Depending on the capacity of the Bernard barrels, each head is made up of 7 to 14 pieces of stave. Once the different pieces are assembled and held together, they are tightened to ensure sealing.
Then, using a compass, we draw the inside diameter of the jable*. The bottom is then sawn to exact size using a head cutter. This high-performance machine tool ensures regularity and precision.
Then comes the “fonçage” step which consists in introducing the head into the jable previously coated with a paste made with flour and water. It is after removing the head circle to give a little ease to the staves at their end that we can introduce the first bottom by tapping on its surface with a hammer and using a puller bottom to raise the head and place it in the jable.
After putting back the head circle, we proceed in the same way for the other end of the barrel. The circles are then positioned so that the staves are properly tightened. The paste applied in the jable and the correct tightening of the staves will seal the barrel.
*circular groove where the two heads will be inserted to seal the barrel
