bells-msg - 9/2/17

Casting, contstruction and use of medieval bells. Bell sources.

NOTE: See also these files: casting-msg, clocks-msg, sundials-msg, ships-msg,  ships-bib, metals-msg, metal-sources-msg, metalworking-msg, mining-msg.

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                                          Stefan at florilegium.org
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Newsgroups: rec.org.sca,rec.crafts.metalworking
From: mcdaniel at convex.com (Tim McDaniel)
Subject: Bell sources
Date: Sat, 10 Apr 1993 00:18:26 GMT
Organization: Engineering, CONVEX Computer Corp., Richardson, Tx., USA

I posted a while ago asking about bells, especially for tower use.  Many
thanks to those who so kindly responded.  Here's some of the information
I've found so far.  [Please note the cross-posting to rec.org.sca and
rec.crafts.metalworking.]

MISCELLANEOUS SOURCES (I haven't checked out some of these)

Bells and Man.  Percival Price, Oxford Univ. Press, 1983, ISBN
0-19-318103-7, Dewey decimal 789.509 P946b.  Out of print, alas.  A
fairly exhaustive study, from the earliest finds to modern times,
subdivided by culture and time.  Three sizeable chapters, much of the
book, are on early Christian, medieval, and Renaissance use of hand- and
tower bells.  It branches into related instruments, like the sematron
and the crodal ("jingle bells").  There are many footnotes of sources, a
few primary.  Appendices: dates, locations, sizes, and weights of
various historic bells; inscriptions with date, location.  I have two
strong positive recommendations, from Tony Elderhorst and from Dr.
Wakeland.  Read it thoroughly, because it's not that well organized.
(For example, a subchapter about Russian bell chiming has some important
information on Western practices.)

Dr. William Wakeland.
    4800 Cardinal Dr.
    Muncie, Indiana 47304 USA
    +1 (317) 289-2692

Retired professor, member (President?) North American Bell Tower
Association.  He's knowledgeable, a source of further sources, very
nice, and loves to talk (so be warned!).  He says he's visited all but
two U.S. change ringing towers.  He'll be gone on a trip soon, so he'll
soon be hard to get a hold of.  Is aware of the Society for Creative
Anachronism.

American Guild of English Handbell Ringers.  +1 (800) 878-5459 (that
phone number may not be usable outside the North American dialing plan).
Not useful for my purposes, but they pointed me at Dr. Wakeland.

North American Guild of Carilloneurs.  Publication: Carillon News.

North American Guild of Change Ringers.  Publication: The Clapper.

The Ringing World, publication of the Council of Churches (Anglican).
    Penmark House
    Woodbridge Meadows
    Guildford, England GU1 1BL
    telephone: +44 483 69535

International annual subscription: #61.50 (about $100 [glllkkkkk!---
Ed.]).  Mary Seabrook: "They sometimes have adverts for people selling
handbell sets ....  I'm probably more interested in the adverts that
they sometimes have for tower bells from disused towers, which they sell
sometimes for as low as $20000 a set [glllkkkkk!---Ed.]."  Dr. Wakeland
says it has miscellaneous info, like reports of groups' change ringing
accomplishments.

The Nine Tailors.  Dotrothy Sayers.  A Lord Peter Whimsley mystery.
Haven't read it, and probably relevant only to modern practices, but Dr.
Wakeland says it's a good book.

Ring Out---A Book of Bells.  Jane Yolen (!); Juvenile, Dewey 789.5 Y54r.
She gives the Dick Whittington folk story, and then gives historical
facts to show why it's false.  That alone endeared it to me.  Haven't
read it yet, but I plan to.

BELL MANUFACTURERS

Taylor's (Eng.), White Chapel (Eng.), Picard (Fr.), Petete and Fritzen
(sp?  Ger.), Eisbouts (Netherlands), a new small business in Oslo.
Taylor's pioneered bell tuning in 1904.  White Chapel has been at the
same street address since 1570, and claims to be the oldest continuous
business at the same address in England, I believe.  There are no
American large bell manufacturers.  Kyler Laird: "One set of Purdue's
bells is from England (White Chapel).  They're supposed to be the best,
but after brazing and rebuilding a few, I strongly disagree."

AMERICAN BELL SUPPLIERS:

Jane Waks: "Good my lord, never tempt a reference librarian with a
question like 'Anybody know about commercial bell suppliers?'!!"

"The attached list is one I threw together from the Thomas Register, and
I have no personal relationship with any of the vendors, except the one
I marked, whose bells I have rung, but could never afford to have bought
(church owns a set).  Bells (excerpted freely from Thomas' Register of
Manufacturers.  Comments enclosed in quotation marks are from the
advertisements by the companies.

S. Axelrod Co.  (NY)  212-594-3022
	'Cow bells, Liberty bells, jingle bells'

Maas-Rowe Carillons Inc.  (Escondido, CA)

South Bay Bronze/Aluminum Foundry Inc.  (San Jose CA) 408-947-0607

Edwards Co.  (Farmington CT)  203-678-0410

Mast Harness Shop  (Arthur IL)  217-543-3463
	'Harnesses, harness hardware, oils, leather tools...'  and
presumably Bells, since they are listed under Bells, Church;
Chimes; etc.

McShane Bell Foundry Co.  (Glen Burnie MD)

Verdin Co.  (Cincinnati OH)  800-543-0488
	'New, used cast bronze bells, bell tuning & refurbishing ...
ringing equipment' [Pretty helpful; recommended by Dr. Wakeland.--Tim
McDaniel]

Elderhorst Bells Inc.  (Palm PA)  215-679-3264
	'Bellstrikers and ringers for cast bronze bells, refurbishers
of historical movements, service for tower clocks, bells, bellringing
equipment...handbells' [Tony Elderhorst is a nice guy and fairly
informative.--Tim McDaniel.]

Schulmerich Carillons Inc.  (Sellersville PA)
	I have rung their handbells.  Great sound, high price. --
Caitlin [Dr. Wakeland is very unimpressed.  An Abilene, TX customer
ordered a set which Schulmerich said would be suitable for change
ringing and carillon.  When installed, they could not be rung
separately, but could only be rung from an organ keyboard, with no
variation in volume as can be done with standard carillon controls.--Tim
McDaniel]

The C.S. Bell Co.  (Tiffin OH)  419-448-0791
	'Cast iron farm bells for home, farm, or patio'  [Unfriendly
attitude--Tim McDaniel]

Van Bergen Bellfoundries Inc. (Charleston SC)  800-554-8820
	'Tuned bronze bells, tower clocks, chimes...'
Many thanks, Jane!


E-MAIL CORRESPONDENTS OR NETNEWS POSTERS:

Mary Seabrook (aka Elizabeth Fairweather) <mary at ossi.com> "I'll keep you
posted on how well I get on with trying to cast my own!"

Kyler Laird <laird at ecn.purdue.edu>: "I met my wife through the Purdue
Bell Choir - she was/is the director and I'm now Chief Bell Repair Dude.
... Do you have any idea of the expense that you're considering?  Big
bells are quite expensive."

David Salley (aka Lord Dagonell Collingwood of Emerald Lake)
<salley at niktow.canisius.edu> "Unless this [bell tower] is far more
complicated than a Boy Scout signal tower, you should be able to put one
up in an afternoon.  I know I did at scout camp."

Nigel Haslock (aka Faicha) <haslock at rust.zso.dec.com> "When I was
growing up in England, I was continually hearing of steeples that needed
new roofs.  The problem is that the vibrations of the bells shake the
nails loose and the steep angle of the steeple encouraged the slates to
pull free.  A properly built tower [in contrast to a "steeple"] does not
have this problem as roof is virtually flat so the slates don't go
anywhere even if the nails are loose."

John Schmidt <jschmidt at Tymnet.COM> "... have cast pot metal, but never a
bell, and am even learning forging... If you'll take the bell to
Pennsic, I'll figure out how to make it."

Gary Heston <gary at sci34hub.sci.com> "I've found cast-iron dinner bells
at estate and property auctions locally. ... Check with rural
living/self-sufficent supply places, perhaps farm supply houses. Cast
iron bells shouldn't be too hard to find; bronze would likely be much
harder to locate *and* hideously expensive."

Jim McGill <mcgill at sauvie.c4west.eds.com> "You might try to contact the
english hand bell players. ...  Try the local Anglican church, since
there seems to be a connection between handbells and them.  Or try your
local early music people, they seem to know each other."

Rob Pauley <rob at mal-s1.gatech.edu> "I'm currently doing a lot of metal
spinning and have considered the possibility of spinning bells.
Unfortunately, I have little info. as to what shapes, metal types, etc.
are appropriate, except for bells that I have seen (appear to be brass
or bronze or steel with plating).  I am starting to spin items for other
people and expect a 'light industrial' order soon."

Nils Hammer <nh0g+ at andrew.cmu.edu> "For those of you who still think of
building towers, huts, whatever; you may want to know that there is a
stone-lookalike spraypaint now available. In the CMU art store it is
very expensive. If anyone wants to know more you might ask some CMU
person to copy and send company info from the label."
-- 
  Modern: Tim McDaniel, Convex Computer Corporation
     SCA: Daniel of Lincoln, Barony of the Steppes, Ansteorra
Internet: mcdaniel at convex.com, mcdaniel at cyberspace.org, mcdaniel at adi.com


From: mfleet at msuvx1.memst.edu
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca,rec.crafts.metalworking
Subject: Re: Bell sources
Date: 12 Apr 93 14:49:30 GMT
Organization: Memphis State University

In article <1993Apr10.001826.24008 at news.eng.convex.com>, mcdaniel at convex.com (Tim McDaniel) writes:
> I posted a while ago asking about bells, especially for tower use.  Many
> thanks to those who so kindly responded.  Here's some of the information
> I've found so far.  [Please note the cross-posting to rec.org.sca and
> rec.crafts.metalworking.]
> 
> MISCELLANEOUS SOURCES (I haven't checked out some of these)

>(stuff deleted)
 
> The Nine Tailors.  Dotrothy Sayers.  A Lord Peter Whimsley mystery.
> Haven't read it, and probably relevant only to modern practices, but Dr.
> Wakeland says it's a good book.
> 
-- 
I have read "The Nine Tailors" several times.  It is definitely not modern
practice.  When written in the 20's or 30's, Sayers was using the mystery
format to inform readers of what she believed to be a dying art form.  The
references are to traditional English practices.  It's a classic!
  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
  * Marrin T. Fleet                         Phone:  901-678-3604            *
  * Computer Services                      Bitnet:  MFLEET at MEMSTVX1         *
  * Memphis State University             Internet:  MFLEET at MSUVX1.MEMST.EDU *
  * Memphis, TN   38152                                                     *
  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


From: arf at genesis.MCS.COM (Jack Schmidling)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca,rec.crafts.metalworking
Subject: Re: Bell sources
Date: 13 Apr 1993 08:28:36 -0500
Organization: MCSNet Contributor, Chicago, IL

 rec.crafts.metalworking #1085
 From: mcdaniel at convex.com (Tim McDaniel)
 [1] Bell sources
 
 >Mary Seabrook (aka Elizabeth Fairweather) <mary at ossi.com> 
 "I'll keep you posted on how well I get on with trying to 
 cast my own!"
 
 Please share your experience with us.
 
 I found a nice bell at a do-it-yourself ceramic shop that I 
 used for a form to cast bells from.  It is about 3 inches 
 high and about the same at the base.  I first cast it in 
 zinc to have a permanent form that I did not have to worry 
 about breaking.
 
 The casting is done in sand with a cope and drag specially 
 designed for it.  The drag is several inches higher than the 
 bell and  the cope is two inches deep.  The drag is placed 
 over the upright form and packed with sand.  It is then 
 inverted and dusted with parting compound.  The cope is 
 placed over the drag and packed with sand.  A large lagbolt 
 is inserted in the sand to act as a reinforcement to hold 
 the bell core together when parting the mold.  The gate 
 consists of a 1/5 in hole drilled in the drag so that it
 coincides with the stem of the bell and forms a crude handle 
 if not cut off.
 
 I have cast half a dozen succcessful bells in aluminum but 
 have not solved the cooling problems in silver or brass and 
 can not get a complete bell in these metals with the current 
 design.
 
 Only one of the aluminum bells has what I would call a 
 perfect tone as cast, the rest have very pronounced 
 dissonants.  One of the major problems is maintaining 
 alignment of the core with the shell.  If not perfectly 
 aligned, the wall thickness varies and the sound suffers 
 greatly.
 
 A hobby turned into a business has kept me from solving the 
 bell problem but I hope to get back to it soon.
 
 Let's hear from anyone else casting bells.
 
 js


From: doconnor at sedona.intel.com (Dennis O'Connor)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Pennsic Bell
Date: 12 May 94 12:06:35
Organization: not much.

meg at tinhat.stonemarche.org (meg) writes:
] I am minded that we have the skill and technology to cast a large bell 
] which can be hung from a tower near the Barn and used to ring the hours 
] at the War.

Just to encourage you:

The Barony of Al Beron (sp?) of the Outlands cast themselves a
most impressive and delightful bell of bronze. They had it
at Estrella X. Their Barona nd Baroness said it was a Barony-
wide project and quite an education, as well as being fun.
--
Dennis O'Connor                          doconnor at sedona.intel.com


Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
From: gunwaldt at astro.dasd.honeywell.com
Subject: Re: Pennsic Bell
Organization: Honeywell Inc. DASD
Date: Fri, 13 May 1994 15:51:04 GMT

Megan writes:
> ] I am minded that we have the skill and technology to cast a large bell 
> ] which can be hung from a tower near the Barn and used to ring the hours 
> ] at the War.

Dennis responds:
> The Barony of Al Beron (sp?) of the Outlands cast themselves a
> most impressive and delightful bell of bronze. They had it
> at Estrella X. Their Barona nd Baroness said it was a Barony-
> wide project and quite an education, as well as being fun.

The bell of al-Barran (Antares Kano) was designed and constructed
by local artists at a local foundry.  It is used to:
	chime the hours
	toll during days of mourning
	peal for joyous occasions
        sound to issue warning

A picture of Antares Kano is on the cover of the Fall '93 
"Chivalry Sports" catalogue.

Gunwaldt


From: andrixos at aol.com (Andrixos)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Pennsic Bell
Date: 17 May 1994 02:43:02 -0400
Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364)

The Barony of al-Barran cast a bell which they dedicated and used to ring
canonical hours at Outlandish last year.  As I was merchanting and stick at my
booth, and refusing to use a watch, I much enjoyed the pealing to mark the
passage of time, and to keep me from being late to court, which I was heralding
for Their Majesties Calontir.  (All I really neede to do was show up 10 minutes
*bfore* the bell rang).  As I remember the bell was named Antares __?__ (Cano?)
 for the brightest star in Scorpio, which is the Barony's totem beast.  Alas, I
will not be at Outlandish to hear it peal again this year...
                                  -Andrixos


From: Lisa Lonie <LISA at pco.edu>
To: markh at risc.sps.mot.com
Date: Thu, 29 May 1997 12:42:43 -0400
Subject: Web page

I happened to trip over your web page.  Just a small FYI:

Cast bronze, tuned bells are indeed being cast in North
America and provide an alternative to foreign-made bells  
in both price and quality.  The Meeks and Watson
company of Ohio has been casting tuned bells for several
years now.  They can be reached at 513-378-BELL.  I
have personally played their bells - absolutely first class

The Guild of Carillonneurs can be reached at their web
site:

www.gcna.org 

They have a vast amount of information online regarding
carillon bells, towers, etc.

L. Lonie,
Carillonneur


Date: Thu, 18 Mar 1999 19:18:45 -0500
From: rmhowe <magnusm at ncsu.edu>
To: mfx106d at tninet.se, sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: Soapstone

Twcs wrote:
> Magnus wrote:
> > I have this idea I want to cast an aquamanile....
>
> Yeah, me too.  But what I really want to do is make a bell...
> ttfn, Twcs

Theophilus wrote a section on bells in Divers Arts.
Leonardo trained as a bell founder.
There is a place on the web where you can buy regular wax letters
for casting. http://www.waxpatterns.com/index.htm

For making a bell see:
http://renstore.com/articles/Belling_Barony.shtml

Magnus


Date: Fri, 19 Mar 1999 13:32:38 -0500
From: rmhowe <magnusm at ncsu.edu>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: Pilgrim badges & Bells

Melanie Wilson wrote:
> I've heard of some being cast into bell prodcution & other objects for a
> more permanent record, The Sailsbury ref I think Magnus ?
>
> Mel

You're right, it is on page 11, in the Salisbury Museum II
Pilgrim's Souvenirs and Secular Badges book. They were placed in
the molds and at burn out melted and left their impression.

Magnus


Date: Thu, 03 Jun 1999 15:19:35 -0400
From: rmhowe <magnusm at ncsu.edu>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu, Merryrose <atlantia at atlantia.sca.org>
Subject: Replicating a 10th C. Bell found in Hedeby Harbour

http://www.frostheim.org/diverse/Mats_Gjutares_klockgjutning.html
I got this today from one of the archaeologists I know in Sweden.
The one that does the Viking Metalcasting Page.

Note also that the Mongols apparently are present. :)
You just can't beat the superior technology.
This ger is appropriately covered with felt sections.

Master Magnus, GDH


Date: Tue, 14 Sep 1999 08:59:04 -0400
From: Melanie Wilson <MelanieWilson at compuserve.com>
To: "INTERNET:sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu" <sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu>
Subject: Zooarchaeolgy

Somewhere in my collection of Weird-Things-Nobody-Understands-Why-I-Collect
is an English Medieval crotal bell from the early 1400s.  These were the
bells farmers hooked onto sheep and cattle and horses so that they could
more easily keep track of them.  The bell is cast bronze, about 30mm (an
inch and a quarter) across, and it contains a little lead ball which makes
a jangling noise whenever the animal (or the curious Human) moves.  The
bell still rings, after 550 years.  If I close my eyes while ringing it, I
become dislodged in time....and spend a few moments standing in a narrow
Medieval field, just off the Oxford-Bath road.  Or maybe its all in my
mind.  Who can say?   :-)

There are some good books on the drover trails, I read an article recently
re this subject

Mel


Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2001 18:27:55 -0400
From: Ron Charlotte <ronch2 at bellsouth.net>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ku.edu
Subject: Re: making jingle bells

>I need help in finding something about bell-making. With bell I mean jingle
>bells/crotals
>/pellet bells/rambler bells and what ever name it has, not church/liberty
>bells!
>Both casting and "hammering" is of interest.
>Also if someone knows where I can find some "bellhistory".
>         Gile Bluemaker In-The-Hill

Eagan, G. & Pritchard, F., et. al.; Dress Accessories: c.1150 -- c.1450, 
1991, HMSO (ISBN 0 11 290444 0); is a volume that has a substantial amount 
on bells being worn as a dress accessory.  The Pirotechnia of Vannoccio 
Biringuccio, (ISBN: 0-486-26134-4) has information on bellfounding and 
casting, primarily of large bells, but does discuss smaller ones.

         al Thaalibi -- An Crosaire, Trimaris
         Ron Charlotte -- Gainesville, FL
         ronch2 at bellsouth.net OR afn03234 at afn.org  


Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2000 13:06:12 -0500
From: rmhowe <magnusm at ncsu.edu>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: medieval bells

> Does anyone know of a source for or someone who makes medieval bells?  Thank
> you.
>
> Ingvild

Okay, I remember now. I have one book specifically on bells in
the Magnus Library. 

Problem is it only contains Avar and Irish and one Visigoth Bell
from your period. The Avars got stopped by Charlemagne. They were
basically a Mongol race. Most of their bells come from Hungary.

The Visigoth bell, of which there is only one the author could find
is from a grave in Spain. It is conical being one inch wide at the
base and two inches high including a ring at the top. There are
two rings attached to the top loop ring. No decoration.

The Avars bells were basically crotal bell shaped without the central
ring around the middle, obviously cast in one piece with a pebble
in the middle style. Some had faces on the sides, most had cross
slots in the bottom, basically round.

The source would be "A Treasury of Archaeological Bells by
Nathaniel Spears, Jr., Hastings House Publishers, N.Y., 1978.
Most of the rest of the bells in it are from antiquity.

Magnus


Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2000 13:15:35 -0500
From: rmhowe <magnusm at ncsu.edu>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: medieval bells

The book is primarily ancient bells. Few medieval ones are in it.
There are some Dark Ages or Migration types in it.

There are quite a number of Roman bells, including those hanging from
figures with phalluses suspending lamps underneath. The Roman bells
vary quite a lot as one would expect in shape and decoration.

As far as Irish bells go, there are no bells like the ones associated
with the Celtic saints (cowbell types). There are some earlier ones
mostly looking either round or pointedly oval in shape with a square
insertion point for the pebble curiously unbrazed in the sides.

You might be closer with the cowbell. Most of the ones depicted are
rather small. You can find pictures of Saint Patrick's bell in many
books on Celtic art.

I had an ancient excavated Chinese one once but it seems to have
disappeared after my mother died. I had given it to her as a gift.

Magnus

SNSpies at aol.com wrote:
> Any Roman bells in that wonderful book, Magnus?  The other suggestion I've
> had is to use Celtic/Irish bells.  I've already bought a cow bell which is
> pretty close.  Trying to explain why to the saleslady was "fun."
> 
> Ingvild

<the end>
Edited by Mark S. Harris	bells-msg	Page 11 of 11