Sacred Places Fall 2009 | Page 18

BUILDING BRIEF BELL MAINTENANCE: OUT OF SIGHT SHOULDN’T MEAN OUT OF MIND Since the establishment of religious freedom in America, thousands of congregations have used bells to call congregants to worship, to mark the passing hours, or to call attention to celebrations. Even today the ringing of church bells is a familiar sound in many neighborhoods. Most American bell foundries, where new bells are cast, were established in the early 1900s, and very few still exist as the demand for bells has greatly declined. The need for bell maintenance and repair, however, has significantly increased. Many bells are reaching a point in their life where maintenance, or in some cases major repairs, is essential for the bell to remain functional. Regular care will often keep a bell ringing for up to 70 years before any repairs are needed. Unfortunately, bells are located high in towers and are generally difficult to access; maintenance is often out of mind since the bell is out of sight. Many congregations do not realize their bell is in need of assistance until there is a crisis. Only when the bell ceases to function does a congregation think to check its condition and that of its components. Often times it is not the bell itself but the hardware associated with it that has deteriorated. A cracked yoke, rusted clapper pin, or rusted bolts that hold the bell to the yoke impair ringing and pose serious safety hazards. Rusty bolts are usually the greatest hazard because the untrained eye does not easily see this condition. Should this problem go unnoticed and unresolved the bell could swing off its yoke while ringing, causing structural damage to the bell tower and injury to anyone nearby. A diagram identifying the key parts of a bell and its stand. Courtesy of Verdin Bells. Bells and bell towers in this unsafe state cost more and take longer to fix than a minor problem WHAT TO LOOK FOR DURING ROUTINE BELL MAINTENANCE • Both the bell tower and bell hardware should be checked for water damage and wood rot. • Openings in steeples should be screened to prevent bats and pigeons from living inside the structure. These animals and their droppings are harmful to the bell, its hardware, and the health of the congregation. • All nuts and bolts should be checked for tightness and rusting. • The bell wheel and drive chain should be checked for smooth movement. Any ropes meant for ringing should be checked for rot and fraying. • Bell clappers and the strike point of the bell should be checked annually for the bell’s proper ring tone to stay constant. • Bell