Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-08-05
ART OF BELL MAKING.
How the Metal is Poured Into the Mol
That Turns Out the Cast.


penter,s hall. Philadelphia. 1t was a
small bell, as bells go NOWADAYS. weigh
ing nut 1900 pounds. on account of the
many trips made by it over the United
states for purposes inspiring patriotism
| it is so well known that a description OF
| il would be SnperfiuouS.
| Ever since the beginning of civilization
man has expressed his great emotions bv
| the ringing Of bells. Bells mark the prog
ress of great events. and we are called Ia
worship by pealing chimes and to "A pro
sale dinner Of herbs, perhaps. by the
small brass affair used in the household
In the early days of America, when the
Jesuits instituted a mission among the
Indians, bell was almost Of as much
| Importance as the priest. The unconyert-
| ed Indian believed the bell to be the
| voice OF the white mans God.
| The early casting of bells was attended
with impressive church ceremonials, ana
| ii is stated that on the occasion of the
making of several of the noted bells o.
| history ladies stripped themselves Of
their Jewelry ana courtierS of their deco
/ raj ions 10 cast them into the melting Dot
Today the making OF. n bell Is an exact
science. Louis b. Fulton of Pittsburg. is
| considered one of The foremost bell de-
| signers in the United States and the
| bells cast in the foundry on Penn av-
enue where he is employed, are sent to
every part of the world. Nearly all the
| coast lighthouses have been provided
| with storm bells by this firm. ana they
| sim have number Of government bells
| to make, to ill a last years contract.
| The bell founder knowing one dmen-
| sion OF a bell can figure out the others
and the weight. \ record is kept of very
| bell east in the foundry. and il Is possible
! after a lapse of years for Il church thai
| has been supplied with one bell To add
| peal of bells To the original one that will
| sound in perfect harmony.
The exact part of bell making Is done
/ in the designers room. The rule used for
| the dimensions of a bell is that the thick
ness of the edge is one fifteenth Of it,
| diameter; its height is Y times its thick
| ness. 1t must be constructed OF Just the
! right thickness in its various parts. 50
| that when tapped one-quarrter the dis
| tance from the top ii will give out note
| which is the fifth Of an octave. When
| tapped five -eighths Of the distance from
! the top ii will produce a tone equal 70
| one-third OF an octave. When the clap
per strikes all three notes simultaneously
| the consonant or key note OF the bell is
| produced.
With these rules for guidance the di-
mansions of the bell are obtained. 40
! ditiOnal care is exercised Ia get the ton,
pure. and a perfect set of tuning forks i
| brought into requisitiun. The forks are
| compared with a set OF organ reeds ana
| it is almost an impossibility 10 turn out
! 4 bell that Will be deficient in perfect
| tone.
The proportion Of metal 10 the size ~
| the bell must be- carefully calculated
| Copper and tin in alloy are used for larEy
| bells. hut nearly every manufacturer has
| a special alloy of his own. About foui
parts copper TO one part tin Is general.
| where the common mixture Is used. At
er the design Of the bell IS finished tn
! blue print is sent to the pattern maker.
where a wood pattern is constructed.
| The pattern maker goes over the due
| print measurements and then cuts out ~
| a plank two long strips OF wood. One al
| these is the contour Of the inside Of The
| projected bell ana the other is the outsih
| contour. These contours must be as cN
act as il is possible for a mechanic :"
4 basin is made for the mold out d
! fire brick and clay IL is placed on the
earth bottom of the foundry. In the cen
ter stout post is planted. So il VIII
stand plumb. This post IS just the height
OF the proposed bell The two contour
pieces are pivoted to this post and swing
| around like the leg of n compass.
| In the center of the basin and around
the post a little furnace of brick is
built so that it almost reaches the sweep
then pieced out with fire clay until it ex
actly conforms to the sweep of the con
| tour leg. After having been smoothea
the little furnace, which is the exact size
! of the inside of the bell. is allowed 10
harden. This is the core used IN casting
a bell.
clay is built on until ii reaches and is
| swept smooth by the upper leg OF tn
contour. The clay covering is then ex
actly- the size of the projected bell De
| in reverse. on the sham bell. ana
plugged with wax. When the sham bell
| becomes dry it is smeared over WIN
| grease and another layer Of clay, called
the mantle" or cope" This Is packed
on roughly and a hole left in the top
| through which the molten metal Is
| poured 1t is allowed TO dry ior a lew
days and then a fire is lighted in the IN
| terror furnace.
The wax in the inscriptions and the
grease pass off in vapor. The mantle 81
mold for the outer part is lifted off ana
! the inside of the bell mold is disclosed
The next layer of clay. or the sham
hell is then removed, and the mantle re
placed. The space left between makes
| the bell mold. ..
| the escape of gases during the pouring
Of the bell. The melter is then openen
| and the metal is placed in the cruclpie
! the bottom being first covered with i
layer of charcoal When the meta
| flame Small pieces of broken bells are
| thrown in the crucible TO cool the meta
| and are absorbed by it. The crucible Is
| then swung by the crane over the Top o.
| the mold.
The work of weeks is now hanging in
! the balance. AS the metal is being
poured a workman ignites the gas Z. tnai
cause blowholes in the bell. The mold IS
then left for several days to cool and
shrink If broken open at once 1t would
cool the outer shell too quick and crack
| the cast.
When the mantle" is broken off the
| bell-is tested The bell is now called
maiden" If it gives out a single pure
tone it is a perfect cast. The manufac
turer producing the greater number OF
| maiden bells is considered the most
successful. If the tone of the bell Is noi
| pure it can sometimes be turned or nieu
| but can never be made equal in tone 10
| maiden.
The largest bell cast is said to have
! been that made by the order of the En-
| press Anne. at Moscow. Russia, in 1ISS
| il measured % feet inches across the
mouth The Russian ladies in attendance
| at court threw their gold and silver or
naments into the furnace when the pei
| vas being cast The height OF this bell
| is given as 10 feet 3 inches. and its thick
| ness. where the clapper strikes. at -
| inches. 1t weighs 10000 pounds. and
there are contrary opinions as to whether
| it has ever been hung.N
| The largest bell in America Is in Mon
treaI Canada and weighs $4,000 pounds.
| Bells are made for all kinds OF pur-
| poses, and the industry is very extensive
| They are made in size from the smallest
| sleigh bell to the largest cathedral bel!
and range in cost from one cent TO Sloo,-
At