Pre-1840's wooden bucket making

Re: Pre-1840's wooden bucket making

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>Don't know that these are pre-1840 exactly, but check out the Woodwright's Shop show video and/or this thread on WC: http://www.woodcentral.com/cgi-bin/handtools.pl?frames;read=81294

Pam

Expensive, but... *LINK*

Scott in Douglassville, PA

>...would be a place to start. Also remember seeing a video available somewhere on the subject...


Coopered Bucket

Here you go... *LINK*

Scott Burr raining again in Ben Lomond CA

>Looks like fun too!


Bucket makin'

Yep...

Scott in Douglassville, PA

>...that's the one I remembered. Way to go, Linkmeister.

Yep, had a feeling homeboy...

Scott Burr raining again in Ben Lomond CA

>

Wooden bucket making, maybe not 1840's... *LINK*

Darrell in Oakville

>Moses,

While I wasn't trying to be strictky correct with my tools in terms of period and function (the quirk router as croze for instance) the bucket I made last summer might qualify.

Here's the link to my post. I think I have some more pix around, but I suspect that the ones I posted were the best.

Darrell


Made a Bucket

Re: Pre-1840's wooden bucket making

Todd Hughes

>I used to go to a good many pre 1840 events and actually knew a cooper that set up making barrels, buckets and such.Used to sell him a good many tools till he stopped paying for them [another story].Have to confess to never making a bucket and only knowing a bit about it but doesn't strike me as an easy craft to learn esp. if done with hand tools in the field.

.....I used to set up a forge at these and make some things and it is much harder to make something at an event like this then it is back in the shop. After years I finaly got to be pretty good at it but still you are not going to do your best work standing out in a field with lots of people asking you questions. What I recomend is to make all the parts at home and then assemble them at the event. Maybe do some minor fitting for the crowd or make some parts but still have a couple buckets ready to go. I used to forge weld axe heads back in my shop and then shape them at the event because of the problims at welding them out in the open. What ever it is that you make you should be very comfortable at making it and also think hard about what tools you need...if you didn't bring it you won't have it.I found out that it is very hard to sell stuff if you are making things.....can't work the crowd and make things too. I would think the market for hand made wood buckets would be very small because most of these guys buy copper or tin ones or buy cheap wooden ones that are probably made overseas.The fellow I knew who did very nice work never sold many.....Todd

Re: Pre-1840's wooden bucket making *LINK*

Gregor Scheer

>We have made a Film, released in 2004, that shows the reenacment of Coopering a wooden Bucket from splitting the wood to finish in 1850. I think this could serve as reference not only for the tools and procedures involved but also for the historic costumes. The title: How Things Are Made: A WOODEN BUCKET - The White Cooper's Craft in 1850. released by the New York film production company: VineStreetWorks. The trailer and more information about the film is visible on our Website below




making a wooden bucket

Re: Pre-1840's wooden bucket making

Ken Martin - Sacramento

>A month or so ago they had an open house at Sutters Fort in Sacramnto. One of the displays was making a bucket. Here is a picture I took of planing a stave, a bucket is in the background.

Re: Pre-1840's wooden bucket making

Jim Crammond in Monroe, Mi.

>Moses,

Tillers in Kalamazoo offers classes in coopering. If I'm not mistaken, Chuck Andrews,the main teacher, gave a demonstration at the MWTCA meet in Battle Creek a few years ago.

Jim

Re: Pre-1840's wooden bucket making

Warren in Lancaster, PA

>I have a friend who has been demonstrating coopering for 30 years. Although he has containers he's made of different woods, it seems like he always demonstrates with flawless white cedar or redcedar. I think he uses these woods because they are easy to work; when you are demonstrating you don't want to be struggling with a tough wood or difficult grain.

The two operations he demonstrates most are shaping the staves on the shaving horse (he has a straight drawknife for the outside and a curved one like a mild scorp to shape the inside) and jointing the staves on the coopers plane, which is 4 or 5 feet long and slopes to the ground "upside down". I can't recall seeing him work on a bottom or cutting the groove, perhaps he likes to do this at home.

I think the wooden bands make a nice demonstration and a handsome product.

Looks like fun.....but

Ron in Kokomo

>Todd has some good points.

Ever considered white ash baskets??

Although the same caveats would apply. Except I think you could do the weaving and work the crowd a little easier than you could if you were working at a shaving horse.

I would DEFINITELY take an assistant with me to handle any sales