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Short video about the parts of a handbell

How Bells are Made

Handbells are cast of pure bronze in the approximate proportions of 80% copper and 20% tin. The metal is heated to 2,150° F. The molten metal is poured into sand molds.

After the bronze has hardened, the sand is broken away. The excess metal is cut off, leaving just the raw casing which is roto-blasted to remove burnt-in molding sand and scale. It is then sent to the lathe department for turning and tuning.

First, the raw casting is turned on the outside to a precisely predetermined profile or shape. To insure that the exact proper profile is maintained, the cutting tool is controlled by a stylus following a template.

Next, turning the bell on the inside where the tuning takes place. Tuning a handbell requires knowledge, skill, and experience. The ability to guide the cutting tool to bring the partials of the bell into exact alignment and pitch is the mark of a true bell-craftsman. After each cut, the lathe is stopped, the bell is struck, and the vibrations are read on a tuning scope, permitting reading the partials to an accuracy of 1/100th of a semitone. Allowance is made for polishing and final tuning. The bell next goes to the polishing department where it is machine polished.

The other parts of the handbell, the handle, hand-guard, clapper, and yoke mechanism are assembled to produce a complete handbell.

The assembled handbell goes through an indexing procedure to determine that point on the casting, which produces the best tonal response. The bell is scribed at that point and the casting is secured in that position.