[Bell Historians]

[Richard Offen]

> If the beam is bolted to the wall at each end
> using modern fixings then the resistances to the
> push at one end and the pull at the other are
> much more equal.  The force is shared by both
> walls at once rather than one at a time.
> 
> Frank H. King
> The University Bellringer
> Cambridge, U.K.
>

The entire bell frame foundation at Christ Church, Claremont, here in Western Australia, is (very successfully) attached to the tower by means of epoxy bolt fixings.

However, care has to be taken in the installation of such bolts.   The frame foundation at St George's Cathedral, Perth is also bolted to the tower's concrete ring-beam by a similar method (carried out by a local contractor at the time of installation in 1975).   It was discovered during the refurbishment of the bells two years ago that several of the bolts had not properly adhered to the concrete and were having no effect whatsoever.   Additional fixing brackets have had to be designed to overcome this problem.   Unfortunately, these have yet to be fitted as we are awaiting a decision on whether a spire is to be added to the tower (stupid idea if you ask me!), in which case the enire installation will have to be removed whilst the tower is remodelled.

Richard