[Bell Historians] Canon removal and faculties

[Richard Offen]

--- In bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com, "David Bryant" 
<davidbryant at h...> wrote:
>
> The fabricated steel hoop type canon retainers now produced by WBF 
and several other firms, seem to be the best so far for mixing 
with standard stocks. These are made bespoke to suit each individual 
bell - where as cast iron canon retainers are generally "Lets see 
which standard size fits best".
> 
> [I have to confess that I have a dislike of all steel headstocks, 
apart from on very small bells. They are far more prone to corrosion 
than cast iron ones, and if corrosion reaches a critical level there 
is the potential for the headstocks to break. I don't suppose they 
have been in general use for long enough yet for this problem to have 
surfaced to any extent, but I can well imagine that in 100 or so 
years' time, after having been neglected for decades (as so often 
happens) the stocks will be beyond reuse. Cast iron stocks, on the 
other hand, are likely to be fine - as is proven by those now over 
100 years old and still in excellent condition.]


Certainly the WBF steel headstocks, and probably those by other 
manufacturers as well, are all galvanized as standard, which 
completely alleviates the problems of corrosion.

I certainly agree with you about G & J canon retaining stocks - the 
fourth at Great Ness, Shropshire (G & J 1933 'pot' stock) is the 
hardest bell I know to get up right side!

R