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Welcome to the Workshops! Inside the protective stone walls of a castle, along the edges of the courtyard, were the workshops and sheds. Come and view the fine heritage products of the lord of Springhaven Castle, Les Kovacs. His work is especially appreciated by reenactors interested in authentic woodenware. Cooperage | Shaker Boxes | Other Crafts | Craft Fair Schedule
A cooper is a maker of buckets, barrels, etc., from staves of wood. Les does not make barrels and kegs, as their curved sides require a specialized process. However, he is skilled in the creation of all straight-sided containers, such as buckets, washtubs, one-handled dippers known as "piggins," butter churns, and even the occasional stein. This work was done by the "white cooper," probably called that because he used primarily white woods such as oak, maple, and western cedar. Les uses almost exclusively western cedar, which is paler and not as aromatic as its cousin, red cedar, but is lighter and infinitely easier to work than oak or maple. Cedar is slow to rot, and lasts a long time, even under heavy usage for carrying water or washing dishes or clothes.
The bands that surround the bucket are the only thing that holds an authentic bucket or tub together. If you see a bucket that has a lining of wax, shellac, etc., it is your sign that this is not an authentic product. When properly made cooperage is filled with water, it will leak at first, but as the staves swell, the leaks seal themselves. This ability to swell and shrink gives the bucket strength. Modern imitations often have the bands nailed, tacked, or glued on, which means that if you fill the buckets with water, they will break. Les' bands are made of white oak, the inner bark of hickory, or rattan, and are fastened only by the notch he carves into them. His handles are generally rope he makes himself on an antique rope maker, but he also makes wooden handles. Prices: A bucket takes approximately a day to make, especially if you want it to be watertight. Les' most common sizes and products are listed below:
Butter churns and dish tubs vary in size and price, often running between $125 and $150. If you would like him to make something to your specifications, email him. He has made maple sap buckets, closed containers for a museum reproduction of a whiskey still, a small churn for a reenacting child, and even a wishing well bucket with a door in the bottom that opened when it hit the water, allowing it to fill. The weight of the water closed the door as the bucket was raised from the well.
Another craft Les enjoys is the making of beautiful Shaker boxes and carriers. These are usually maple or cherry, held together with wooden pegs in the base and copper tacks in the hand-cut "fingers" on their joints. They are given two hand rubbed coats of Danish oil, finely sanded in between. Prices:
As with cooperage, Les has also made larger sizes or special containers, such as a large round hat box; however the materials are harder to come by. If you have a special request, feel free to email him. Over the years, Les has dabbled in quite a few other hand crafts, from blacksmithing to broommaking to creating miniature dollhouse furniture. He does scroll saw work and some furniture building. He has made oak baskets, beginning with the tree, birch bark boxes like those made by the Micmac natives of eastern Canada, and even experimented a little with porcupine quill work. Questions? Comments? Stories to share? email him. |
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Content Copyright © Debbonnaire Kovacs
Graphics and designs © Eagle Designs
