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Following that long drying, three operations make it possible to prepare the staves for their assembly : Dimensioning : operation which consists of cutting up the staves to the same length. A visual control for quality is carried out at the same time. The possible defects detected are removed with the bandsaw. Adzing hollowing : operation which consists of machining the external and internal faces of the staves with convex and concave tools corresponding to the radius of the cask. The staving (external face) is carried out over the whole length. The hollowing is done on the middle part of the stave. The thickness of the end parts of the staves is maintained for the machining the Chime at a later stage. Jointing : operation which consists of machining the edges of the staves on a radial plane at an angle corresponding to the cask radius and on the longitudinal plane following a curve which will determine the bilge (bilge = belly). The jointing is the key operation of the cooper's craft. On its quality, depends the quality of the cask. The jointing determines the waterproofing of the joints between the staves, the shape of the cask (bilge) and its capacity. |
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