St. Mary the Virgin, Eastham

Work done on the Bell Installation 1999 - 2000

On the initial examination it was noticed that all Sliders, Tracks, Ground Pulleys and Pulley Boxes were in an advanced state of wear. All were discarded. New pulley sheaves, bearings, pins and distance tubes were purchased and new pulley boxes were made and fitted.

New sliders were purchased and new pulley boxes were made and fitted.

All clappers were badly flatted where they strike the bells. These were built up by welding and re-profiled.

All bells lowered from their headstocks and all iron work scaled and given two coats of red lead. Bearings and pedestals removed from their gudgeons. The bearings in all cases were found to be grooved in the raceways. They were discarded and new bearings fitted together with new dust seals. Bearings re-erected on headstocks packed with fresh grease and secured to frame with new nuts, bolts and washers. Large, square copse washers were fitted beneath the bolt heads to prevent them pulling into the timber frame heads.

All clappers were re-bushed with "Tufnol" bushes and stainless steel pins made for the crown staples. These materials are currently used by reputable Bellhangers and Bell Founders for this purpose as they do not require any lubrication. The wheels were re-erected on to their headstocks all with new nuts, bolts and washers. On re-securing the bells to their headstocks, they were turned through 90° [quarter turned] to present a fresh point of impact to the clappers as indentation was evident.