[Bell Historians] Steel bell dimensions versus bell metal

[Alan J.Birney]

--- In bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com, "Nick Bowden" 
<nickwbowden at f...> wrote:
> From: David Cawley
> I see we have an alternative now for Belmont, source not quoted, 
10.3.3,
> which narrows the gap a little.
> 
> 
> I believe 10.3.3 was the weight quoted in Dove (when chimes 
appeared) but as
> we've seen with Alphington this may not have been correct.
> Nick

Indeed it is from an early Dove, Nick.
Unless Belmont have been rehung quite recently, I suspect both 
weights for the Tenor may be wrong as Belmont are very heavily 
corroded and if I am not mistaken, at least one bell has a hole in it.
I am surprised that no one actually bothers (for novelty value) to 
have them on tower tours.
It is possible for six ringers to chime them to changes as the ropes 
hang down in two rows of three.
Up in the bellchamber, there are two beams set at an angle and three 
bells are hung from each (the bells hang at an angle).
The chiming rope goes to the clapper.
You pull the rope which lifts the clapper then let the rope go which 
drops the clapper onto the bell- a clapper spring is fitted to lift 
clapper off the bell after it has struck.
The clock is fitted with a hammer to strike the hours on the Tenor, 
but has never been in use anytime I have been up.
I did lift the hammer out of the way a long time ago as the hammer 
was resting on the bell.
The chiming machine was not in existance in the 1980s as far as I 
am aware.
I can go and record the bells and take physical measurements if 
anyone wants them.

Alan