How Staves Are Made?

During a process called "dressing," the staves are cut to an equal length, tapered at each end and beveled. Then, the staves are planed on the outside and slightly hollowed on the inside. ... Then, the barrel is carefully heated over a wood fire for approximately 30 minutes to make the staves flexible.

What are barrel staves made from?

Barrel staves must be made from tightly grained timber, or else the barrel they create won't be watertight. More coarsely-grained species like French Oak need to be made from quarter-sawn wood.

How do they cut barrel staves?

Dried staves are first processed through equalizer saws which cut them to the desired length for spirit barrel production. The staves then pass through planers which create the convex curvature on the exterior surface that matches the circumference of the finished barrel.