Cast iron bells????

[100model]

I watched this video about a bell foundry in England and they were putting disc brake rotors into the furnace, watch at 2:17 to 2:31. Am I missing something here because bells are always cast from bell metal 80% copper and 20% tin. Does anyone here have an answer as to why they are melting disc brake rotors?



I made a video years ago about making a bell using disc brake rotors, much cheaper than using bell metal.

 

[abby]

Just listen to the video ....he explains the why and wherefor!

 

[Fidlstyks]

Either your forgeting, Or I missed something here or you have not looked at very many dinner bells. Or your talking about church bells?
All dinner bells and most school and church bells are cast iron.
The trick still is that cast iron thuds, it never rings. They add steel and nickel and who knows what to make cast iron bells. Copper does not mix with cast iron.
Very few bells are of brass, or bronze.

 

[57mm_M18]

I use to help an old fellow who was a master foundry man cast various things out of gray iron when I was a teenager. One of the items that he made was cast iron bells ranging from 8 inches to sixteen inches in diameter. He regularly used bathtub iron scrap and brake drum scrap for melting when making bells. The other thing he did was mist the mold with tellurium. He also added about a teaspoon full of tellurium to his ladle of iron, the ladle was 30lbs of iron, just before pouring the bell. The iron came out harder than a scorned woman's heart. They rang every time. He was careful not to mix any metal that was used for bell making with other gray iron. The tellurium would ruin any other gray iron pour he might make. He would also add a few ounces of steel lathe turnings to the ladle just before he poured the bell.

 

[Fidlstyks]

Bells are cast upside down with the sprue inside but high close to the ring.