CREATING THE BARRELS
The staves are then made into smaller pieces called douelles. 30 or so of these are
needed to form the shell of the barrel whilst the top and bottom plates make the
barrel water-tight. Galvanised metal bands keep the staves and the lids in place.
There are 4 stages involved in making the large staves into the smaller douelles:
Ecourtage (cutting to length)
For each given barrel size we first cut the staves into identical lengths: douelles
Dolage (backing)
The outer curve of the douelles is fashioned according to the desired circumference of the barrel to be made.
Creusage (hollowing)
The inside surface of the douelles is then shaped according to the desired interior of the barrel.
Jointage (shaping)
The most delicate operation which consists of adjusting the thickness of the douelles in the middle and at the ends so as to follow the form of the barrel and, by shaping the joints, give a perfectly round and tight finish.