build a steam room using frame technology. A sauna - a barrel made with your own hands from specially prepared boards - looks much more attractive and original. Since the method of assembling a house-side structure is of interest to many homeowners, we suggest considering the manufacturing procedure in this article.

Selection of design and dimensions

The building is similar to a barrel not only externally, but also structurally. The structure consists of the following elements:

• round end walls, knocked together from tightly fitted boards, are analogous to the bottom and lid of a barrel;
• side walls assembled from longitudinally laid thick boards with special recesses (following the example of a log house);
• external ties made of steel strip or cable, resembling barrel iron hoops;
• stands for horizontal installation of the assembled body on the ground;
• elements of interior design - stove, shelves, partitions with doors (if necessary).

Steam room, washing room and dressing room in the form of a classic round barrel

Reference. There are also more complex designs, made in the form of a rectangle with rounded corners or an oval, shown in the photo below.

The first step is to decide on the design and layout of the bathhouse premises - the future dimensions and foundation of the structure depend on this. Please note an important point: the side walls are made of solid boards made specifically for the bathhouse, so the length of the structure directly depends on the length of the lumber.

The design and internal layout of the barrel is developed depending on the selected type of bathhouse and other wishes of the homeowner as follows:

A beginner who decides to build a barrel-shaped bathhouse on his own is not recommended to start with large structures equipped with several internal partitions. Make a one-room sauna 2 m long - if desired, it can be loaded onto a car trailer and taken to a recreation area near a pond.

Harvesting lumber

The beams and boards for a bathhouse made in the form of a barrel must be sawn from hardwood - aspen, linden, and so on. Of the coniferous species, the use of cedar and larch, which are resistant to temperature changes and moisture, is allowed. Pine and spruce, when heated strongly, release resin, whose drops can burn people in the steam room.

Advice. If the choice of wood is limited only to coniferous species, for the cladding of the upper part of the body, select boards without knots, which are sources of resinous secretions.

To make a barrel-type sauna, purchase the following timber:

• timber with a minimum cross-section of 10 x 10 cm for stands;
• a board 45-50 mm thick and 10 cm wide is used for assembling end and side walls;
• wooden door 0.7 x 1.8 m with a frame (you can buy a ready-made one or make it yourself from timber 50 x 50 mm and boards 2.5 cm thick);
• lumber for the manufacture of shelves and lattice trays.

The number of boards on the end walls of the barrel is calculated as follows: the area of ​​the circle is determined, the resulting value is divided by the width of the product and multiplied by a safety factor of 1.2. Do not forget to add bars - power jumpers that connect the boards to each other during the panel assembly process.

Side paneling timber is calculated by the circumference divided by the width of the board. Apply a safety factor since the wood must be mortise-and-tongued on a woodworking machine.

Note. On sale it is not difficult to find ready-made kits for assembling bathhouses - barrels of various sizes and layouts. But often the quality of these products does not correspond to their cost.

What else will be needed in the process of building a round bath:

• metal ties - steel cables or strips;
• fasteners – galvanized screws and nails;
• compositions for external and internal processing of wood – antiseptics, varnishes;
• materials for the manufacture of the roof - shingles, plywood, beams and roofing (common options are bitumen shingles or corrugated sheets);
• sauna stove of appropriate power, calculated according to the volume of the steam room;
• chimney pipes - sandwich;
• special lamps and switches for baths, non-flammable cables.

If you plan to use the barrel year-round, it is worth making external insulation. A suitable thermal insulation material is mineral wool; the use of polymers is not recommended.

Wood processing

Since the walls of the bathhouse are joined in a special way - like log cabins, all the boards need to be mechanically processed with cutters on a machine; cutting out semicircular grooves by hand is unrealistic. The developer needs to contact a woodworking workshop and provide sketches with the parameters of the workpieces. The exact dimensions of the ridges, grooves and profile of the cutter are indicated in the drawing.

To facilitate further construction work, process the trimmed workpieces in advance according to the instructions:

Advice. Cover the surfaces of the workpieces going outside and inside the barrel with various protective compounds. From the inside, apply a special product for baths and steam rooms.

After painting, stack the boards to dry, laying thin strips between the tiers. How to properly carry out preparatory work, watch the video:

Manufacturing of end walls

As mentioned above, a barrel-sauna is made with your own hands from two (minimum) round edge elements connected by profiled cladding boards. Therefore, construction begins with the assembly of the ends of the barrel using panel technology.

Place 2 support beams on a flat area and begin assembling the rear blank wall in the following sequence:

Advice. It is not necessary to tie the blanks into a shield with two long jumpers. Place 4 crossbars shorter and closer to the edge - the product will look more aesthetically pleasing.

When assembling, the groove of each subsequent beam is put on the ridge of the previous one, as builders of log houses do. This connection method prevents precipitation from entering the joint. Fit the boards tightly; if necessary, use clamps and wedging.

The front wall is made in the same way, only the door frame serves as the base. Twist it with self-tapping screws from the beams, having previously secured it to the stands with clamps and aligned the diagonals with a tape measure. To trace the circle, nail a temporary board to the box with the center on it.

After sawing off the excess, sand the ends of both pieces and install the door. It would not hurt to additionally secure the outer boards of the wall with long furniture screws screwed into the adjacent board bars. How to make the round walls of a barrel-sauna, watch the video:

Instructions for assembling the bath

The structure needs to be assembled locally - it is quite cumbersome to move. But first you need to make stands - legs located under the outer walls and partitions. For making, use as much as possible the scraps of materials left over after assembling the front and back walls. One of the design options is shown in the photo.

Installation of the sauna barrel is carried out in the following order:

Important point. A version of a traditional Russian bathhouse with a sink is installed at a slight slope towards the rear wall. A hole is drilled at the lowest point of the floor to drain water.

The finished body of the barrel should be protected from precipitation so that the upper part of the bath becomes less wet. It is recommended to use the budget method here:

1. Nail flexible wooden strips across the body at intervals of 0.5-0.6 m.
2. Pin sheets of thin plywood to the top of the planks.
3. Cover the improvised base of the roof with bitumen shingles.

If insulation is needed, the shingles are nailed to the body in several layers - the gap between the plywood and the outer surface of the barrel will increase. There you can lay mineral wool covered with a diffusion membrane. The procedure for assembling the bathhouse is shown in detail in the next video:

Construction work

Upon completion of installation, proceed to the internal arrangement of the barrel. The following work remains to be done in the bathhouse:

1. Make a ventilation hole in the rear end covered with a lid.
2. Place the oven using a metal stand. Protect the section of the wall behind the stove with fireproof materials - roofing steel or mineralite slabs.
3. Make a chimney from a sandwich pipe by making a hole in the ceiling. Read how to install chimney pipes correctly.
4. Make shelves and a floor drain (lattice tray), attach the elements to the walls.
5. Lay out the electrical wiring, install a bath lamp and a switch.

Under the barrel - Russian bathhouse, it is advisable to dig a pit in advance to drain water through a hole in the floor. There is another way of drainage - connect a flexible pipe to the drain, laid to a storm drain gutter or other place.

Conclusion

If you decide to make your own barrel bath, be patient and have plenty of free time. The author of the videos presented here spent about 1 month building it from scratch. Add time costs to resolve unforeseen delays and problems associated with lack of experience. There is a way to reduce construction time - order a ready-made kit to the craftsmen, and only do the installation yourself.

Design engineer with more than 8 years of experience in construction.
Graduated from the East Ukrainian National University. Vladimir Dal with a degree in Electronics Industry Equipment in 2011.

Related posts:

Do-it-yourself oak barrel, product drawings. Before you begin production, you need to familiarize yourself with GOST 8777-80, which establishes the basic dimensions and parameters for wooden barrels in jellied and dry containers.

Let's look at an example, manufacturing a 15-liter container, which will consist of twenty rivets.

1. Riveting.
2. Dontse.
3. Morning hoop.
4. Fart hoop.

Stage I. Dimensions and parameters of the barrel.

To do this, depending on the volume of the product:

From table No. 1, select the main parameters and dimensions

From table No. 2 we select the sizes of the rivets

From table No. 3, select the number of metal hoops

Using simple geometric constructions, we draw the riveting.

The unbent length of the riveting is determined by the formula: l = 2πRα/360

We substitute the values ​​and get l = 2 x 3.14 x 1282.04 x 15.69 / 360 = 350.9(mm)

We determined the dimensions of the blanks for riveting, which were 18 x 46 x 351(mm)

Stage II. Making the bottom.

We accept the sizes indicated in tables No. 1, No. 2.

1. Connection of riveting to the rail.
2. Marking and cutting out a circle.
3. Chamfering.

1. Applying markings to sheet metal.
2. Cutting sheet metal with a thickness of 1…2 (mm).
3. Connecting the hoop with rivets.
4. Forging a hoop.

1. Attaching three studs to the hoop and inserting the rest
2. Installation of a neck hoop.
3. Steaming the rivets.
4. Tightening the rivets with a collar.
5. Installation of the morning hoop.
6. Assembly of the frame.
7. Bottom insert.
8. Installation of the morning hoop.

An oak barrel, made with your own hands according to drawings, is an excellent vessel for aging alcoholic beverages for many years and storing pickles for the winter.

Wood species - which one to choose for making a barrel

• Elasticity, bending flexibility.
• Easily processed with household tools.

• When the temperature rises, it will resin abundantly.
• A characteristic smell that will be constantly present inside the barrel.

Juniper

Strength combined with ease of processing.

• It bends perfectly after the wood is well steamed.
• Contains fungicides that protect the structural elements of the barrel from rotting.

High cost of material. To make a high-quality barrel, you will have to use wood that is at least 80–100 years old.

According to reviews from those who have already made a wooden barrel with their own hands, you can also use such types of wood as linden, ash, aspen, and mulberry.

The choice of material is a rather specific issue. If a barrel is needed to store stocks of wine (cognac, vodka), sourdough (pickling) of cucumbers, watermelons, apples, and so on, then the best wood for it is oak. This is undeniable. But it is hardly right to spend such wood (considering its cost) on making a container with your own hands in which you are supposed to store cement, sand, and bulk products. Other “simpler” breeds are also quite suitable for these purposes.

The procedure for calculating barrel parameters

Based on its purpose and installation location, dimensions and design features are selected. In everyday life there is some confusion with the concepts. In principle, both a tub and a barrel are containers of a certain capacity that are assembled by hand from separate boards (rivets, frets in the language of professionals). The only difference is in geometry. The pictures explain everything well.

What is defined for a drawing:

• Barrel height
• Diameters (large and small).
• The bending angle of the rivets and their number.

To simplify calculations, it is advisable to focus on standard data that is used by specialists when drawing up drawings of barrels.

Do-it-yourself wooden barrel - instructions

The algorithm of actions is clear from the figures, which indicate the main stages of the work.

But some explanations will not be superfluous.

Staves can be made from logs or boards. The first option is preferable, although doing it yourself is much more difficult. The fact is that only the lower part of the tree trunk, from roots to branches, is used to make a barrel. You will have to chop the logs (blocks) yourself.

What's special?

• The ax blade must hit exactly in the center, along the diametrical line. This will make the work somewhat easier and will allow you to get high-quality rivets in larger quantities (per each deck).

• Boards are obtained by splitting and hewing lumps. Wood processing is always carried out along the grain, and not across it.

To facilitate bending, the rivets are given an irregular geometry. The thickness at the ends of each board should exceed the same parameter in the center by approximately 0.2. That is, if you plan to assemble a barrel with your own hands from 10 mm boards, then they are trimmed so that in the lower and upper parts of the container their thickness is at least 12.

Drying staves

Various sources indicate periods that are measured in months, or even years (up to 3). On this point, it is necessary to focus on local conditions, the initial moisture content of the wood and its porosity. Recommendations for artificially accelerating this process when doing work yourself are not entirely useful. Without practice, it is difficult to determine the optimal mode for the same electrical cabinet and the time of exposure of wood in it. Experienced craftsmen advise waiting until the moisture evaporates from the wood naturally.

You just need to place it in a room with proper conditions - a temperature of at least +20 ºС and good ventilation. You may have to wait 2 or 3 years. But a high-quality barrel is not made “in one day,” and this must be understood.

If we are talking about a container for household purposes, then you can dry the rivets even on the stove. But in any case, a barrel is not assembled from raw boards. Within a couple of weeks (due to wood shrinkage), cracks will begin to appear between them. Verified.

Cooperation Basics

In order to master the work of a cooper and make your first tub, you need not only desire, but also a room for work, the necessary materials and tools, and equipment.

Reviews from the network about oak barrel

beech. Less wear-resistant, but looks beautiful, and as an alternative, suitable

coniferous trees (spruce, cedar, pine). They are soaked for a long time before use because they release a resin that affects the taste. But the soaking procedure does not always help. But they are great for swimming pools and baths. Spruce barrels are suitable for pickling mushrooms.

Types of cooper's utensils and corresponding types of staves

All dishes made by a cooper are made from special small boards of wood called staves. The dimensions and configuration of such dishes depend directly on the size of these rivets.

The following types of staves correspond to different types of cooperage utensils:

What tools are needed?

To make wooden barrels with your own hands, you need to purchase a certain list of tools and accessories:

• workbench for carpentry,
• cooper's jointer. You need to choose a longer one,
• circular humpback plane,
• devices for planing the edges of boards,
• frame gate machine (for tightening rivets),
• chain tie,
• post gate,
• plow,
• stapler and stapler,
• patterns and templates. Determine the shape and dimensions of the barrel being manufactured,
• metal and wood clamps,
• morning. Necessary for cutting the morning groove into which the bottom is inserted,
• heels made of metal, wood or combinations,
• tension for the hoop,
• staples for cooperage,
• planes and hatchets of different sizes.

How to make a pickle jar

It is best to start working on cooperage products with a tub, since its manufacturing technology is simpler. The most common sizes of tubs (bottom diameter/height/top diameter in mm):

• 280x300x260 with a capacity of 12 liters (bucket),
• 360x390x340 for 36 liters,
• 420x460x400 for 42 liters,
• 440x500x420 for 72 liters,
• 460x560x440 for 96 liters,
• 540x570x520 for 120 liters,
• 600x700x580 for 180 liters.

Preparation of rivets

It is best to make rivets from the lower parts of old trees (riveting). Firewood will also be quite suitable. Raw straight-grain wood is most suitable for rivets.

When making rivets, the following steps are performed:

1. The chock is chosen 5-6 cm longer than the height of the rivets. Then they carefully chop it in half with an ax. Each half, in turn, is split in half again, and so on until the pieces of the required thickness are obtained. During such splitting, it is important to hit the core and it is good if there are core rays along which you can make splits. Since you can’t just hit the core with an ax, it is placed on the end of the block in the desired direction and hit from above with a checkmark (a large wooden mallet). Thin lumps are usually split into eight pieces (single-row method). From thick lumps, rivets are prepared in two rows (two-row method). To do this, 1/8 of the part is pricked in half along the annual ring. From half of the smaller size, usually 1-2 pieces are obtained, and from the larger part, 5-6 pieces are obtained.
2. A wedge of wood is trimmed from the workpieces from the core side and bark with young wood from the outer part of the workpiece. As a result of such splitting, the boards should be rectangular in cross-section. Their thickness should be 2.5-3 cm, and width - 8-10 cm. For the bottom, planks 15 cm wide are needed.
3. The workpieces should be dried well. Usually 3 months of summer or a month in a room with good ventilation is enough for them.
4. Make a template, taking into account that the taper (ratio of bottom to top) of the shell is 1.08, but for greater decorativeness it is sometimes increased to 1.7-1.8. An old rivet from a tub can also serve as a template. The number of rivets for a tub or barrel is calculated using the formula 3.14*L/W, where D is the diameter of the bottom of the tub, and W is the width of the bottom of the stave. Since the width of the rivets may differ slightly, the easiest way is to calculate the perimeter of the bottom (3.14*L) and try them on to a piece of the appropriate length.
5. Make markings on the board.
6. The edges are beveled with an ax, and the outer surface is slightly rounded.
7. The outer side is processed on a cooper's bench using a straight plow. If you have a carpentry workbench, you can use a plane. During this process, you must constantly refer to the template.
8. Plane the inside of the rivets with a fillet. You can use a humped skobel. The smaller the diameter of the product, the deeper the gutter.
9. Use an ax to cut off the narrow edges of the planks, controlling the dimensions using a template.
10. Align the same edges with a jointer. The accuracy of the jointing determines how tightly the rivets will fit together.

Frame assembly

Now we proceed to assembling the product in the following sequence:

1. They make the skeleton of the future tub by attaching three support rivets to a smaller hoop at an equal distance from each other.
2. Other rivets are inserted between them, filling the entire structure. If the last plank does not fit, it should be trimmed to the required size. If it is smaller than necessary, then you should use the supply of boards for rivets and make a rivet of the required size.
3. Using a heel and hammer, the hoop is pressed down so that all the rivets fit tightly together.
4. The lower hoop, which is larger in size, is pulled over the resulting structure. Perform the previous operation to close the elements.
5. The resulting frame is trimmed. To do this, mark a line along the edges with a thicknesser to indicate the excess to be removed. Then, according to this risk, all excess is sawed off with a saw.
6. Using a special scraper, all irregularities inside the product are scraped out, paying special attention to the joints between the rivets.
7. The edges of the resulting product are planed with a humpback plane.
8. Straight plows are chamfered on the inside edges to prevent chipping of the ends and to facilitate the process of inserting the bottom.
9. Using a chisel, a special groove (morter) of approximately 3 mm is cut at the bottom from the inside, into which the bottom will be inserted. You can use a cutter.

Barrel soaking

Before use, an oak barrel should be soaked to get rid of excess tannins, which can affect the taste too much. To do this, follow these steps:

1. The product is filled with hot water (approx. 80 °C).
2. The barrel rotates in different directions so that all the inner wood is saturated with hot water.
3. The water is drained.
4. Cold water is poured to the top for a day.
5. The water is replaced with fresh water and this is repeated for two weeks.

Examples of creative ideas for using barrels

Nowadays eco-style is in fashion, so the use of wooden barrels in the interior is very important. Such cooperage products are often chosen when implementing design ideas for a summer cottage. So you can make a mini-bar for alcoholic drinks from barrels. To do this, you can cut out part of the barrel from the side and attach a handle on top.

You can make a table for a living room or veranda from a wooden wine barrel. For this purpose, it is cut into two equal parts and filled with hay or other materials suitable for the design. Round glass is placed on top. Under the glass you can place various objects that suit the interior (corks, cones, shells, etc.). Instead of glass, you can use wood. It will also look very stylish.
You can use this product as a floor flowerpot for indoor plants, as well as for growing flowers in your garden. If you lay the barrel on its side and place it on wooden supports, it can be used as a dog house. It will perfectly protect the watchdog from rain and cold.

You can make an unusual sink. To do this, you need to select the appropriate washbasin and place it on top of this cooperage. It will look good if the bathroom or kitchen is made of wood or materials that imitate it. If the barrel is cut into pieces (about 15-20 cm) and placed on the wall, and wooden partitions are placed inside, you will get an interesting organizer for storing various items.

Musicians can transform a kick drum into a stylish drum by stringing the appropriate material. If you cut off part of the barrel from the side and hang it on ropes by the edges, you will get a cute cradle for your baby. Wooden products can also be converted into garden furniture - tables, armchairs, chairs, etc.

If you decide to take up cooperage, you will be able to provide yourself with necessary and beautiful household items that can be used for various purposes (for pickles, wine, decoration). This business can become a profitable business, but it is quite complex and should be started by a person who has certain skills in working with wood.

A wooden barrel is the best container for storing wine and various pickles, because wood is an environmentally friendly material that preserves the taste and healthiness of products. This irreplaceable household item can be purchased ready-made, but if you have free time and desire, then using our tips, making a barrel with your own hands will not be difficult.

Craftsmen who make barrels are called coopers, and the process of creating containers is called cooperage. This is a kind of art that originated in Ancient Greece, but, oddly enough, the technology has changed little since then, and wooden containers are still popular, especially among winemakers. Today we invite you to familiarize yourself with the basics and some of the subtleties of this craft.

Wood selection

The first important task is to choose the right type of wood for making the container. Let's look at the main varieties used, as well as their pros and cons.

First on our list is oak. It is rightfully considered the most suitable, so to speak, classic material used in cooperage. Its wood is strong, flexible and rich in special tannins that act as an antiseptic. It is noteworthy that under the influence of moisture, oak barrels only become stronger over the years, so their service life is quite long. Another feature of oak is the pleasant aroma with notes of vanilla, which it gives to the substances stored in the barrel.

Oak is the best material for barrels

Spruce and pine can also be used to make barrels. These are soft woods that are easy to cut and process, but their strength indicators are average. The main disadvantage of such wood is its characteristic resinous smell, which is why it is not often used to create containers for food.

Of the coniferous species, cedar is also popular in cooperage, although it is more widely used in those areas where its plantings are extensive. Its characteristics are similar to pine and spruce, but there is practically no foreign odor from cedar barrels. Containers made of this material are suitable for storing food; it is believed that it is especially good to store dairy products in them.

Another material from which a barrel can be made is linden wood. It is a fibrous wood and, due to its structure, lends itself well to cutting, chiseling and processing. The material is durable, practically does not dry out and has no odor, so barrels made from it have won recognition as one of the best for transporting and storing honey, caviar, pickles and other delicacies.

A budget-friendly but durable option is aspen. This tree is durable, resistant to moisture and has antiseptic properties. Aspen barrels are ideal for storing various pickles. A feature of aspen is its tendency to swell greatly, but in cooperage this is rather an advantage, since it allows for very tight closure of the staves.

Manufacturing of rivets

The next thing to do after you have decided on the type of wood is making the barrel parts. You should start with the rivets. They are planks tapered at the edges or rectangular, which can be chipped or sawn. The former are more durable, since the structure of the fibers does not collapse when splitting solid wood.

In order not to make a mistake with the number of rivets, you must immediately determine the size of the barrel. After this, you will need to make a life-size pattern of the riveting and bottom. Then you should carry out a simple calculation. The required quantity can be determined using the formula: 2*Pi*R/Ш, in which “Pi” is a constant value; R is the radius of the bottom of the barrel with smooth sides or the middle of the container with convex sides; W – riveting width.

Making a barrel with your own hands from chopped staves is a labor-intensive process and requires certain skills. The main task is to split the workpiece into even fragments and at the same time obtain as little waste as possible.

The splitting can be carried out in the radial and tangential direction. In the first case, the split plane passes through the core of the deck (this method requires less effort), and in the second it does not touch it. When working with hardwood, the second method is not recommended, as it complicates and slows down the process.

Raw material is the easiest to process; it is optimal if the wood for making the barrel is freshly cut. However, not everyone has the opportunity to purchase such wood and, as an alternative, you can look for suitable blanks among the firewood that goes on sale for heating stoves. In urban environments, sawn poplars can be used as a material. These trees often lie in yards for a long time after being cut down, waiting to be taken to a landfill. If there are no other options, you can use boards. When choosing them, pay attention to the fact that the annual rings run along the plane of the board and are not sawn through.

A sufficient number of rivets are pricked and left to dry. In summer, you can spread the material under a canopy and leave it to ventilate; this process will take about 3 months. If there is no opportunity or desire to wait, use another method. For artificial drying, paper is glued to the ends of the blanks with wood glue and the rivets are placed in the oven of a well-heated Russian oven for a day. After this procedure, the material will be suitable for further processing.

Making a hoop

Another important component of the barrel, which allows you to assemble all the rivets into a single whole, is the hoops. Depending on the material they are made of, they can be metal or wood. Iron has more strength, but it also has a drawback - it is prone to rust, which over time significantly worsens the appearance of the product. Therefore, metal hoops are used only if increased strength is required.

Typically, a modern wooden barrel, purchased or homemade, has 4 hoops. Those that are closer to the center are called farts, and the outermost ones are called morning ones; if the barrel has a significant volume, additional ones can be located between them - neck ones.

The thickness and width of the hoops are directly related to the volume of the container. If its displacement does not exceed 25 liters, then they have a thickness of 1.6 mm and a width of about 3 cm; for a 50-liter, the width increases to 3.6 cm, and for a 100-liter to 4-4.5 cm. If the barrel holds 120 liters or more, then the hoops for it should have a thickness of 1.8 mm and a width of 5 cm.

Even if you use wooden rims for the barrel, you will also need the ability to make them from metal, since during assembly you cannot do without the so-called working metal hoops. To assemble a barrel of these hoops you will need four. In structure and characteristics they are identical to permanent ones, and are manufactured as follows:

1. Strips of the required size are cut from sheet steel. You can use bench or chair scissors as a cutting tool.
2. Holes are made at both ends of each strip with a punch and fastened with rivets.
3. To make the hoop easier to put on, one of its edges is forged.

In working hoops, bolts can be used instead of rivets, and if the barrel capacity is small, then steel rims can be replaced with wire ones. The diameter of the wire should be 4-5 mm. For those who don’t want to spend a lot of time making hoops themselves, ready-made designs with a turnbuckle are available for sale.

Assembling the barrel

Considering how to make a barrel with your own hands, we came to the next stage - assembling the frame of the container. It consists of rivets fastened with hoops (temporary at first).

Assembling the barrel begins with a smaller hoop. 3 support rivets are inserted inside it at equal intervals and secured with clamps. Next, more rivets are added between the two supports until the entire space is filled. The hoop is then hammered down using a hammer and a wooden block with a flat end so that all the fragments fit together more tightly. After this, a larger hoop is put on the rivets and also seated.

Before putting the rims on the bottom of the barrel, it is recommended to immerse the material in boiling water for half an hour. To carry out further work you will need 1-2 assistants. After steaming, the barrel is placed on a flat surface, the remaining free end of the rivets is wrapped with a rope, the ends of which are tied to some firmly fixed object.

Next, a crowbar is inserted between the stretched parts of the rope and twisted so that they are intertwined. At this time, your assistants must hold the barrel in place. When it is possible to achieve the desired bend and compaction of the rivets, the remaining hoops are put on them and fixed. The finished structure should be hewn and hardened by treating it with a torch or blowtorch.

Manufacturing and installation of bottoms

It is better to use a solid piece of wood or wide and strong planks as the bottom for the barrel (it is desirable that the number of joints between them be minimal). The selected boards should be planed so that they can be overlapped and then joined with staples. From the resulting workpiece, cut out 2 circles of the required diameter and sharpen their edges until small bevels form.

To fix the bottom, you will first need to loosen the tension of the hoops at the bottom of the barrel, slightly pulling them up. Then the bottom is placed inside and the hoops are pushed into place. If the top of the barrel is not removable, then the procedure is repeated for the second side, not forgetting to first drill the filling hole. After making sure that the bottom is tightly connected to the frame, the working hoops are replaced with permanent ones, and the container is ready.

Soak

Now you know how to make a barrel yourself, but there remains one more important nuance - putting your product into operation. Before use, the barrel needs to be treated, otherwise the products stored in it may acquire an unpleasant aftertaste or even spoil.

First, you need to rinse the container thoroughly to get rid of sawdust, small debris and excess tannins. Rinsing is continued until the foreign odors disappear and the water becomes clear.

Next, the barrel is steamed to disinfect it and improve the sealing of the staves. To do this, fill the container about a third with boiling water and turn it so that the water “flows” over the entire surface of the walls from the inside. Then the water is left inside until it cools, drained and the process is repeated again.

After steaming, the barrel should be soaked. Typically this procedure takes about a month, and the water in the container needs to be renewed every two days. In the first days of soaking, there may be leaks in the product; this is normal, but the leaking water must be replenished.

Before adding food, the inside of the container must be doused with boiling water. This will protect the wood from absorbing odors and will allow it to be used for different foods without mixing its flavors.

To summarize, we can say that a DIY barrel is an excellent solution for storing homemade pickles, as well as for wines and other alcoholic beverages. By making such a container yourself, you will not only save money, but you can also be completely confident in the quality of the product, and, consequently, in maintaining the proper conditions for storing your products.

Especially for the “Craftsmen” website, Vladimir Nikolaevich shares the “technology” for making a 25-liter oak barrel. Read on to learn how to make a barrel with your own hands.

How to make a barrel with your own hands

A block of wood d 50 and 42 cm high was carefully split into four parts. From quarters, carefully tapping the butt with a mallet (photo 1), pinned 14 blanks for rivets about 3 cm thick.

Important! The split should be radial so that the tree does not crack in the future.

I used homemade shavings to process the workpieces on all sides, making them slightly concave (photo 2). I used a plane to make it smooth, while simultaneously narrowing it at the top and bottom. (photo 3).

To ensure the uniformity of barrels of a given volume, the master made two mounting hoops (the middle one has a slightly larger diameter). There is also the main hoop-shutter, which Vladimir Nikolaevich guards like the apple of his eye: he does not hit it with a sledgehammer and constantly checks its evenness with a pattern drawn on the table, because the future “face” of the barrel depends on the correctness of the circle.

Three rivets were secured to the shutter using special brackets made of hoop iron. (photo 4). I continued assembling the barrel, filling the perimeter. Lightly tapping the hoop with a hammer, I brought it down and checked whether the edges of the rivets met tightly. Then I placed the middle hoop (photo 5).

On a note. To achieve contact between the rivets along the entire length of the side surface, you need to accurately calculate the width and number of blanks based on the future diameter of the homemade barrel.

After attaching two hoops, the remaining part of the barrel must be pulled together. Coopers have a special device for this - a yoke. But Vladimir Nikolaevich came up with his own original structure for the screed, which he calls “goat”.

I attached a winch to a U-shaped metal frame turned upside down. I placed the barrel on the crossbar, wrapped the loose part of the frame with a cable and carefully pulled it off with a winch. (photo 6).

Placed the third hoop on a wooden barrel (photo 7) and took her off the “goat”.

Use a special chisel with a groove on the flat end to lower the hoop as low as possible (photo 8).

I put the barrel in the barn to dry, heating the stove for no more than two hours every day.

Two weeks later I continued working. I cleaned the outer sides of the product with a straight plow. I made 4 hoops of two sizes from black painted steel. Having removed the middle mounting hoop, I filled the permanent hoop at a distance of 10 cm from the bottom. Trimmed both sides of the barrel with a jigsaw (photo 9). I installed two more hoops at the top. Leveled the inner surface with shaped plows (photo 10). Using a homemade chisel with four teeth from a saw, I cut a groove 5-6 mm deep inside around the circumference (photo 11).

I assembled the bottom for the barrel from prepared planks, connecting it with stainless steel galvanized nails without heads.

To prevent leakage, I pre-lined the ends with cattail strips (photo 12)- the first secret received from the craftsman Belov.

I calculated the size of the bottom as follows: I marked a point near the groove and, having estimated the approximate radius of the barrel in this place, used a compass to mark six radii along the groove, as if inscribing a hexagon in a circle. To start and finish exactly at the intended point, it is necessary to select the radius empirically. The size obtained in this way was marked with a compass on a shield assembled from boards (photo 13). I cut it around the intended circumference using a circular saw. (photo 14).

I put a soaked white bun in the groove - the second secret from Belov against leaks.

DIY oak barrels video