Clapper failure information request

[davidhird_uk]

--- In bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com, "billy_clarke03" 
<billy_clarke03 at ...> wrote:
>
> Having read an article in the RW Feb 24th 2006, page 171 (Worcester 
> Cathedral Tenor Clapper, A Treatise by Bob Smith) I'm intrigued by 
> the failure figure of 1.5% quoted therein.  I suspect that if 
> specific data were available on the service life of clappers in 
> bells weighing over 30 cwt, the figure might somehow be different. 

Yes I think it was an interesting use of statistics. I am sure the 
failure rate of big bells is miles higher than that. Everyone knows 
that. The failure rate of smaller bell clappers is largely irrelevant 
as they hardly ever break. I know a few years ago when all the 
experimentation was going on, our tenor at Newcastle got through some 
clappers in a very short time. Similarly Grantham did the same etc 
etc. I remember at Newcastle one night when the ball came loose on the 
shank but didnt break or fall off. The thing sounded like a bag of 
coins being dropped on a metal surface.

David