[Bell Historians] Saffron Walden

[David Cawley]

Arising from what Jim said:

In 1994 we replaced the 60-year old fabricated steel headstock off Great 
George of Bristol; it now has a Taylor hollow box-section cast-iron 
horseshoe pattern one.
Not surprisingly the old headstock was not galvanised and the condition of 
its interior had to be seen to be believed. There was a great deal of water 
in it, which was a sort of green/brown colour - and as the bell could not be 
left up it is curious how the copper deposit got there.
Further, new bell bolts had been inserted some years before. These were 
nickel plated but much of the coating had come away and they were already 
corroding.
Here the bell is hung in an open lantern and the humidity comes in the forms 
of rainfall and evaporation and I'm told the new stock and bolts have thus 
far behaved very satisfactorily.
Hollow box section cast iron stocks have now been generally around since the 
1890's and except on very small bells they cannot be bettered.
I suppose tubular steel is cheaper and easier to work. The ones I've seen 
don't even have the merit of looking nicer.

DLC



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim Phillips" <jim.phillipse9ox at y6BYK4N4dv0lFufrZ1IiekC6WAx7u1_ZEgrKBy0fpEgnGEYmGsVnw84bf_Wkois1l_2h9htOsr4yVMQsSO3RkjzCRpXO.yahoo.invalid>
To: "Bell Historians" <bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, April 01, 2006 11:33 PM
Subject: [Bell Historians] Saffron Walden


>
> Richard Offen wrote:-
> "Every example I have seen has been galvanized inside and
> out, so  they'll probably last as long as most cast-iron
> stocks"
>
> You have never climbed inside a tubular steel headstock
> Richard so how can you guarantee that every bit of surface
> inside the stock has been galvanised.  In any event
> moisture condensing on the surface of the bell when
> humidity is high will then run off onto and through the
> tubular steel stock.  This water will contain copper in
> solution from the bell and this solution will strip the
> galvanising off the stock.
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
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