A dedicated bell room and temperature issues

[nattwell]

Hi all,

The good news is that my bell choir has acquired a room in our church, recently vacated by an outside renter, that will be dedicated for us. We're putting some sweat equity into it, cleaning, painting, etc. Lots of room, lots of natural light, lots of storage, it's within the alarmed area of the church so security is good (much better than where our bells are kept now, in a storage room that everyone, including outside renters, has access to).

A dedicated space means we can leave tables/foam/risers in place and not have to set up and strike every week. The bad news is that the room is upstairs, but the balance of having a permanent set up and only having to carry bells and foam downstairs once a month when we play will be worth it. (We're going to buy an extra set of tables to leave in the sanctuary so we don't have to carry tables up and down.)

The questionable news is the temperature in the room. It has its own furnace, and we will consider putting in a window air conditioner. However, we certainly can't leave either running during the week when the room is vacant. It will be cold in the winter and very warm in the summer. Are there any inherent dangers with bells and chimes being kept in temperatures that while not extreme, will definitely be below and above comfortable? Any thoughts appreciated.

Nikki Attwell
West Kelowna, BC

[gj berg]

Ideally, get a timer/schedule on HVAC so that it comes on a few hours
before rehearsal.

I haven't looked to see if there is a recommended "operational"
temperature range for bells.

But IIRC there has been discussion with use of "cold" bells
(inflexibility of plastic on clappers, springs) if not "warmed up".

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--
gj berg
Go SHARKS!!!

[Nancy Tipton]

I don't know if there are actual dangers; a manufacturer rep would have to address that. However, I do know from experience that frequent or drastic temperature and humidity changes cause the restraining springs on our Malmarks to tighten and loosen. I don't think any damage is done--it's just irritating. And, of course, the humidity caused by the air not being conditioned damages the foam over time. But maybe humidity isn't an issue in BC? It certainly is in South Carolina! 

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[Silver Woodbury]

The most common problem that temperature extremes have on Schulmerich
handbells is a shortened lifespan of the springs. Since the mechanisms on
handchimes are less complicated, they are probably less affected by
temperature extremes. I have noticed that the bumpers at the base of the
clapper shaft on handchimes can stick to the chime a bit when they are warm.
During the summer, I would advise leaving the cases open as much as you can
(for any brand of bells). Heat and humidity causes bells to tarnish more
quickly. Since the padding in the cases can retain moisture, bells in
closed cases are in perfect little tarnish chambers. Also, direct contact
with the case linings in extreme heat can cause mild etching of the finish
on the castings in a triangular patch where the lid padding touches the
casting and around the rim where the lining comes in direct contact. I
suggest you check on things as often as you can during the week. I
congratulate you on having dedicated (and secure) rehearsal space. That’s a
luxury that many don’t have.

Happy Ringing!
Silver
Mrs. Silver D. Woodbury
Silverbell Enterprises
Regional Independent Sales Representative for Schulmerich Bells
Oklahoma - Kansas - Arkansas - Northern Texas
Authorized Dealer for Murphy Robes in Oklahoma
10012 Carnie Circle, Yukon, OK  73099
405-519-0331 mobile
888-735-5407 toll-free voice and fax
silve...@cox.net or SWoo...@SchulmerichBells.com

[Nancy Tipton]

At my school we have a dedicated handbell room, and we leave the bells out on the tables all the time--we just stand them up between rehearsals. My classroom stays locked whenever one of the handbell teachers isn't there, and we've never had an issue with anyone stealing or damaging anything. (We've been leaving them out for 20 years now!) I agree with Silver that it's not a good idea to store the bells in closed cases when there are extreme temperature changes. The first time I took our bells from an air conditioned room during the summer and put them in my car for a trip, I nearly panicked when I unpacked the bells later . . . each one had this hideous tarnished triangle where it had been lying in the case in a hot vehicle. Apparently, the cold bells started "sweating" in the heat, and the cases just locked in that moisture. Fortunately, the tarnish polished off easily with Simichrome, and my heart stopped racing . . . so I highly recommended leaving them out of the cases if you can lock your room. Or maybe post a "Beware of handbell director--she bites" sign on the door?!

On Wed, Jul 11, 2012 at 5:01 PM, nattwell <natt...@telus.net> wrote:

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[Paula]

We leave our bells out most of the time too, but not standing up. Is this better for the bells? Paula --- On Wed, 7/11/12, Nancy Tipton <bellst...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Nancy Tipton]

I don't really know, but we find that if we leave the larger bells lying down, the lip sinks down into the foam, so at your next rehearsal, it takes a little while for the indentations to relax, so unless you actually want to play with a bell in the exact spot it was resting in, it can just be annoying to have the bell keep rolling into the indentation. Of course, the foam doesn't stay like that, so it's not a huge problem, but we just usually stand them up. Actually, I ask my ringers to stand each bell up after they have carefully wiped it down after a rehearsal, and that just helps to keep straight which bells have been wiped down. No one is dismissed until all the bells have been cleaned!

[Paula]

I see. Thanks!

[F Simpson]

Could whomever was selling the C3 on ebay, please contact me?



Thomas Simpson

[Nicholas Barnard]

Well, one presumes they'd actually be on this list… Why not use the contact the seller feature on eBay?

Nick

On Jul 23, 2012, at 11:52 AM, F Simpson wrote:

> Could whomever was selling the C3 on ebay, please contact me?
>
>
>
> Thomas Simpson
>

[Thomas Simpson]

Well, one *knows* they are on this list! They talked about the bell for sale a few weeks ago.

:-)



Thomas

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