Whiskey Barrel Production In Ireland

What was once a very popular skilled trade here in Ireland Coopering is now dying down with very few coopers left in the country. For my 4th year major project i was to develop a method to manufacturing whiskey barrels using native Irish timber using the machinery available to us here in GMIT letterfrack. From doing research on both the traditional ways of making barrels, to the modern ways i was able to come up with a solution that the small workshop could produce small batches of barrels. using the CNC to first cut out a jig, from there i was able to go and machine up all of the staves on the spindle moulder, from there then it was just a matter of assembling the barrel by hand.