Self-boring barrel spigots
Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 11:00 pm
Self-boring barrel spigots
This article is about a little-known and hard-to-- find category of wood boring tools which I call self-boring barrel spigots. Also known as boring faucets, these tools consist basically of a liquid-dispensing valve (spigot) and a wood cutting edge (bit) combined in a single tool, along with a means for rotating the cutting edge (usually a brace or bit stock, wrench, or by hand using handles) through the head of a wooden barrel or, in a couple of designs, through an already-in-- place bung or stopper. In most of the designs, the tool is rotated to cut the hole and insert the spigot into the barrel in a single operation. Once attached, the boring spigot usually stayed in place until the barrel was no longer in use. Although the spigot might then be removed and reused in another full barrel, it appears that by always being immersed in liquid the metal bit might oxidize and become useless. Perhaps that is why so few of these early tools have survived.
The Fundamental Problem
How do you tap a full barrel that is laying on its side? A common method was to bore a hole in the barrel using any of a variety of bung borers, boring taps, augers, tapered reamers, and the like. Then install the spigot or pump in the hole, either by friction or threaded fit. Sometimes a special permanent collar would be installed to receive the spigot, so that repeated installations would not destroy the wood around the opening. Another approach was to bore the hole almost through, then place the spigot (or bung ) in the hole and drive it the rest of the way through, breaking out the remainder of the hole but reducing the amount of liquid spilled. If a bung or stopper was already installed, there were two common ways to install the spigot -first remove the bung with a bung puller or bung tickler, or drive the bung into the barrel using the spigot as the drive. Most of these approaches resulted in some spillage of the barrel's contents. If the contents were under pressure the spillage could be significant. If it were molasses or syrup, it could be very messy.
THIS POST USED TO BE A QUOTE OF A RANT
IT IS NOW A SHORT ARTICLE ON SELF BORING BARREL SPIGOTS
BTW IT WAS THE PERSON WHO I QUOTED WHO SAID THAT SHIT BELOW ABOUT TIMBALAND NOT ME
This article is about a little-known and hard-to-- find category of wood boring tools which I call self-boring barrel spigots. Also known as boring faucets, these tools consist basically of a liquid-dispensing valve (spigot) and a wood cutting edge (bit) combined in a single tool, along with a means for rotating the cutting edge (usually a brace or bit stock, wrench, or by hand using handles) through the head of a wooden barrel or, in a couple of designs, through an already-in-- place bung or stopper. In most of the designs, the tool is rotated to cut the hole and insert the spigot into the barrel in a single operation. Once attached, the boring spigot usually stayed in place until the barrel was no longer in use. Although the spigot might then be removed and reused in another full barrel, it appears that by always being immersed in liquid the metal bit might oxidize and become useless. Perhaps that is why so few of these early tools have survived.
The Fundamental Problem
How do you tap a full barrel that is laying on its side? A common method was to bore a hole in the barrel using any of a variety of bung borers, boring taps, augers, tapered reamers, and the like. Then install the spigot or pump in the hole, either by friction or threaded fit. Sometimes a special permanent collar would be installed to receive the spigot, so that repeated installations would not destroy the wood around the opening. Another approach was to bore the hole almost through, then place the spigot (or bung ) in the hole and drive it the rest of the way through, breaking out the remainder of the hole but reducing the amount of liquid spilled. If a bung or stopper was already installed, there were two common ways to install the spigot -first remove the bung with a bung puller or bung tickler, or drive the bung into the barrel using the spigot as the drive. Most of these approaches resulted in some spillage of the barrel's contents. If the contents were under pressure the spillage could be significant. If it were molasses or syrup, it could be very messy.
THIS POST USED TO BE A QUOTE OF A RANT
IT IS NOW A SHORT ARTICLE ON SELF BORING BARREL SPIGOTS
BTW IT WAS THE PERSON WHO I QUOTED WHO SAID THAT SHIT BELOW ABOUT TIMBALAND NOT ME