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Title: WILLIAM ROWAN THE COOPER

Reference number: 8951

Date: 1930s

Sponsor: Ayrshire Education Authority

Production company: The Production Group

Sound: silent

Original format: 16mm

Colour: bw

Fiction: Non-Fiction

Running time: 10.13 mins

Description: William Rowan demonstrates his skill as a cooper, showing the techniques and tools used to make a barrel.

Entered in the SAFF (Scottish Amateur Film Festival) Isabel Elder Trophy Competition 1943.

Credits: p. James H. Johnstone and David Welsh

Shotlist: [Shotlisted from MiniDV tape]

ocs (.12) Title (.19) ls Mr Rowan walks l-r with a bundle of staves (.33) He shapes the staves roughly. (.39) gv's WR uses a weight to hold staves on their long edge as he tapers the ends with a drawknife (1.29) Now he smoothes the staves. (1.35) gv's same, using table with planing edge set into it (2.20) Iron hoops keep the staves in place. (2.27) WR arranges the staves inside the hoops, taps down the second to create a cylinder and saws off the excess wood (3.11) Heat makes the staves bend easily. (3.17) WR sets fire to a small pile of shavings and sets the unfinished barrel over it; WR taps remaining hoops into place, and saws away more at the end (4.50) Grooves are made for top and bottom. (4.57) gv's same, using a router set into a semicircular section; applies chalk? to newly cut inner groove under rim; he checks the size of the rim using dividers (5.50) WR marks smaller circle into old lid with dividers, removing excess with a double-bladed hand saw; ms WR shows near perfect circle before finishing the edge with a drawknife (6.53) WR fits lid into base of barrel by removing top hoop then tapping it back on afterward (7.42) he measures a length of metal against the barrel before making a hoop, bending it by hand over a metal form; c/u WR rivets the hoop, then taps the new hoop into place; WR saws off edges (8.53) ms boy holding barrel; c/u curved drawknife is used to smooth inside edge of rim; a handle is screwed into lid, lid is set into barrel (9.53) ls Mr Rowan shows the finished barrel; c/u Mr Rowan; ls William Rowan walks away with a salute to the camera (10.13)