Bell



Background

Since prehistoric times bells have been used to herald significant events. Bells call the faithful to worship and toll the time. The sound of a bell can express great joy, sound a warning, or signal mourning. Bells have also been rung to bring on or stop the rain, keep evil spirits at bay, invoke curses, and lift spells.

Bells hold an honored place in religious ceremonies. In both Buddhism and Christianity, bells are blessed before each ceremony. In Roman Catholicism, bells are symbols of paradise and the voice of God. The Russian Orthodox and the Chinese employ bells to speak to spirits or God.

Bells are also revered as patriotic symbols, and it was not unusual for invading conquerors to capture and silence the town bell. In the U.S., the great symbol of the American republic is the Liberty Bell.

The Chou Dynasty, which reigned in China from 1122 to 221 B.C. , was particularly known for its superior bell founding. European bell founding occurred much later and originated in medieval monasteries. The first European bells resembled cow bells: iron plates that had been hammered square and then riveted together. By the 15th century, founders began to experiment with bell shape and tone. Secular bellmakers gained prestige in the Renaissance with the flourishing of Gothic architecture which featured grand bell towers.

In the 17th century, Belgium and the Netherlands emerged as the leaders in bell founding. Dutch brothers Francois and Pierre Hemony are generally credited with developing the bell into a sophisticated musical instrument. The Hemonys worked with a blind musician named Jacob Van Eyck on a tuning system for the five separate and distinct tones contained in each bell's ring. After the deaths of Francois and Pierre and that of their star pupil, Caes Noorder, in the 18th century, the art suffered a decline. It was not until the 20th century that tuning techniques once again gained excellence.

Bell shapes vary by country and culture. The sides can be straight, convex, concave, or hemispherical. East Asian bells tend to be barrel-shaped while Western bells are tulip-shaped with a bulge near the rim. Chinese bells often have lotus-shaped rims. Bells of Western cultures are generally struck by an interior metal striker as the bell swings back and forth. Asian bells are non-swinging and are usually struck manually on the outside with a wooden mallet.

Raw Materials

While decorative bells can be made of such materials as horn, wood, glass, and clay, bells that are designed to ring or to play music are cast in a bronze alloy of approximately 77% copper and 23% tin. This combination produces a tough, long-lasting material that resists rusting. Bell founders must be careful not to mix in more than 25% tin or the bell will be brittle and susceptible to cracking. It is not unusual for old bells to be melted down and the metal re-used to cast new bells.

The Manufacturing
Process

The craft of casting bells has remained essentially the same since the 12th century.

Bell
The one singular innovation was the invention of the tuning machine in the 19th century. Prior to that time, the proper tone was achieved by chipping the sides of the bell with a hammer and chisel. This procedure carried a high risk of damaging the bell. The tuning machine, which is essentially a vertical lathe, has reduced that risk. Electronic tuning machines have increased the bell founder's ability to test the accuracy of the bell's tone. All in all, however, creating a bell is still very much a hands-on process.

Calculating the bell design

Making the bell pattern or template

Constructing the mold

Casting the bell

Tuning the bell

Fitting the clapper into the bell

Quality Control

Great care is taken to calculate the precise weight and size of the bell before it is cast. If the finished bell does not meet specifications, it is completely melted down and recast. Should a bell crack at a future date, it might be welded and patched, but that is rare. The bell is more likely to be retired, as in the case of the Liberty Bell, or it is melted down and recast.

Where To Learn More

Book

Yolen, Jane. Ring Out! A Book of Bells. The Seabury Press, 1974.

Brochure

Royal Eijsbouts. Schulmerch Carillons, Inc., Carillon Hill, Sellersville, PA 18960, (215)257-2771.

Mary F. McNulty

Also read article about Bell from Wikipedia

User Contributions:

1
Alfred Ganz
Which is it? 2012F or 620C, or neither? F and C are the same at -40, not both of the
following can be true:
Ingots of bronze are melted in oil burners and heated to a temperature of approximately 1150°F (1100°C).
2
Alfred Ganz
The section on another copper alloy would indicate that something like 2010F (1100C)
is correct.
P.S. Why doesn't your mailer like the name of that other copper alloy?

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