Oldest Fittings

[Mr J Greenhough]

Are there any regularly-rung bells with drive-in gudgeons (I mean no
bolts at all)? I only know of
Chris Higgins' 3 at Abbotts Ripton, Cambs, where a few years ago the front
2 had perfectly tight drive-ins and the later Warner stock on the tenor had
alarmingly loose (to me, anyway!) strap gudgeons. I've rung on odd bells where
very old drive-ins have been surprisingly tight and unworn, and then there
are other much later gudgeons that have worn very quickly for the amount
of use they've had. One more comment: most surprising of all is when one
finds, in a ring with identical gudgeons of the same date, odd bells where
they've become heavily worn; someone with metallurgical knowledge may care
to enlighten us.