[Bell Historians] Re: Levels of Bell Production

[Bickerton, Roderic (SELEX GALILEO, UK)]

 This view surprises me. (see below)
A transferred bell is intrinsically more valuable than its weight as
scrap.
This is often realised to he advantage of the donor.
Secondly the chance of gaining permission to remove a surplus bell is
considerably enhanced it if there is a use it can be put to preferably
within the diocese, to the very considerable advantage of the donor.

Current practice seems to have put an end to the increasing popularity
of replacing a heavy ring which were no longer usable with a tiny ring,
largely financed from scrapping the old bells, or am I wrong?
Let me be clear, I am not talking about remodelling where the tower is
not suited to its bells.

I am against preserving poor bells, in a ring. All to many recent jobs
have bells in the ring which seriously spoil the overall result. In
particular A number of simply dreadful tenors have been kept.
  

"Your research ...."
"Do you think it useful to consider the number of bells now being welded
instead
of recast as this technology represents a permanent loss to our 2
Bellfounders ?
Not sure of the year after which this may have been a factor.
 
In the case of Caversham (Reading) the 8 bells went to Taylors in 1973
and 3
were found to be cracked. Today they might well have been welded but the
ring
was remodeled with recast bells at reduced weight.
 
What do we think is the effect of the second hand market for bells.
On one hand the recipient tower spends less than on a new bell but may
create a ring of 6 from a 4 or 5. The donor tower however has no metal
for a recast
so has to finance a new bell which is also the case where unuseable
bells have to
bell preserved hung dead.
 
David"
 
 
SELEX Sensors and Airborne Systems Limited
Registered Office: Sigma House, Christopher Martin Road, Basildon, Essex SS14 3EL
A company registered in England & Wales.  Company no. 02426132
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