Wooden Barrel Model Kit

Wooden Barrel Model Kit for the Envision the Future Design Challenge by Papa Golf Designs

This tactile model is a representation of a small wooden barrel approximately 6 by 4.5 inches to help a visually impaired person understand the traditional craft of making barrels, buckets, baths and all forms of storage containers knows as Coopering. The craftsman who makes them is called a cooper.

A barrel, cask, or tun is a hollow cylindrical container, traditionally made of wooden staves bound by wooden or metal hoops and possessing flat ends or heads.

The model was designed in Autodesk® Fusion 360™ and has been adapted in order to support 3D printing. The model is comprise of 16 staves, 2 chime hoops, 2 bilge hoops and 2 sets of heads (3 parts each) so it can be assemble as either a bank or a jar. All the parts are inscribed with braille for easy identification except for the Top Head Ring used for the jar assembly as this part’s surface does not allow for an inscription and the optional storage box.

Due to the variances in tolerance with different 3D Printers, it may not be possible to take the model apart once the hoops have been fully seated in their respective positions. If the model is to be assemble and disassemble repeatedly, then either the x and y scale of the hoops need to be adjusted during the slicing prior to printing or rubber bands can be used instead of the hoops to keep the model firmly assembled.

All the parts can be printed without support except the Bottom Head Plug in order to allow the braille inscription. The chime and bilge hoops can be printed together as the chime hoop fits inside the bilge hoop with enough clearance. The staves are to be printed on their side. All the STLs have the correct orientation and are centred on the bed for printing. A separate set of STLs without braille are also supplied for people who would like to print the model but do not require the inscriptions.

Common parts to be printed:

16 Staves

2 Chime Hoops

2 Bilge Hoops

For the Bank assembly:

1 Top Head with coin slot

1 Bottom Head with treaded hole

1 Bottom Head Plug treaded

For the Jar assembly:

1 Top Head Ring

1 Top Head Lid

1 Bottom Head Full

Optional:

1 Kit Storage Box

1 Kit Storage Box Lid

Assembly

First, select the appropriate set of heads to assemble the kit as either the bank or the jar.

If assembling the bank you will need the top head with coin slot, bottom head with treaded hole and bottom head plug.

If assembling the jar you will need the top head ring, top head lid and bottom head full.

Next, take one stave in one hand and position it with the outside curve against the palm. Insert both heads it their respective slots at the end of the stave. If assembling the jar, the head ring need to be positioned so the recess it facing out to allow the lid to fit properly.

Continue adding stave one by one making sure they are sitting flush with the previous one and apply pressure on the heads so they do not fall off. Once enough staves are in place the heads will stay put.

Once all the staves are in place its time to secure everything by installing the hoops. The Chime hoops go nearest to the head and the bilge hoops go nearest the middle of the barrel. They fit in grooves so the model stays securely assemble. This will fit very tightly and it may not be possible to remove them once they are fully seated. If you wish to be able to disassemble  the model, you may asked the person who printed the kit to adjust the dimension of the hoops so they are loose fitting or you can use rubber bands to temporarily secure the model.

The hoops are tapered to match the outside curve of the staves. Make sure the smaller side is toward the end of the barrel. The smaller side will be up when the inscription is right side up and you can just slip the hoops into the barrel. The chime hoops should be installed first. Use your finger tips to bring them down into their respective grooves. Some force maybe required depending on the fit.

Do the same with the bilge hoops.

The last step remaining is to screw in the bottom plug if you opted for the bank or the lid if you opted for the jar.

Enjoy.