Own business: production of wooden barrels.

Small business is always full of different inventions. Moreover, individual entrepreneurs are engaged in absolutely everything, from the introduction of ultra-modern digital products to handicrafts, stylized in antiquity. By the way, the primordially Russian national goods began to be used in comparison with previous years even more in demand not only among compatriots, but also among foreigners (oddly enough - especially at the peak of the events of the last year).

What souvenirs, traditional for our country, can you name offhand? Nesting dolls, hats with earflaps, brooms for baths, bast shoes, images of Orthodox saints, wooden barrels - we tried and found that the list can be continued almost indefinitely. Of course, if it is good to know Russian history and modern trade.

Among all this set of business ideas, we decided to single out one that, in our opinion, is quite creative, does not require large costs for the implementation of the project, and has a fairly good sale of goods. It's about making wooden barrels.
- Who will buy them? Where will such a product be used? - you ask? And what, in your opinion, is used to prepare aromatic sauerkraut, or strong crispy cucumbers, or lightly salted fish, and many other dishes of Russian national cuisine in restaurants? And what kind of Russian bathhouse will look like our primordially without wooden tubs? By the way, for example, a Japanese bath also needs wooden barrels. More recently, barrels are simply put as an item of interior "antique". And the famous thinker Diogenes generally used the barrel as a dwelling. Remember this story?

And real strong drinks (not the ones that cost half a thousand rubles on store shelves, but for gourmet connoisseurs!) Were also always made in wooden barrels. In general, we have always said that an offer will always find its buyer. And in the manufacture of barrels, this idea is also profitably uncompetitive. However, let's get down to business.

But I don't know how - excuses for lazy people

People who have their heads on their shoulders not only to wear hats on it have long understood that excuses like: “I don’t have the right education to start this business,” or “I will never find the necessary funds to organize business ", or ... (however, there can be dozens of such" ors ") are absolutely unacceptable. After all, when a person is born, he cannot walk, speak, or even eat and drink on his own. It's good that the child is not lazy either. Apparently she is "brought up" with age.

Imagine that you are now the same baby, and in order to survive in this world (where you were "born" without your consent), you will have to learn not only to walk, but also to run, not only to speak, but also to scream, declaring himself, and not just eating and drinking, but also preparing his own food. All this, of course, is figurative. But, we think that the idea is clear - everything can (and should!) Be learned.

Especially in our time, when practically any knowledge can be acquired free of charge, and in a shorter time than that which was required to master the same craft, say, 50-100 years ago. Of course, this applies not only to the manufacture of wooden barrels. In general, there are few options here. Just two. Either you "tear off" your "fifth point" from the place where you have it now, and put your hands, feet, and head to what will make you a wealthy person, or this "fifth point" will "grow" into your a place that you will hardly ever be able to lift it. So, go ahead - to master the business!

What is required to start production

As we said, the business idea of producing wooden barrels does not require large financial "injections". The most expensive purchase is special woodworking machines and machines for working with metal. The tree will have to be sawed and planed, which means that you will need a sawing and planing machine. However, even here you can save money at first, and use (with small production volumes) a hand-held circular saw and an electric plane.

The metal will have to be cut into strips with electric iron scissors. It is best, of course, to equip a small workshop with a set of all the necessary tools in a specially designated room. In addition to the above, you will definitely need:

Hammers.
Chisels.
Hand jointers, planers, and hacksaws.

Everything turns out to be quite simple

The whole process of making wooden barrels consists of three stages:

Production of blanks for barrels.
Assembly of structures.
Finishing , including firing, coating with special compounds, and, if necessary, varnishing.

The most important is the first stage, which includes the production of blanks for barrels. The rounded planks, which the coopers call rivets, must be carefully adjusted to one another, having previously calculated the required width of each plank so that together they ideally form an even cylinder - the skeleton of the future barrel. Of course, all this "thoroughness" is needed only at first. With experience comes skill. A good cooper can literally assemble a barrel "by eye".

The types of wood for harvesting depend on what the barrel is intended for. For example, for the aging of cognac, as you know, you need an oak container, for pickling cucumbers and tomatoes - lime or cherry.

Once fitted, the rivets should dry under a canopy in the open air for about two years. Although now many people use special drying chambers and speed up the drying process at times. At this time, metal hoops are harvested. The sheet metal is cut into strips of the desired length and width, the ends of which are riveted.

So, the blanks are ready, you can start assembling the barrels. This stage is the simplest and shortest. Even a child can assemble wooden barrels. Finally, the final phase is finishing. Depending on the purpose of the purpose of the barrels, they are fired, covered with special compounds consisting of substances that again correspond to the purpose of the barrels, and, if necessary, varnished.

The idea of making wooden barrels is very similar to making wicker furniture. By the way, a good option would be to combine these two types of earnings.

How to find buyers

Searching for buyers for cooperage products will also not be difficult - almost everything has been sold and bought through the Internet for a long time. In order to be known about you, you will need to create your own Internet resource with photographs of samples of your products, a price list, and special offers for regular customers.

And of course, you shouldn't sit and wait for someone to turn to you for shopping. As you know, water does not flow under a lying stone, which means that you will have to travel a lot to various institutions that may need your product: restaurants, cafes, canteens, saunas, baths, etc. Clients will definitely be found. Good luck in your endeavors!

Master class from coopers

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Legal registration of business

In terms of minimizing start-up costs, it will be easier to start production of barrels at home - and at least in your own garage. But in this case, you should not hope for high income - you can sell finished products, perhaps, to your neighbors and acquaintances. Yes, and the Tax Inspectorate may sooner or later be interested in you.

A full-fledged business of making and selling wooden barrels involves opening a workshop. And then you have to register a business. Choose any form of business - LLC or individual entrepreneur. Collect the package of documents and register with the Tax Office. In parallel with the collection of all the necessary papers, you can look for a room for a workshop and buy equipment for the production of barrels.

When applying for business registration, you will need to indicate the OKVED code. The following is suitable: 20 - Woodworking and production of wood and cork products, except for furniture

Who to sell wooden barrels to

In order to start looking for potential buyers of finished products already at the stage of developing a business plan, you need to decide on the "assortment" of products that you will produce. Regardless of what type of products the company will specialize in, the barrel production technology will be identical. The only difference is in their size and the raw materials used.

What barrels can be offered to customers?

For alcoholic drinks. This is the most demanded type of product. Alcoholic drinks (whiskey, wine, cognac) are stored and “ripened” in wooden containers. Typically, wine producers use oak barrels. According to experts, the production of barrels for whiskey, if you find wholesale customers, will bring the highest income.
For pickles. Finished products are sold mainly to private traders. Barrels are used to prepare sauerkraut and tomatoes, pickled fruits and berries, for marinating meat before smoking. Wooden barrels of various sizes are in demand among buyers. There are even food companies that sell pickles in just such a container - you can try to establish a partnership with them for the supply of wooden barrels.
For couples. What is a steam room without wooden barrels and cans? The production of barrels for baths will be profitable, since products, if used carelessly, quickly fail - you constantly need to buy new ones. The products are in demand both by private owners and by owners of baths and saunas.
For interior decoration. Authentic products can become an interior decoration and serve as the basis for the production of decorative items (money boxes or decorative containers, for example).

The production of barrels from wood will bring more profit, the more customers you find interested in the product. Target both retail and wholesale buyers! Try to establish contacts with enterprises producing pickles and alcoholic beverages, with the owners of baths and saunas, with private designers.

Manufacturing technology of wooden barrels

It's great if you yourself have basic knowledge of cooper's craft - then you can make wooden barrels with your own hands. If you are far from the art of carpentry, you will have to hire specialists - this is the key to producing quality products. But in any case, try to learn more about the technology yourself - it will be easier to work in the future.

It will be difficult to find experienced employees - this area is not very popular. There is sometimes only one way out - to independently teach students the basics of cooper craft.

In general, making wooden barrels with your own hands takes place in several stages:

First, wooden planks are harvested - these are rivets. They will then need to be tightly docked with each other and "fastened" with hoops. Rivets need preliminary processing - heating and drying. They become flexible and do not break during operation.
Further, making oak barrels with your own hands means assembling individual elements. Moreover, this is done by hand - just like 100 years ago! The product is given the desired shape, the rivets are joined and fastened into a single structure with hoops, the bottom and cover are inserted.
The finished barrel is polished and coated with a special compound.

The main raw material that will be used in the workshop is boards for the production of barrels. They can be made from different wood species - it all depends on what kind of container is planned for release. For example, oak barrels are used for aging alcoholic products, cherry or linden barrels for salting food products. To make your own production of wooden barrels as a business less costly, conclude a contract for the supply of wood with a private sawmill located near the workshop. In addition to wood raw materials, other consumables will also be required - metal blanks, fasteners, varnish for coating finished products.

What equipment is needed to equip the workshop

It is impossible to open a mini-factory for the production of barrels without special equipment for processing wood and metal. To make the process go faster, you need automatic machines.

What can you not do without in the workshop?

Hydraulic wedge.
Automatic band saw.
Grinding machine.
Rolls for the manufacture of metal hoops.
Dryer.
Additional tools - chisels, files, planers, hammers, hacksaws.

The price of equipment for the production of barrels from wood depends on many factors - the power of the machines, the manufacturer, the degree of automation. If you count at a minimum, it will take 500,000 rubles to equip a small workshop. Of course, purchasing equipment for dozens of jobs, the costs will be many times higher. But you can always save money by buying used equipment.

A woodworking machine for the production of barrels and other equipment can be placed in a workshop of a small area - 30 m 2 is quite enough. But the building will be much larger, since additional premises are needed - warehouses for storing raw materials and finished products, rooms for staff. It is not necessary to look for a building for a workshop within the city limits - renting premises in the periphery will be much cheaper!

Business development for the production of wooden barrels

In general, starting a mini-production of wooden barrels will require from 600,000 rubles. Investments will go to the purchase of equipment and raw materials, rental of premises, business registration. A home business can be started with less money - you just need to buy boards. In this case, you will carry out all the work yourself.

The full-fledged production of oak barrels will start to make a profit only when you establish contacts with regular customers of finished products. And in this case, you need to think over a marketing strategy! You have to invest in advertising, think about what favorable terms of cooperation to attract customers. Barrel making is a specific niche where not every advertising tool will give a good return. Retail buyers can be attracted by advertisements in newspapers and on the Internet. And wholesale buyers should be "looked for" by calling, at thematic fairs and exhibitions.

Finished products can be sold directly from the shop - let private buyers come to production for products. But opening your own retail store selling wooden barrels at first may be unprofitable for novice entrepreneurs - capital investments are too large. But for the development of a successfully functioning workshop, the idea is quite suitable.

If you are engaged in making your own wine, pickles, then you know that there is no better container than a wooden barrel. After all, made of wood, it becomes one of the main points in the recipe, it is an environmentally friendly raw material that preserves the taste and useful properties of products. In addition, the alcohol contained in wines or moonshine, when interacting with containers made of synthetic materials: plastic, nylon, can dissolve them and the interaction products are mixed with the drink.

It is not difficult to buy a barrel for your winemaking or salting, but if you want to save money or like to do everything yourself, then you should study the technique of making an oak barrel with your own hands. This process takes a lot of time and effort, but with our advice you will see that making a barrel with your own hands is not so difficult, even for those who have never done it.

Making barrels from wood is called "cooper business", and the master who deals with this business is a cooper. This is a whole art that originated in Ancient Greece and is still popular today. Technology has not changed for thousands of years, is time-tested and is not as difficult to implement as it seems at first glance. But how to make a barrel yourself in modern conditions?

Choosing wood

First of all, of course, choose the material from which you are going to make your future barrel. We will offer you the main types of wood that coopers prefer, tell you what their positive and negative sides are, and also help you choose the most suitable option for you.

Oak

Of course, first of all, you should talk about making oak barrels. This wood rightfully deserves the title of a classic material used by the cooper craftsmen. Possessing high strength, flexibility, this tree contains "tannins" that act as an antiseptic. Moisture acting on the walls of such a barrel makes them stronger. Therefore, the service life of oak barrels is measured not even in tens, but in hundreds of years. With the drinks stored in such a barrel, oxidation and interaction with wood take place and they acquire a pleasant aroma with a hint of vanilla.

Fur tree, pine tree

These types of wood are also used as material for the manufacture of barrels. They are soft, easier to handle and cut, but inferior in strength to oak and many other species. Their disadvantage is the smell of resin, which is why this type of wood is rarely used as a material for barrels.

Cedar

Of the representatives of coniferous varieties, coopers prefer it, especially in those places where its natural habitat is located. In terms of properties, it is similar to pine or spruce, but such barrels have no smell. They are well suited for storing food, especially dairy products.

Linden

This type of wood is fibrous, excellently cut and processed. Strong material, does not dry out, does not smell. Linden barrels are recognized as the best for storing and transporting honey, caviar, pickles.

Aspen

This is a cheap, but long-term storage material, it is strong, resistant to moisture, has antiseptic properties. Aspen was recognized as ideal for pickling and storing vegetables. The peculiarity of this variety is that it swells a lot, but for the cooper it is rather a plus, because thanks to this, the rivets are tightly closed.

We make rivets

So, you have decided on the type of wood, for example, it will be oak. Now we make the parts of the barrel, starting with the rivets. These are tapered at the edges, or rectangular boards (sawn or chipped). The latter gain in strength due to the structure of the fibers, which does not undergo destruction when splitting.

Riveting shape depending on the type of barrel

To determine the exact number of such rivets, do the following:

Determine the required parameters of the barrel
Make drawings of your design
Create sketches of rivets and bottoms in natural sizes

After these procedures, perform simple calculations so as not to miscalculate how many rivets are needed. It is calculated by the formula: 2 * Pi * R / W, where:

Pi - constant 3.14
P is the radius of the bottom (if the sides are equal) or the middle (if the sides are convex)
W - the size of the riveting width

Barrel sizes depending on volume

It will take a lot of time and work to make chipped rivets; certain skills are needed here. The main thing to do is to split the workpiece so that you get fragments with an even surface.

Diagram of the split into rivets

There are two main ways to split:

Radially (the split goes through the core of the deck, which requires less stamina)
Tangetal (does not affect the core, not recommended for hardwood processing, this makes the process slower and more difficult)

Raw material is easiest to process and freshly cut material is best. If you will use ready-made boards, see that the annual rings go along the course of their plane, without cutting.

After harvesting, you need to dry it, in the summer, in the air, under a canopy, this period will be from 3 months. For artificial drying, use the following method:

Glue paper to the ends of the rivets
Put in the oven
Leave there for a day

Ready-to-rivets for barrels

The blanks are now ready for further work.

We make a hoop

Another detail is the hoop. It helps to connect all the rivets, creating a single whole; stainless steel is used to make the hoop.

Modern barrels have three hoops:

Pukovy (closer to the center)
Mouths (closer to the edge)
Neck (if the barrel has a large volume, additionally placed between the first two)

The size of the hoop depends on the volume of the container (thickness * width):

Up to 25 L - 1.6mm * 3cm
25 - 50 L - 1.6mm * 3.6cm
Up to 100 l - 1.6mm * 4-4.5cm
120 liters and more - 1.8 * 5cm

Stainless steel hoops for barrel

You will need temporary metal hoops, which are made according to the following algorithm:

Cut the strips to the required size from the sheet of steel
Make holes at the ends of the strips, which are fastened with rivets.

We collect the barrel

Now we have approached the main stage - the assembly of the barrel, consisting of rivets, which are connected first with temporary and then permanent hoops.

Process with a tool - grinding, cut off the uneven ends, drill the filler hole.

Watch a video of how an oak barrel is made.

Repair of an oak barrel

You have an old barrel that you are not using because it is dry, leaking, or for some other reason it is not suitable, watch the video on how to repair it.

The second part of the video if the barrel leaks

Such an interesting, although a little forgotten these days, a product, like a barrel, can become the basis for launching your own promising business. Wooden barrels have been known since ancient times. They took water in them, with their help they washed and bathed, they kept wine in them. Nowadays, classic wooden barrels are not so popular and common. This is most likely caused by the emergence of a wide variety of new materials that have made the process of making barrels easier and more inexpensive. Today, most often, you can find barrels made of various types of plastics and, of course, metal. But do not think that the classical art of cooperage has completely disappeared. No, even in our age of the Internet and television, you can still find craftsmen who make wooden barrels, almost the same as those designed by our ancestors.

Areas of application of wooden barrels

Where can you find wooden barrels today? Firstly, they are still used to store wines and other alcoholic beverages (for example, for whiskey or cognac). Oak barrels are best suited for these purposes. In such containers, the entire taste and aroma of the drink is preserved in the best way. Remember the famous wine cellars - where expensive wines are stored in wooden barrels.

Another fairly wide area of application of wooden barrels is various salting. In such containers, you can salt, cucumbers, sauerkraut, soak meat before drying, etc. For such purposes, both small barrels and sufficiently capacious containers for salting a large number of products at the same time are suitable. Probably many of you, your parents or grandparents love to remember what delicious pickles used to be. Now they don't do that anymore. And the reason is precisely in the use of a different container. If earlier all this was prepared in wooden barrels, today glass jars are used for the same purposes.

Also large wooden barrels are gaining popularity in. They are often used instead of the usual bath. Indeed, in the old days, even various royals, "took a barrel", and not a hot bath. Today this tradition is relevant again. Despite the huge variety of modern baths and showers, some people put wooden barrels for bathing in their homes. In their opinion, it is unusual, interesting and healthy. Especially often, such interior items can be seen in country cottages.

How to start a wooden barrel business?

First of all, you should really like all of this. After all, this process is quite difficult and requires the direct participation of a person. Of course, now there is a mass of equipment that significantly facilitates the process, but without understanding the production technology it is impossible. You can collect the barrels yourself. To do this, you will have to learn the cooper's craft. Perhaps there are experienced craftsmen in your city or region who are ready to take a student with them for a fee. Or such an option is to get a job at an enterprise that makes barrels and learn everything there. In general, you need to understand the process and try to collect at least a few dozen barrels.

You can go the other way - to organize a workshop for the manufacture of wooden barrels. This will require a room, material - wood and metal hoops, special machines and several experienced coopers. The main difficulty lies precisely in the search for masters. After all, this is not a very common case. Therefore, there is a possibility that there will not be a single master in your settlement. In this case, one way out is to train those who wish, and then hire them.

Wooden barrel making process

It all starts with the preparation of the riveting. Riveting is a rectangular plank with a pronounced texture. They are harvested from a certain type of wood (depending on the purpose of making the barrel). Riveting is the main material that makes up the barrel. That is, these are the same wooden planks, tightly joined to one another with the help of hoops. To make the barrel really high-quality and durable, the riveting, after preliminary preparation, is dried for two years under an open shed.

The next stage is the direct manufacture of the barrel. This is done, like a hundred or two hundred years ago, exclusively by hand. The rivets are pre-sent to a special steam room. There, the wood is warmed up and moistened, making it more flexible. This allows it to bend without the risk of breakage.

At the last stage, the barrel skeleton is assembled directly. The boards are docked, give the product the desired shape (there are dozens of types of barrels of various shapes), insert the bottom and lid (if necessary), fix the structure with wooden or metal hoops and burn it over an open fire for 30-50 minutes. Next, the barrel is polished and treated with special compounds.

This is, in short, the process of making a wooden barrel. In fact, everything is a little more complicated, but the principle is the same. You can learn this craft if you wish. As for the business prospects, think for yourself - there are very few masters involved in the production of barrels, while the interest of the potential audience in these products is constantly increasing. Got the idea? Successful business to you!

One of the most interesting ideas that can be used as the basis for a successful business is the production of barrels. They found their application back in ancient times, when they played the role of a vessel for storing wine and water. In addition, they were also used as bathtubs.

Nowadays, wooden barrels are not as popular in use as they were in the past. The explanation for this is quite simple - the fact is that the production process of these products has been significantly simplified after the advent of cheap modern technologies and materials.

As a result, barrels are now even made of metal and various types of plastics. Be that as it may, the production of barrels has not completely disappeared. Moreover, modern craftsmen are able to create exact copies of copies that were produced by our ancestors. As practice shows, you can also make good money on this.

Barrels for alcoholic drinks

One of the most common uses for wooden barrels today is the storage of alcoholic beverages. Most often they are wine, cognac and whiskey. In this case, oak is considered the most successful material for them, since this tree allows you to preserve the aroma and taste of the drink. It is in such containers that elite and expensive wines are stored. In this regard, the production of oak barrels as a type of entrepreneurial activity looks very promising.

Barrels for pickles

Salts are the second most popular application for these vessels. They perfectly preserve sauerkraut, pickled tomatoes and cucumbers. Moreover, in such containers it is very convenient to soak meat before smoking or drying it.

In this case, you can use both small barrels and more impressive vessels that can hold a large amount of food. In any case, their unforgettable taste is achieved precisely through the use of wooden barrels, not glass jars.

Barrels in design

The production of barrels for interior decoration is a relatively new idea. Many modern designers who think creatively install such containers even instead of the familiar bathtub.

Such an idea seems to take a person into the past, because it was barrels that were used many years ago in the form of a bathing tank. This container is especially in demand in cottages located outside the city. Be that as it may, an oak barrel, placed on a personal plot, in a living room, kitchen or other room, looks unusual and original.

Basic knowledge in cooperage craft

In order for the process to really bring a good profit, first of all, this activity must be liked. And you need to understand it. For which, in turn, it is recommended to acquire certain skills in the cooper's craft. You should not regret the time for this, since the lack of understanding of the subtleties associated with the manufacture of oak barrels will not lead to the desired result.

You can get them by learning from a professional cooper or by getting a job for a while at an enterprise that specializes in this field of activity. As practice shows, in order to thoroughly study this process, it is necessary to independently assemble at least several dozen wooden barrels.

Workshop opening

In order to engage in the manufacture of wooden barrels as a business, it is initially necessary to register your company. In this case, you can get the status of a legal entity or a private entrepreneur. In addition, you need to register with the tax authorities.

To open your own enterprise, the specialization of which will be the production of barrels, you need a room, the size of which depends on the planned volume of production, a warehouse for storing finished products, as well as material. The latter is played by wood and metal hoops, which are necessary for fastening the barrels. Among other things, you will need personnel.

When organizing this type of entrepreneurial activity, the most difficult thing is the search for qualified specialists who will fulfill orders at the enterprise. As practice shows, in some cities there are often cases when it is either impossible to find them at all, or craftsmen from neighboring settlements simply do not agree to move. There is only one way out of this situation - to train your employees yourself.

Where does production begin?

The technology for making oak barrels is quite simple. At the initial stage, riveting is made, which is a small plank that has a rectangular shape and a particularly pronounced texture. Oak most often acts as a raw material for them.

At the same time, it should be noted that, depending on the area of application, other types of wood are often used. Based on the technology, each of the rivets must be dried under an open shed for at least two years. Thanks to this, the barrel will turn out to be durable and of high quality.

Barrel assembly

At the second stage, the container is directly assembled. No special equipment is used for the production of barrels from wood - just like two hundred years ago, they are assembled by hand. Based on the technology, it is first necessary to send the riveting for some time to the steam room specially designed for this. After the wood is moistened and warmed up in it, it will become more flexible. This eliminates the risk of its breakage during assembly.

The final stage of production

The last stage in the manufacture of wooden barrels is the assembly of the skeleton. In this case, the boards are docked, as a result of which the product gets its shape (dozens of its variants are read). After the lid and bottom have been exposed, the structure is secured using metal or wooden hoops. Next, the barrel is fired for about 30 minutes on fire, after which it is polished and opened with specially designed compounds.

conclusions

In words, the process of making wooden barrels looks a little simpler than it actually is. This craft is not so difficult to learn - all you need is desire. Such products are currently in high demand on the market. At the same time, it is not so easy to find a professional master. In this regard, it is not worth delaying the opening of a business, because by occupying a vacant niche in the market for now, you can make good money.