COOPERING is the art of manufacturing casks, barrels, vats, and all kinds of circular or elliptic wooden vessels, that are bound together by hoops. There are several classes of coopers, some of whom carry on their peculiar branches distinctly, while others embrace the general manufacture in one establishment. The workmen, however, generally confine themselves to the particular line they have been brought up to, and in which they are consequently most expert. Thus we bear of "butt coopers," "rundlet coopers,"dry coopers," "white coopers," and "wine coopers." The work of the butt coopers chiefly consists in the manufacture and repair of casks for breweries, also puncheons and hogsheads. Their principal tools are very few, but they use these with so much dexterity and skill as to produce with surprising facility and dispatch the most solid, accurate, and substantial work. With an axe, an adze, two or three spoke shaves, and a bench, the cooper rapidly gives a new and perfect form to the material he operates upon. The bench consists simply of a stout plank 4 or 6 feet long, and 1 foot wide ; it stands upon four feet, but considerably inclined, one end of the bench being usually about 2 feet high, and the other 6 or 8 inches lower. On the bench are fixed "stops " and "keeps," for the purpose of holding the staves or other work. This cooper has also a large plane, called a jointer, which is usually fixed with its face upwards, and against which forces the staves to shoot their edges to a smooth surface, (whether those edges are required straifht or curved,) in order to make the " joints " or joinings of the staves come into perfect and hardly-pressed contact, when they are brought together to form the vessel. To describe all, or even the leading operations, of the cooper, would be uninteresting, because it is so openly and universally prac tised. We shall therefore proceed to notice, and that briefly, the nature of the occupations of the other classes of coopers mentioned ; and afterwards we shall insert some patented improvements in the art, that appear to be deserving of notice. The rundlet coopers make use of the same tools, or nearly so, as in the branch of the trade last described, but of less dimensions. Their work
consists chiefly in the manufacture of bottles, and small casks, for holding the products of the distilleries, besides numerous other purposes. The dry coopers are employed in manufacturing sugar hogsheads, and casks of every size and quality, for holding dry goods; and as such vessels are seldom required air and water-tight, the workmanship is comparatively coarse to that of the butt and rundlet coopers, and the expense proportionally less. The white coopers manu facture all kinds of domestic utensils, such as are used for brewing on the small scale ; for washing tubs, churns, pails, and a great variety of other work. To this branch of coopering is frequently added the coarser kinds of turnery for domestic use. The wine cooper's business consists chiefly in the removal and depositing of wines and spirits, which he is enabled to effect with greater security and convenience than other persons, who are not so intimately acquainted with the nature and strength of the vessels containing them. The storing, and packing of wines, and other liquors, belong to this branch of trade, besides the making of all repairs and alterations in the butts or casks which may be found necessary. Although the manufacture of backs and vats appears of a similar character to other coopering, yet it is usually made a distinct branch of business, and is performed by persons who call themselves back and vat makers. From the variety of forms, and the immense strength required for some of the backs, as well as for the frame-work to support them, the knowledge and skill of the carpenter is almost constantly required, and not unfrequently the aid of the engineer. In America, and several parts of Europe, machinery has been extensively introduced to facilitate the labours of the cooper. In 1811, a patent was taken out by Messrs. Plasket and Brown for the following mode of operating ; and as the exclusive privilege granted to those gentlemen is expired, those of our readers who may be so disposed are at liberty to adopt the mechanism employed, which is thus described in Dr. Gregory's Mechanics.