I made a whiskey serving tray out of the head of a whiskey barrel. I thought making a whiskey tray would be a fun project idea, but I needed to way to give it the character it deserved. I decided to find parts of a whiskey barrel that I could use to make it. I came across heads or lids from barrels used to distill whiskey. I picked one up not knowing what the barrel would look like. I was really happy with the one I got. It has some amazing character and a stamp for Old Fitzgerald Bourbon Whiskey.

I wanted to keep as much character from the barrel as possible knowing that it would give my serving tray the unique look I was going after. Picking the right materials is key for woodworking projects, and this project was no exception. I chose some walnut to complement the white oak from the barrel. I thought using more oak drown out the wow factor of the barrel. I decided to use sapwood from the walnut pieces I had so it was a closer color match to the barrel.

If you aren’t aware, barrel heads are not a solid piece of wood. They are multiple strips held together with dowels. I pried the apart and glued together the pieces I wanted to keep. I was going to cut the pieces off on the ends, giving me clean lines, but I liked the oval profile too much so I kept it and used it as a design feature for the tray. I had the walnut sides of the tray flow up and around the ends. This made the handles integrate into the sides. Plus, the serving tray handles are curved, mimicking the barrel edge profile.

I went with a simple wax finish on this one. You can also use a spray finish like lacquer. Overall, I’m pretty happy with the results. I think it would be fun to get another barrel head and try a completely different look since there are so many possibilities with a woodworking project like this.

This video was not sponsored and I have no affiliation with the company that provided the barrel head. I purchased it from here: https://midwestbarrelco.com/collectio...

•• About NewtonMakes••
I’m Billy and I make fun things. Sometimes, it’s something I need like tool storage ideas. Other times it’s silly or nerdy stuff that I want to build. If you want to get ideas for making stuff, or just want to watch something entertaining then make sure you subscribe.

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