“Work the round”
Target: to identify mathematical concepts and procedures in the construction of Oporto wine pipes and casks
Tourist route: : Douro museum (Régua) - Douro wine region ( Régua - Pinhão - Tua - Pocinho ) - Lamego museum - Oporto wine cellars( Caves Calém - Graham's Port Lodge - Taylor's Port )
Cooperage is a form of handicraft in which wooden canisters are produced or repaired.
One of the difficulties of this art is “work the round”, an expression used by the coopers because of the round shape of the canisters.
Although the handmade character, in which mathematical knowledge is used empirically, it is possible to recreate some mathematical procedures used by the coopers. In reality, some coopers resort to "mathematical processes", while others proceed by trial and error.
Some of the "mathematical" procedures used by the coopers:
- manner to determine the radius of the circle of the lid for a kite under construction;
- number of staves necessary to make a canister with a given diameter;
- calculation of the material needed for the construction of any canister;
- construction of a reduction compass to construct a stave;
- use of T-sliding bezel.
