Simple Coopered Pot

Kepis

Full Member
Jul 17, 2005
6,849
2,749
Sussex
Made this pot a little while ago, very simple to make from just a branch and a knife,

I used Ash for this pot as it cleaves wonderfully.

pot1 by Mark D Emery, on Flickr

pot2 by Mark D Emery, on Flickr

I know i took a load of photo's of it's manufacture, but i cant find them at the moment, so my poor attempts at graphics will have to suffice.

1) Grab yourself a suitable sized branch, the one i used was about four inches in diameter and approx 10 inches long and importantly it has to be knot free, afraid you will have to imagine this is the branch end on :)

hex by Mark D Emery, on Flickr

2) wrap some old inner tube or cordage around the branch and split it as shown, do not remove the wrap when done.

1 by Mark D Emery, on Flickr

3) Cleave off the outer surface so you are left with a octagon.

2 by Mark D Emery, on Flickr

Now remove the wrap and carefully cleave off the grey area, its useful to number the pieces so you know which piece goes where when you come to glue it all up, clean up the outer and inner surfaces but do not be tempted to alter the edges.

6 by Mark D Emery, on Flickr

you should be left with something like this

hex2 by Mark D Emery, on Flickr

Once cleaned up, cut a slot in the bottom of each stave (marked in yellow) to accept the base plate.

7 by Mark D Emery, on Flickr

I didn't glue the base plate in mine so it could move, but did glue the side of each stave, match them up so you get your pot then clamp with elastic bands. Once dry i then added a couple of bands of artificial sinew, but will eventually replace this with bramble or riven hazel/willow bands so its far more woodsy.

Mine is not waterproof as i use it for a spoon pot, but an application of beeswax should seal it quite nicely should you want to add a handle and use it as a mug

Hope this is of use to someone.
 

Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
39,133
4,810
S. Lanarkshire
That's really nice :) and such a clear description too.

My Granny had a button barrel that had been made like that. It was the favourite, "sit down and be quiet for a little while sorting those out", things given to keep me at peace when I was little and visiting her cottage :)
I loved that button barrel. I used to wonder how it had been made.

Thinking on it, I can still smell the wood, and I think it must have been made of lime, because my Russian Dolls have the same kind of smell, even now, all these years later.

Thanks Kepis :) you're a very able fellow.

M
 
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Robson Valley

On a new journey
Nov 24, 2014
9,959
2,669
McBride, BC
I thought that I had seen it all. Enlightenment, to say the least.
Most clever and well explained wood preparation. Now I want to carve all over the outside!
What would the scale need to be to hold 3 or 4 sodden British umbrellas?
 
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Kepis

Full Member
Jul 17, 2005
6,849
2,749
Sussex
What would the scale need to be to hold 3 or 4 sodden British umbrellas?

About 1ft wide and 2ft high i guess, thing i like about this method is you can have as many or as few staves as you want, making a box would use use the same process, just as long as you could get a half decent tangential split.
 

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