Cooper's Work of the 1900s - How Wooden Barrels Are Made

This video is an informative documentary-style video detailing the work of Cooper's and how wooden barrels were made in the early 1900s. You will discover how wooden barrels were made in this woodworking history video. Wooden barrels such as the ones that are featured in this video were essential to commerce and trade in the early 1900s. The footage contained within this video dates back to 1919. You will learn all the steps Cooper's took to create wooden barrels in this woodworking documentary from felling a tree with hand tools to the shipment of the completed barrels. Learn and discover the history of woodworking through the eyes of a real Cooper. You will discover unique machines from the past, and woodcraft techniques that made mass-producing the barrels a possibility. The film opens with some images of loggers at work. Oak is the best wood for this purpose. Logs are mechanically split. Huge piles of wood are dried out before heading to the factory. We see images of workers with woodworking machines. The wooden barrels are crafted using steam as it makes the wood more flexible to work with. There is an image of a woman working with a machine that creates pouring holes, while a man on another machine planes the barrels smooth. I really hope you enjoy this woodworking history video and find the footage very interesting.

Cooper’s Work
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Video Information, and Attribution:

English: Title: Kuipen (Dutch, cooper's work)
Genre: documentary
Synopsis: Informative film that depicts the production of wooden barrels, from the tree to the finished barrel. The film opens with some images of loggers at work. Oak is the best wood for this purpose. Logs are mechanically split. Huge piles of wood are dried out before heading to the factory. We see images of workers with machines. The barrels are made using steam. There is an image of a woman working with a machine that creates pouring holes, while a man on another machine planes the barrels. Date of Video: 1919

Video Attribution: EYE Film Institute Netherlands [Public domain]
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Picture Citations and Attributions:

Picture #1
Old cooperage tools used to make oak wine barrels for the storage of wine
Date: 19 November 2010, 15:46:42
Attribution: Alexander Baxevanis [CC BY 2.0 (

Picture #2
English: Cooper's workshop, Open air museum Roscheider Hof, Konz, Germany
Deutsch: Holz- und Waldmuseum, Küferwerkstatt, Freilichtmuseum Roscheider Hof, Konz
Date: 14 October 2009
Source Own work
Author Helge Klaus Rieder
Permission (Reusing this file) own work
Attribution: Helge Klaus Rieder [CC BY-SA 3.0 (

Picture #3
Cooper's anvil. Photo from "Kajsergaarden", Randers. This file was made by B. M. Askholm, www.baskholm.dk/baskholm Please credit this: B. Askholm foto, 2006 An email to B. Mathias at baskholm(--)gmail.com would be appreciated too.
Date: 12 August 2006 (according to Exif data)
Source No machine-readable source provided. Own work assumed (based on copyright claims).
Author No machine-readable author provided. B Askholm assumed (based on copyright claims).
Attribution: No machine-readable author provided. B Askholm assumed (based on copyright claims). [CC BY-SA 3.0 (

Picture #4
Unknown or not provided
Record creator Department of Agriculture. Forest Service. (07/01/1905 - )
Title
Hundreds of wooden barrels covering the docks at the resin yards, Savannah, Georgia, 1903
Date: 1903
Attribution: National Archives at College Park [Public domain]
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Music Credits:

Northern Lights by Chris Haugen
The Day Is Close by The 126ers
Tupelo Train by Chris Haugen
Birds In Flight by Dan Lebowitz

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