Making the stripes
The stripes are thin pieces of contrasting wood glued between the staves. Their only purpose is decorative. Cut the stripe to length and bend it to shape on the hot bending iron. Because the stripes are so thin and delicate, a great deal of care must be taken to avoid breaking them. However, they don’t have to be bent to the exact shape of the form, because they can be flexed a bit while glueing to match the curve of the adjoining stave. Don’t glue the stripe in yet.