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Re Thornborough. Eayre & Smith rehung the bells in all new fittings in a ca=
st-iron frame. Before that they hung with the NV fittings in a 4 bell frame=
adapted for 5. They were certainly shot-blasted to remove rust & muck, the=
n painted black with "Waxoyl"; they were not tuned; and as far as I remembe=
r they retain their flange heads. So the original weight - as I say quoted =
from their original legtters and invoice - can stand, unless anyone knows b=
etter. It is a good job.
I'm pretty sure the flange tops do remain - whether the original weights ar=
e still accurate must depend to some extent on how much the bells have rust=
ed!
I remember a very cold day several years ago when the Bassaleg bells were s=
andblasted. We loaded them into the back of a lorry and they were taken to =
a local garage. After being done, they were loaded back into the lorry and =
brought back to the industrial unit where they were stored. I have some pho=
tos somewhere of them immediately after sandblasting - they are all a dull =
grey colour, and not particularly corroded - much of the original surface r=
emains. By the time they were again loaded into a lorry and taken to the mu=
seum in Sheffield where they now hang, they had regained a patina of rust -=
it was only a week or two after sandblasting and they were stored under co=
ver, but it was February and very damp. The museum did consider coating the=
m with some solution to prevent them rusting, but decided against it.
I gather that when hung for ringing they were considered quite good for ste=
el bells, but when chimed in their present location they sound absolutely f=
oul!
David ------=_NextPart_000_02B5_01C5413D.E267EF80 Content-Type: text/html;
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Re Thornborough. Eayre & Smith rehung =
the bells=20
in all new fittings in a cast-iron frame. Before that they hung with the NV=
=20
fittings in a 4 bell frame adapted for 5. They were certainly shot-blasted =
to=20
remove rust & muck, then painted black with "Waxoyl"; they were no=
t=20
tuned; and as far as I remember they retain their flange heads. So the orig=
inal=20
weight - as I say quoted from their original legtters and invoice - can sta=
nd,=20
unless anyone knows better. It is a good job.
I'm pretty sure the flange=
tops do=20
remain - whether the original weights are still accurate must depend to som=
e=20
extent on how much the bells have rusted!
I remember a very cold day=
several=20
years ago when the Bassaleg bells were sandblasted. We loaded them into the=
back=20
of a lorry and they were taken to a local garage. After being done, they we=
re=20
loaded back into the lorry and brought back to the industrial unit where th=
ey=20
were stored. I have some photos somewhere of them immediately after sandbla=
sting=20
- they are all a dull grey colour, and not particularly corroded - much of =
the=20
original surface remains. By the time they were again loaded into a lorry a=
nd=20
taken to the museum in Sheffield where they now hang, they had regained a p=
atina=20
of rust - it was only a week or two after sandblasting and they were stored=
=20
under cover, but it was February and very damp. The museum did consider coa=
ting=20
them with some solution to prevent them rusting, but decided against=20
it.
I gather that when hung fo=
r ringing=20
they were considered quite good for steel bells, but when chimed in their=20
present location they sound absolutely foul!
David
<=
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