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Bonespurfoundation t1_jawgf9h wrote

I’d be surprised if it doesn’t leak. Usually with an antique stave bucket like this one, you have to keep it filled so the wood stays swollen.

When it dries out the wood shrinks and the seams leak.

A new one can dry out and stay tight for a dozen years or more depending on the skill of the cooper.

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JodaUSA t1_jawgndr wrote

I always wondered how they got wooden buckets to work, that's really cool

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Bonespurfoundation t1_jawkfcp wrote

Wether it’s buckets or barrels or ships, watertight carpentry is based on 1. Straight grained wood that has no knots which generally means old growth trees and 2. Splitting the wood along the grain so as to preserve its integrity.

When done this way the wood swells and contracts in highly predictable ways. Can’t do that with most of the wood that’s available today because there’s very little old growth forest remaining.

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Vermontbuilder OP t1_jawh201 wrote

Farmers would soak the buckets before use to swell them .

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zombienutz1 t1_jawhmc4 wrote

Same concept with old wooden boats. Throw a soaker hose in it and run the water to swell the wood.

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