[sdiy] Tubular Bells

[Glen]

If you want to go the uber-DIY route, build yourself a foundry. Then,  mix
up some copper and tin and pour it at the proper temperature to create some
quality bell metal.  :)  There used to be a hippie that lived near me, and
he actually had his own foundry and made bells for people, among other
things. So, I know it can be done--if you really wanted to pursue it.

Those wind chimes that you can buy at Wal-Mart and similar places, are made
from aluminum. I don't know what grade or alloy is used, but I think it is
one of the harder aluminum alloys. My mother has a couple sets, and they
sound pretty similar to the old Maas-Rowe and Deagan tubular bells that are
used inside many churches. Of course, I'm talking about the larger sets of
wind chimes--about 3 foot long. Maybe you could look at a set of these for
inspiration?

Also, as I understand it, Maas-Rowe places special weights inside some of
their tubular bells to make them more melodic. I don't think their
competition does this.

Here are a few web sites about commercial bells, where you might find a few
additional nuggets of information:

Maas-Rowe's web site:
http://www.maasrowe.com/

Schulmerich's web site:
http://www.schulmerich.com/

Deagan Chime historical and tech info:
http://www.dapperdans.com/dapperdans/deagan_organ_chimes/d_o_c_Main.htm

Modern Deagan Chimes, from a new distributor:
http://www.organsupply.com/Catalog/8/8%2016-17%20Deagan.pdf

More Modern Deagan Chime info:
http://www.organsupply.com/Catalog/8/8%2020%20Chime%20Packages%20&%20Tubes.pdf


take care,
Glen