Bell making

Discussion in 'General foundry chat' started by Zapins, Aug 11, 2019.

  1. Zapins

    Zapins Gold

    I'm interested in making a bell. Around 13 inches across the opening. I remember bell casting used to be all the rage on alloyavenue but the thread's pictures are broken thanks to photobucket so it doesn't make much sense.

    Does anyone have a good link for how to make the shape of the bell correctly? Dimensions etc? Any advice on bell making? I'll be doing it with lost wax method. I assume silicone bronze will be fine for bell metal.
     
  2. Jason

    Jason Gold

  3. joe yard

    joe yard Silver

    I have a 14" cast iron bell that I could take measurement off of if it would help.
    Joe
     

    Attached Files:

  4. Jason

    Jason Gold

    Zap are you planning on turning this bell on the lathe after casting or leaving it rough?
     
  5. Zapins

    Zapins Gold

    I'm unsure. Does it need to be turned or can the bell be cast and kept like that? I was thinking of decorating the outside a lot so maybe not turned. Or maybe turned inside to tune it?
     
  6. Jason

    Jason Gold

    You dont have to turn/tune it if ya like the sound. I think decorated on the ouside would be cool. Like a revisit on your jewelry box. Pick a theme. Nautical perhaps? Anchors, squid, fish, shells ,plam trees... Stirring the neurons yet? :D
     
  7. Zapins

    Zapins Gold

    Yeah I like that.

    Maybe I'll make two. Would be cool. I wonder if there's a cardboard cutout profile of a bell? I could cut it into metal and then use it to make the inner and outer shape of the bell. Just need to find a bell design/profile.
     
  8. Mach

    Mach Silver

  9. Jason

    Jason Gold

    And all that fancy tuning stuff goes right out the window when Zap puts decorative crap on the outside. :p
     
  10. Melterskelter

    Melterskelter Gold Banner Member

    Looking at a lot of vintage bells you can see that they were not turned at all.

    Carved outside would be awesome.

    Denis
     
  11. Zapins

    Zapins Gold

    I wonder if I could enlarge that bell profile and print it out then cut it onto a piece of metal and use that to help me get the exact shape of the bell correct? I don't know how precise the shape needs to be to sound right.

    I like that 3d thingiverse pattern. I'll see if I can take a screen shot of it and scale it up for a print out. That might be the way to go.
     
  12. Mach

    Mach Silver

  13. Mach

    Mach Silver

    Have a look at 2 minutes in on this one:


     
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  14. Zapins

    Zapins Gold

    Thanks mach, that's what I had in mind for making the bell. That swivel device. I had planned to make it out of wax like that using the profile.

    Where'd you get the profile png from by the way? That's exactly what I was after.
     
  15. Mach

    Mach Silver

    Digitally traced the profile that I posted from AA above. Its the same profile that I used to revolve to make the 3D image (STL).
     
  16. Zapins

    Zapins Gold

    Mach if I mirror image the pattern above and touch the top of the pattern to the other half is that the correct shape? Or is there supposed to be a space between the two halves?

    I'm going to print out the pattern and cut a piece of sheet steel into that and then weld the steel onto a rod so I can revolve the pattern and use it to cut/scrape the shape of the pattern into wax. So to correctly maintain the dimensions I need to cut a little piece out of the top & center of the pattern to account for the thickness of the rod that will be welded between the two right?
     
  17. Mach

    Mach Silver

    Mirror it with the tops touching will match the original profile. Yes if you want the exact same size. Not sure it'll matter much though - the bell will just be a little fatter.
     
  18. Jason

    Jason Gold

    Nothing wrong with a little fatter bellend.;) That will fall flat on most of us yanks. Allow me to educate some of you. https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Bellend
     
  19. Peedee

    Peedee Silver

    LOL, a yank edumacating yanks in British slang ;)
     
    Jason likes this.
  20. HT1

    HT1 Gold Banner Member

    http://everyspec.com/DoD/DoD-SPECS/DOD-B-24673_23252/

    Above is the DOD spec for all Military bells , all the info you need to make bells, and the hardware, and way to much information on how they should be boxed for shipping, but very through. and of course bells made by this instruction will meet all coast guard requirements


    V/r HT1
     

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