[Bell Historians] Lock Nuts

[David Bryant]

>On a similar point, what do the leather washers do between the clapper and 
>bells?

The stop vibration being transmitted between bell and clapper, which could 
cause mechanical problems.

>are they always necessary and are they always supposed to be there.

Yes and yes.

> I know I have seen them on quite a few rings of bells, and more recently 
>I have replaced a few which had disintegrated on Kingdown in Bristol, but I 
>noticed a while back that certainly the back bells at Redcliffe do not 
>appear to have any leather washers, or similar between the clapper and 
>bell, but rather bits of them along with bits of split pins littered about 
>on the floor under the bells. (along with a few dents!)

If they have disintegrated they should be replaced. They can be obtained 
from any bell founder/hanger, or can be made from a thick piece of leather.

David