[Bell Historians] Gudgeons

[David Bryant]

"In some (not all!) cases yes. I have recently had a whitechapel headstock
re-bored and fitted with new gudgeons (shrunk in using liquid nitrogen) and
all
seems to be well. I gather WBF do this for all their larger new headstock
castings now. It cost about £380 compared to a £800 new stock."

If I remember correctly, the tenor headstock at Exeter (Whitechapel early
1990s, the second-largest ringing headstock in existence) has cast-in
gudgeons. The Taylor 1902 headstocks of the other back bells ahd bolted
gudgeons, presumably replaced in situ when these bells were rehung on ball
bearings (in th 1970s I think). Taylor's almost always riveted their
gudgeons until recently, although within the last three or four years they
have started bolting them into a Morse taper when fitted to new headstocks.

David