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Richard Norman

During our major bell chamber/floor/frame clean two wooden bell ties were found hidden in/under the detritus.
They are made of wood and riddled with woodworm. No one knew about them (even me and I have examined the area but did not see them under all the dust and mortar/stone)
One of them broke so will go onto the wood burner when it is lit but I have retained the other FTTB as they both had threaded wooden bolts to hold them together and I wonder how old they are/were?
Does anyone have any ideas?
I do not know how to post pictures otherwise I would put them up here.

Graham John

@Richard Norman - You just click on the Upload Files icon, upload the photo and click insert.

Richard Norman

Many thanks
The two images shwoing the wooden screw and the thining hinges which I suspect may be blacksmithed?

Peter Sotheran

That's rather magnificent! Whoever made it was a skilled woodworker!. Ours are rather more crude - a length of board with end blocks that fit inside the mouth of the bell and a simple metal lever held in place with a wing nut.

John Harrison

That's a variant I haven't met before. The wedge enables it to fit the inside of the bell while sitting against the clapper ball. Where I learnt to ring we had internal clapper stays but they had to be pushed up to fit the inside of the bell, and keeping them there relied on a tight grip on the clapper. Where I ring now we have clapper stays with lugs that fit over the lip of the bell and don't therefore need a tight fit on the clapper shaft. See: http://jaharrison.me.uk/thb/6-4.html#6-4i

Richard Pargeter

The clapper tie I devised and have used now for about 35 years is on the EDA resources page; https://www.elyda.org.uk/education (second up from the bottom). The catch is held in place by the spring of the wood when bent a little around the clapper. A few photos attached as well.

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Clapper 'ties'

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