[Bell Historians] Steel bell dimensions versus bell metal

[Susan & Christopher Dalton]

> Does anyone know what the difference in size would be between a steel 
> bell and a normal bell of the same weight? Which would be larger?
> Presumeably it will be determined by the differences in density.
>
> A steel bell is quite a bit lighter than a bell metal bell of the same
> physical size. There's a chart which compares bells by various founders and
> dates in the appendices of Trevor Jennings' 'The Development of British
> Bell Fittings' - it includes Naylor Vickers steel bells. I don't have a
> copy to hand, but from memory the Bassaleg tenor, which weighed 7.25 cwt,
> was about the size of an 11 cwt bell metal bell.
>
> David
>
It is as much to do with the profile of the bell, I think, as with the
different metal. The steel bells I have looked at closely have had very
little if any swelling inside at the bottom, where you would expect a
sound-bow. Again, it is the profile rather than the metal which gives most
steel bells such awful partial tones, with wildly sharp hums. James
Harrison achieved a similar effect - very light bells for their note - with
bell metal.

C D