Church of
St.Martin Worle – 2013 Bell
Overhaul
Travel to
the church with all necessary tools
and equipment.
Dismantle
the bells and lower to
the ground with all
their fittings. Transport the
bells to
the bellfoundry
in London and the fittings
to our works.
Leaving the
listed fourth bell untuned, have the
remaining five bells carefully
attended
to
under the tuning
machine to
agree in
pitch with the fourth
bell. Transport the bells back
to our works.
Take
detailed measurements
from the inside and outside profiles
of the six bells
and from
those measurements calculate
new leading dimensions such
as
to bring the hanging radii,
wheel diameters and
clapper throws
into perfect alignment-
Cast a resin
pad true
and level onto the crowns of
the six bells to
form flat surfaces to
which new
headstocks
may be accurately mounted.
Remove the bearing assemblies from
the
headstocks for further use and dispose of
the
remaining ringing
fittings. Dismantle the bearings and
discard the existing grease seals.
Wash away all
old lubricant in
our degreasing tank. Carefully
inspect all
internal
components and advise the parish of
any problems
found, seeking
permission to proceed
with any
necessary
replacements
at additional cost. Make
new felt
seals
and fit
them to
the plummer
blocks.
Make a
new headstock for each
of the
bells, all fitted with
steel
gudgeons set in true
alignment and with
staple adjusting
screws for
setting and
maintaining even clappering.
Send the
headstocks
for hot-dip galvanizing.
Fit the headstocks to the bells, stock
down
and balance, turning
the bells to present unworn surfaces
to the
blows of the clappers.
Drill through
and fit
galvanized steel supporting bolts together with
insulation washers
for fitting
between
the crowns of the bells and the
bolt heads.
Fit the
overhauled bearing
to the
new gudgeons and charge with new
lubricant before
closing.
Make new
wheels consisting of airdried English
oak spokes, ash soles steamed to shape
and chestnut shrouds, all
secured
together with stainless steel screws.
Each of
the wheels
to be
provided with a pair
of steel angle braces.
All securing bolts
to be of galvanized
steel.
Make completely
new pulleys consisting of
cast nylon
sheaves
each running
on two ball
races all
housed in
hardwood boxes.
Make new stays and sliders
from finest quality ash
together with hardwood
runner boards
and steel slider
pins, all to suit the new headstocks.
For each of
the bells provide a completely
new clapper and crown staple consisting of
a
malleable iron
clapper fitted with a Tuftol
bush resiliently
mounted in neoprene rubber,
together with
an
independent crown staple fitted with a stainless steel hinge
pin and with
an insulation pad for
fitting between the staple and the crown
of the bell.
AII galvanized
steelwork to be etch-primed
and the
remainder primed as appropriate with
a heavy
zinc-rich primer and
all then painted with
two coats of top quality machinery
enamel.
All timber
parts of
the ringing fittings to be
treated with
a
heavy application
of exterior
grade Cuprinol wood
preservative.
Transport all
back to
the church.
Hoist the bells
into the
tower and hang true and level in the bellframe.
Assemble all the
ringing
fittings, test
each bell and adjust for even striking
and correct
set
at
handstroke
and backstroke.
Fit the existing
ropes, try
out the bells
with the local ringers and leave all
ready for use.