The Process: Crafting a Wooden Bucket from Scratch

Two summers ago, for my birthday, we took a trip to Bourbon country in Kentucky.

One of the highlights – among the distillery tours and great Louisville restaurants and sites – was a cooperage tour: viewing the factory that makes the barrels in which the bourbon is aged. As someone who works with wood and is always trying to learn how to improve my joinery, I was fascinated by something I’d never thought of – how can you make something water tight from wood? How do you turn straight boards into a circular, barrel shape?

Every since, I’ve been paying special attention to traditional wood crafting projects for such practical uses. So, I’m digging this video by Jimmy DiResta, in which he applies some of the coopering techniques to make an eight-gallon bucket.

This is a pretty particular build: more about the challenge and process that its immediate use, but it’s awesome to see how it comes together. 

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