Whiskey barrel display case

[Brad McCollum]

Have any of you ever built anything from a whiskey barrel, other than planters? A client wants me to split a barrel length wise and turn it into a cabinet/display case. I've never worked with a barrel before, any pitfalls I need to watch for? Any tips or techniques from those with experience would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

[Garth Almgren]

I don't think you could split it lengthwise - the only thing holding those staves in place is the hoops and friction, each stave pressing against both it's neighbors. When you take away half the staves they won't have anything to press against and would fall apart like a house of cards.

[Scott Brandstetter]

A true whiskey barrel is held together with metal rings so you will have to plan on how to keep the barrel together once it is split. You could replicate the rings with wood that is bent to hold the half barrels together. I personally would like to know where they got the barrels. I live in Ky and it's hard to buy used barrels, at least at a reasonable price. good luck with the project and keep us updated.

[Bill Orbine]

A true whiskey barrel is held together with metal rings so you will have to plan on how to keep the barrel together once it is split. You could replicate the rings with wood that is bent to hold the half barrels together. I personally would like to know where they got the barrels. I live in Ky and it's hard to buy used barrels, at least at a reasonable price. good luck with the project and keep us updated.

I thought KY would be one of the better bourbon/whiskey states where you could get your barrels. There's untold numbers of the barrels in the Finger Lakes region of NY wineries.

Drill ring and the rivet, nail or screw the staves to the ring before slicing in 1/2" You'll probably need to secure the top and bottoms. Look at it this way....ever seen a barrel seat? Sort of 1/4 split.

[Pat Barry]

I speculate that an old barrel wouldn't have much stress anymore. Obviously you would need to hold its basic position and build in reinforcement with the shelves and attach the hoops as previously suggested

[Jimmy Smith]

Hello, Attach each stave to the metal rings with a small screw before you cut it apart and it will stay together. Good Luck Jim

[Yonak Hawkins]

How about this ? Remove each stave in the half you want to remove, one at a time, by cutting it in half with a Multi Tool, or the like, leaving the metal rings. Then, as Jimmy says, but instead of screws, insert bolts and nuts in only the two outside staves through all rings. Then cut the rings. In theory it should hold, but I wouldn't stand in harm's way when you cut the rings.

Would the customer be amenable to leaving the rings in tact but removing half the staves ? (..Or maybe, even leave just the two rings closest to the ends ?)

This seems like a dangerous undertaking but it seems to me, in theory, it should work. I have never tried it and don't guarantee anything.

[Bradley Gray]

glue the staves.

[mike holden]

On a trip to Barbados, I found where the old Jim Beam barrels went to - Rum Distilleries! Apparently, according to US law the barrels cannot be reused, so they are sold to rum distilleries in the Caribbean which use them to age and color their rum. Freshly distilled rum is clear, the amber color comes from the barrels it is aged in.
I would expect some flavor as well, but the guide on my tour only discussed the coloring.
The inside of the barrels is charred by Jim Beam, so if you are making a display case out of the inside, you will have a charred surface to contend with.
Mike

[Scott Driemel]

or ... convince him to cut them in half the other way, make a nice interior grid frame work and use them as a nice wine storage rack.