So I'm considering making a 1 gallon barrel to age some DIY beverage (hint, hint). It seems that cutting the staves has confounded many a woodworker. The internet has a lot on making actual barrels, but I have found nothing on cutting the angled edge that tapers towards each end. It seems not to complicated to me, thus my post. There must be something I don't understand about the process.
I'm thinking once cut, you would start with the width of one stave at its center and again at each end. I am thinking I would pop a straight line down the stave (center to end, each way). Then at the halfway point on each line, divide the distance between the line and the edge of the board in half and mark that. From this point, it gets tricky. The taper will have to go to zero at the end of each line. I'm thinking I could keep dividing the distance between the stave and the outside of the edge of the board in half at each middle (of the new line created--each half will now have a line from the edge to the new center mark). The difference is that I would have the half towards the center would be measured on the outside and the other half would have to be on the inside.
I think at the middle of each new line, you would mark a new center measured out the distance of the narrow side. If that makes sence.
I'm thinking once cut, you would start with the width of one stave at its center and again at each end. I am thinking I would pop a straight line down the stave (center to end, each way). Then at the halfway point on each line, divide the distance between the line and the edge of the board in half and mark that. From this point, it gets tricky. The taper will have to go to zero at the end of each line. I'm thinking I could keep dividing the distance between the stave and the outside of the edge of the board in half at each middle (of the new line created--each half will now have a line from the edge to the new center mark). The difference is that I would have the half towards the center would be measured on the outside and the other half would have to be on the inside.
I think at the middle of each new line, you would mark a new center measured out the distance of the narrow side. If that makes sence.