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Author Topic: Covered Bucket/Cask/Firkin  (Read 1719 times)

Offline blackdave

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Covered Bucket/Cask/Firkin
« on: June 21, 2018, 03:32:45 AM »
I finished this project this morning. It is a covered bucket sometimes called a firkin. The firkin body and lid are made from 120+ year old yellow pine lumber that came from an old barn on the farm I grew up on. The bands are green elm, rived from a live limb and made with locking connections on the ends to hold them in place. The firkin will hold about 1 1/2 gallons of liquid and is water tight. I aged the project to give it a "look". As always, I appreciate the opportunity to share my feeble efforts. I remain your humble servant,

Just Dave







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" If a man wants to carry a cat home by the tail, I say let him! He's going to be getting several times as much information as the man who hasn't tried it. And it isn't likely to ever become dim or doubtful, either! It isn't always easy to be eccentric, you know."   Mark Twain

Offline webradbury

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Re: Covered Bucket/Cask/Firkin
« Reply #1 on: June 21, 2018, 03:35:40 AM »
Nice work. What species is Green Elm? Or green elm as in freshly cut at time of use?
« Last Edit: June 21, 2018, 03:41:05 AM by webradbury »
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Offline blackdave

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Re: Covered Bucket/Cask/Firkin
« Reply #2 on: June 21, 2018, 03:50:40 AM »
Freshly cut - As far as I know, it was an American Elm. I split out the band, shaved it down with a drawknife to about 1/8" to 3/16" and kept it wet while working it. Sorry for the confusion!

Dave
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" If a man wants to carry a cat home by the tail, I say let him! He's going to be getting several times as much information as the man who hasn't tried it. And it isn't likely to ever become dim or doubtful, either! It isn't always easy to be eccentric, you know."   Mark Twain

Offline Tim Crosby

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Re: Covered Bucket/Cask/Firkin
« Reply #3 on: June 21, 2018, 01:34:56 PM »
 Nice work. Those locking bands are tuff to get just right. Do you have a trick to it? My trick is trial and error.

  Thanks, Tim C.
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n stephenson

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Re: Covered Bucket/Cask/Firkin
« Reply #4 on: June 21, 2018, 03:25:59 PM »
Nice Work!!  Thanks for showing. Nate
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Offline Robert Wolfe

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Re: Covered Bucket/Cask/Firkin
« Reply #5 on: June 21, 2018, 03:44:19 PM »
Well done. It looks great.
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Robert Wolfe
Northern Indiana

Offline Greg Pennell

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Re: Covered Bucket/Cask/Firkin
« Reply #6 on: June 21, 2018, 04:54:23 PM »
Neat project!

Greg
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Offline blackdave

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Re: Covered Bucket/Cask/Firkin
« Reply #7 on: June 22, 2018, 03:23:00 AM »
Quote from: Tim Crosby on June 21, 2018, 01:34:56 PM
Nice work. Those locking bands are tuff to get just right. Do you have a trick to it? My trick is trial and error.

  Thanks, Tim C.
I have had several people ask about the locking bands. I rough measure the band by wrapping it around the object - you can always lengthen the point triangle or shorten the back of the arrow to lengthen. Then, just slip the ends together and pull to lock the band. Hope the pictures help!



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" If a man wants to carry a cat home by the tail, I say let him! He's going to be getting several times as much information as the man who hasn't tried it. And it isn't likely to ever become dim or doubtful, either! It isn't always easy to be eccentric, you know."   Mark Twain

Offline Tim Crosby

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Re: Covered Bucket/Cask/Firkin
« Reply #8 on: June 22, 2018, 02:28:07 PM »
 Thanks, TC
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Offline Hungry Horse

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Re: Covered Bucket/Cask/Firkin
« Reply #9 on: June 23, 2018, 06:45:20 PM »
 I have always been led to believe that a true firkin was wider at its base, than it was at its top. This allowed it to carry liquid long distances, over rough terrain, without spilling large amounts of its contents. Have I been wrong all these years?

  Hungry Horse
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Offline blackdave

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Re: Covered Bucket/Cask/Firkin
« Reply #10 on: June 23, 2018, 11:35:02 PM »
There is a top to bottom taper on this bucket of 1 1/2" from top to bottom just like the old one in my collection I based this one on. I am guessing the camera angle makes the sides look straight. I cut the staves on my table saw with a taper jig. Sorry for the confusion!

Just Dave
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" If a man wants to carry a cat home by the tail, I say let him! He's going to be getting several times as much information as the man who hasn't tried it. And it isn't likely to ever become dim or doubtful, either! It isn't always easy to be eccentric, you know."   Mark Twain

Offline Hungry Horse

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Re: Covered Bucket/Cask/Firkin
« Reply #11 on: June 24, 2018, 06:03:34 PM »
Dave;

  You misunderstood me. I can plainly see the taper that is like a modern, or vintage, bucket. I thought a firkin tapered the other way, narrower at the top, and wider at the bottom. Wooden butter churns often have this same taper.
 My grandmother was raised in the back country of Arkansas and as a girl carried water about a quarter of a mile. They used tin versions of the old wooden firkins to carry water.

 Hungry Horse
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Offline blackdave

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Re: Covered Bucket/Cask/Firkin
« Reply #12 on: June 24, 2018, 08:40:17 PM »
It is tapered smaller at the top than the bottom - just a bad camera angle.
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" If a man wants to carry a cat home by the tail, I say let him! He's going to be getting several times as much information as the man who hasn't tried it. And it isn't likely to ever become dim or doubtful, either! It isn't always easy to be eccentric, you know."   Mark Twain

Offline B.Barker

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Re: Covered Bucket/Cask/Firkin
« Reply #13 on: June 24, 2018, 10:50:45 PM »
Good looking bucket and nice patina on it. Thanks for showing it.
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Offline David R. Pennington

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Re: Covered Bucket/Cask/Firkin
« Reply #14 on: June 26, 2018, 01:10:22 AM »
Looks good. I am about half way through my coopers apprenticeship with a local cooper. Traditional methods; riving out palings, shaping and smoothing with drawknife and inshave. Jointing with cooper’s plane, croze for the groove etc.,. I am amazed how tight the things are wth no machinery and using only some very simple guages. Two strips of wood with a leather hinge guage stave angles. Saw kerfs on his shaving horse guage tapers.
A bucket bigger on bottom is more stable but one narrower at bottom will tip over in the well so you can draw water.
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