This noggin sits in the Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, Ky. woodworker’s shop. Noggins were most used to drink from, having a handle and being able to dip into a larger barrel of water, etc. Noggins, like buckets or pails, were constructed of strips of wood held together with either wood (for dry containers) or metal (for wet containers) bands.
This particular noggin was re-created in the Village wood shop back in the 1960’s when the land was re-acquired and used as a learning/display piece. It was discovered hiding in a vacant building in the ‘70s then faced discarding recently due to its apparent condition; i.e. it had dried out and the wood slats were separated. It was salvaged by the current woodworkers, filled with water, and is currently being used as a display. As you can see the water has caused the wood to swell, closed the gaps, and now holds liquid (with just a slight leaking). This photo was taken two weeks after the noggin was filled with water. Not bad for a 50 year old wooden container that sat for decades in some dusty corner.
Lincoln Knobs Woodworking 