You need to frame the barrel arch first then cover it with whatever you want later. It's built along the same concepts as a curved wall but with a little more detail b/c it's hung from the ceiling.

They even have pre-made barrel arches that you can purchase to save you the time it takes to build them. They are real time consuming to make sure they're all built on the same plain. I will see if I can locate the source that we bought them from, if your interested.

I like the website

J Cubed Custom Inc-You no how much labor and frustration goes into making arches....? You work can be spot on and still something may be out of plane/plain. You stand back and can see somethings not right. I save countless labor hours using their arches. You can't beat their Quality and the price is spot on!

You are right building barrel arches can easily soak up the majority of your day. Specially if there are numerous of them. I checked out the link you posted and I'm definitely interested. My only concern is how big they can go. The biggest I've ever done were 30' long and 15' in diameter and there were 2 on this particular project.

We never did them that big. However I am sure they can handle that! Maybe they could somehow do it in halves, saving you the majority of the time building them. Its worth an email or phone call to them. Thanks!!!

Thanks for the leaded if it saves the work and they can do it reasonably then why not.

I did a 30 foot diameter roughly 28 feet wide by 42 feet long. 3/4 plywood and a router work wonderful. Make ribs 4 feet o.c. Same length and fill in with 2x4 4-8 in o.c. Depending oonsharpnesbarrebarrel

It's fun putting those arch stones up. Levitate. No. Build a framed supported arch for the masons to do their work. This barrel is extremely time consuming. Need to work inside to out. 160 carpenter hours and 320 mason hours

Nice wine cellars

Thanks Dave for the kind words and referral!! Stumbled upon your comments and it brought a smile to our faces. John, Here is an example of a Big Ole Barrel Vault

Here is a video of one too: