Tom,
We found my grandfathers 'hoop-tool'; it's a piece of rod stock bent
with a parallel offset and then flatened on 4 sides on one end. I put
it to good use on my barrel. It's my new favorite tool; it;'s got to
be close to a hundred years old if it was made on this side. It really
works well. (I'm sure it's homemade, he was a miner when he came over
here.)

Joe