I saw how they made cowbells in a traditional workshop, once the body was formed they sticked a little piece of brass to it and covered the whole thing on clay, then they put it on a furnace and keep it moving so the brass melts and spreads across the surface. When they broke the clay it was brassed and had a much louder and pleasant sound.
In Norway they still make bells in factories and they have an awesome sharp sound. I know they put them in liquid brass so it will be "closed" completely. That is the idea about using brass. I have an old bell, and in this I think there have been used other types of metal. Maybe copper or bronze. Brass makes a higher tone than for example copper. My uncle told me that old bells should be warmed up times to times, because a bell used in years after years makes the metal stressed and will finally crack. Thanks for a great video, I will for sure try to make my own bell one day! :)
Hello John. I'm really enjoying your videos. You not only show what you're working on-you tell what you're doing, & that helps me understand all it takes to bring about a finished piece. I'm almost 83 yrs old, a pipefitter/welder for 50+ yrs(retired), & have done a lot of different types of work, & am just getting into forging. I plan on making all kinds of things, & I'm really interested in making Damascus. I really want to thank you for the videos. I like them a lot & they really help me. You can be sure I'll be watching more of them in the future.
Your videos are so relaxing and informative. Ive always been interested in blacksmithing just do not have the means to start up. I could honestly watch your videos all day if i could but i work two full time jobs and i watch your videos when i lay down. Theyre so relaxing they help me sleep.
Today I’m going to attempt to make that angle iron feather hook you showed us. On the way home from work yesterday I stopped in and got me a 3 foot piece of 1”x1/8” angle. Which me luck.
Hi John, I come from an Ag Background, Cowboys and Farmers use Bells to thick Livestock in the Brush! and as Christmas Ornaments. It can be a grate Funn Family, Frinds and youth Church Project. And making Tools for making Bells is easy enough, All I use is a Rectangular Piece of mild Steel for an anvil. It's been a while since I made my last Bell, thanks for the reminder! My last Bell was for livestock use out of a Tin Can, not a real good choice, dull sound, it worked, poorly. I like using my anvil Vertically in my Leg Box Vice. I can square up the top and do rivets from top and sides. I Welded a piece of metal on both sides to limit its movement up, Down and Sidewise proved to be a good improvement for me. Still slips sidewise a little
One thing I really appreciate about the way you do things its more about craftsmanship than machinery The other guy would have put their metal in a brake or other tooling most people dont have Its about doing more with less that brings out the craftsmanship in people
Great Job , Looks Wise , Better after wax , of course ! But I believe that the heat made it much duller of a Sound ! I will have to check out your supplier and take the suggestions from the Family and go shopping early ! Take Care
I enjoyed this! The bell will help you find your cow either way, before or after. I've been doing a little more with sheet metal after being inspired by your work. Thanks again!
The Ring of the Bell or tone before blackening had a longer pitch to it and after blackening was kind of a dull rank but both are still nice. I like it I think it's an awesome bail.
Before was a better sound. You mentioned that was probably due to the metal being stressed. Can you re stress it (heat treat + maybe temper a little or not) that might work. Great vid as usual, thank you.
I know and an old Smith in Australia that makes cowbells he used to set it up so he could just put the in the clapper in last he would dish out the side of the bell and then he would wrap a brass raising rod around it cover it with clay and then put it in fire after it's been in fire for a while and pull out roll it around the floor and the entire outside of the Bell and the inside the valve would be coated in Brass. The bill has to be coated with brazing rod inside and out. He calls running the bell
Sorry I’m in southern Cali, would you be kind enough to elaborate on this white covering you have on your building and ground? It looks beautiful, but sounds cold.
I also think it looks better blackened, perhaps the rivets on the clapper/handle being too tight prevents the ring as that is the bit you are holding and absorbs the vibration, similar to how dinner bells had a string to hold as when you ring them your fingers dull the sound.
If the handle is hanging down through an open topped bell, and attached to the sides of the bell at about 1/4 its height(which wouldn't hurt to be taller); you'll greatly improve many sound qualities, like resonance/ harmonics and won't fade out so fast. The bottom and top edges work hardened with your other embellishments will help immensely. So good that you will need to use the scorch paste wax finish to limit the heavenly tones. That's all pretty accurate and there's more, but I'm starting to think clunk clunk clunk is just fine now. Thanks John!
Good job! I like your handle and the way your clapper is mounted. I make oxen bells and finish them with brass and clay. It makes them sound crisp and clear not like a tin can. If a bell is done right on a cold frosty morning you can hear a good bell 2 miles down the road.
Is it the brass that really makes the difference? or is it just that the brass helps fuse all of the pieces so they vibrate together? Have you done any on video? I would love to see your process.
@@BlackBearForge yes it is the brass makes a huge difference. I don't have any videos, but I can send you the old recipe that dates back before ww2. And if you watch the video on RU-vid called don't knock the ox there is a short section showing one of the old bell makers
I will look up that video and would love to see the old recipe. If you can email it switz@mindspring.com Does the clay need to dry for a number of days before bringing it up to heat?
The clay is dried very well and then crushed and sifted into a powder, then it can be stored till used. It is then mixed with water till it is like bread dough. Then the brass and bell is placed in in the clay that is rolled out and placed in the coal forge. Yes I will send you a copy of the recipe for making bells once it get home. I am away on work till the end of the month.
I do think the ring was better before heating. And I knew that was Frost on the anvil. As for the ring, I think if you riveted the sides together or some other way made it more solid it would ring more clearly. Solid steel rings better than lose steel I've found.
Around here the finished bell would be wrapped in clay and a slug of brass in placed inside the bell. Throw it into the forge for a while, take it out let it cool and break the clay off. The bell is now brass plated and has a very distinctive sound that can be heard for a long way off.
@@BlackBearForge I had to consult with a local blacksmith from the south shore but I believe you let the clay dry first. You coat the bell in flux, wrap it in paper and encase it in clay. Leave a hole in the clay to pour in brass filings. Put it in the forge with the hole pointing up. I'm not sure for how long. John told me that when you take it out of the forge you roll it around the floor till it cools down. I suppose this would be to ensure an even coating of brass. This type of bell was generally used on Oxen and the brass gives it a distinctive sound.
Was thinking that the shovel form in your swage block would be great for creating each half of a cowbell. After blackening and waxing, it did dull the tone. You could consider a chemical blackening process to preserve the steel quality from before heating, but get your blackened look. Nice gift project for blacksmiths!!
Sounded a bit better at first. Maybe quench a bit hotter in cold water. Might try upsetting the end of the clapper or forging/welding a ball or ball bearing on the end. ? Another great video John!
Nice work John. I like the horse shoe shaped handle. I would have put a small ball or loop on the end of the clapper. It might improve the sound. Take care my friend..
This may sound a bit ding-dong, but that was a very moo-ing project. I found it udder-ly moo-ving. I like that it was pre-cut this would save wear and tear on my hands. In which will save me money on Bag Balm. I can't wait to make one. Can't wait to hear my ding-o-ling. I agree sounded better before heat, but looks better after. WARNING: KEEP BELLS AWAY FROM WIFE.
Hello John, I have a few cow bells in my garage mainly Swiss and German. They ring really well. The top of the bell has a parallel split which is pulled up to form the handle. I wonder if the mass of your handle is filling the ring of the bell . Interestingly I wonder if some bells are lower tone on purpose the same as marine rescue whistles . Thanks for all the fantastic videos.
John great video as always it sounded better before, also I’ve seen John Bennett artist blacksmith RU-vid channel he did a sleigh bell demonstration and it didn’t have a good ring to it at all but he put it in the forge and brought it up to a cherry color I believe and quenched it in water which stresses it or I guess hardens it to an extent and then it rang like a bell should I think that you should try it and figure out a different way to finish it
I’ll stick one on my cow. I’ll need to make a collar. Really give her the irits and make her unpopular with the other girls. :) I wonder how the ring would be if you quenched it? My wife has some authentic Swiss cow bells from the old country. (We are in Australia] Some are beautiful brass castings other are hammered out of lumps of tin. I like the character of the tin ones but the brass ones sound nice. Mustn’t forget the original reason was so you could find the cows in low visibility, so loud was probably best.
Get some .10" brass and copy the bell pattern before you use the other three. Brass will work harden, but is easily annealed. Patina the brass after final assy. 🔔
John, when I went through medal bending class in the Navy AMS school, they taught to never scribe a line where you are going to bend but to use a pencil because it might cause it to brake. Now we are talking about aluminum metal and planes flying at mock 1. Any thoughts?
I think it definitely sounded better before heating in the forge. Just wondering if you could pre blacken it while it is still flat? Wondering if that would change the sound. Also wondering if you could attach the clapper and handle before folding the 2 sides together? Try to do the fiddly bits when it's easier to get tools in the right places. Also, how would you go about making a working cow bell, not meant to be an ornament? The finished bell does look really good with it blackened and waxed 😊
Once all of the larger production work is completed i will move the larger forge and put the little one to work. But I have been needing the big forge on a daily basis for the past few months.
I’ll stick one on the lady or the cow. I’ll need to make a collar. Really give her the irits and make her unpopular with the other girls. :) I wonder how the ring would be if you quenched it? My wife has some authentic Swiss cow bells from the old country. (We are in Australia] Some are beautiful brass castings other are hammered out of lumps of tin. I like the character of the tin ones but the brass ones sound nice. Mustn’t forget the original reason was so you could find the women or the cows in low visibility, so loud was probably best.
I found a set of plans for them in my dad’s blacksmithing journal with a foot note “ student gave me a set and had to make some for the christmas tree”. They are small
