Wooden Bells?

[Moshe Eshel]

Hi,

I had this idea a while ago, and kinda let it float in my head. Just now I saw this thread
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=124849

And rather than hijacking, I thought I'd open my own discussion.

I'd like to make a set of wooden bells, should be bunched together like wood chimes, but with bell shape instead where each bell has it's own clapper - I think it's called, also a larger distance between the bells (compared to chimes) I want each to ring on it's own.

Any suggestions as to wood combinations (bell and clapper) how to attach them together (the single bell parts and the bells to each other) - any recommended shapes to achieve special/interesting/pleasing sounds.

In short any reference at all to the subject of creating wooden bells.

Thank you very much
Moshe

[Curt Fuller]

Moshe, I've turned quite a few bells and done a lot of experimenting with clappers. The thing I've found is that you just don't get much sound from a wooden clapper in a wooden bell. Thin or thick walled they just don't make much more than a 'clunk'. I've put little brass jingle bells in them on a piece of monofilament fishing line, on wire, on thread, small chain, all attached to a small hook in the tip inside of the bell. But even those just have a muffled ring. So the ones I turn now only have a "ring" to them if someone asks for it. As for attaching them in a group, that sounds like a good idea. I think they would look good on a stringer, sort of like chili peppers drying.
Good Luck!

[Moshe Eshel]

Hi Curt,

What would you guess the effect of making the clapper from brass and embedding some metal in the bell - would that might improve sound quality? or that wooden bells were never meant to work, and I'm better off making these form metal of some sort?

All the best.
Moshe Eshel


Moshe, I've turned quite a few bells and done a lot of experimenting with clappers. The thing I've found is that you just don't get much sound from a wooden clapper in a wooden bell. Thin or thick walled they just don't make much more than a 'clunk'. I've put little brass jingle bells in them on a piece of monofilament fishing line, on wire, on thread, small chain, all attached to a small hook in the tip inside of the bell. But even those just have a muffled ring. So the ones I turn now only have a "ring" to them if someone asks for it. As for attaching them in a group, that sounds like a good idea. I think they would look good on a stringer, sort of like chili peppers drying.
Good Luck!

[Bernie Weishapl]

Embedded metal would still be muffled and probably not sound well. Like Curt said just a clunk. I to quit putting clackers in my bells unless they are asked for. If they do it is one of the little brass or silver metal jingle bells like Curt with fishing line. I have made probably about 50 or more bells and haven't found a answer yet.

[Jim Underwood]

You want a nice sound? Turn 'em from Aluminum or Brass... :D

[Richard Madison]

Conceal a microchip and speaker inside that makes a nice bell sound when shaken. Something similar to those "talking/singing" greeting cards. Have no idea where you could get such devices, but bet they are out there somewhere.

[Moshe Eshel]

Thanks for all the input, tried out making the first bell with a wooden clapper. It just clunks like you wrote.
Hearing the clunk I decided, I don't need them to ring at all, I'll leave ringing to the metal bells - mine can clunk - and let the listener imagine ringing or whatever he wants - I figure that enough distinct clunks can still arouse some interest in a discerning listener - sort of like a Zen exercise - varying the size and wood type of the bells in the display and adding a little movement to the mix (say, by pointing a fan to generate some wind) will create clunk galore...

Here is the first trial bell, made of, I think, "Pistacia lentiscus", might be something else though - a friend brought over a nice sized branch. This tree mostly grows as a shrub in our area but sometimes can produce a nice sized branch or trunk - very slow growing, but a hardwood, and hard too - I love the mallets that I turned out of it.

[Jim Underwood]

Here's an idea I had when you asked this question....

Why not fasten a real bell inside one of these? All it has to do is be enough smaller not to be fouled by the edges of the wood....