Brass Gong
 

Dose anyone out there have any info or even a brass warning gong as fitted to steam tractors?

From what I have fathomed mysel, my engine should have one with a centre Plunger and it should be screwed on the inside of the canopy.

Any leads greatfully received.

Gong

Gong gong

Chris

This is a 'gong' (from MGM Film)

http://thedroidyourelookingfor.files...3/ab728b6f.jpg

Surely you mean a 'bell'?

How about an Aveling one?

http://images1.bonhams.com/image?src...&autosizefit=1

Or a tram bell?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkmD4Z-HJww

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BRASS-HANG...item5b0443a025

Same as above
http://thumbs.worthpoint.com/M89-rmF...ff5d9a5115.jpg

of perhaps, one of these?, very much like what Garretts had

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j3...lmgWNGg_12.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LKyMUFKpvs

Brass gong
 

Whoever got the aveling brass bell for the aveling tractor,Would be intrested in buying to put on aveling tractor

I have an Aveling bell. I got it for my Tasker but I want a signalling gong like Chris really. So it's on the floor under my desk getting kicked ang going gong when I'm on the phone.

John

Aveling bell
 

If you are intrested in selling,Could you give me a ring please on 01491 680889 after 18.30 please ,I am very intrested

It seems what Chris wants is one a bit like this.

http://www.steamscenes.org.uk/tti/14/008_1249.jpg

The pictures he has referred me too have a bell like this with a lever hanging down. Near as I can tell like the one above.

The one in my pic is what I have on the Marshall, it was found in an antiques shop near Chatsworth.

Does anyone have something similar to sort Chris out, otherwise we shall have to copy mine!

In short yes, except the bell is slightly different profile. Just need to take all the components to the foundry and have a few sets cast... Although Chris told me himself that that wasn't what he was after... has he now change his mind?

Have got one coming in from the States next week.

If anyone is going to have bits cast or make up a bell then I would also be interested in having one.

You know what he is like. Good job anneke chose the house.

Ill moither the git tonight to see if a copy of yours will do. I dont really want to take mine to pieces as its all peened over.

Anthony, if Dans is no good I'm sure we can sort something.

Therses a few of those about. Very like the Aveling ones but the bell seems bigger.

Dan.

He says he doesnt like the shape of your bell.....!.....

He is a pain in the arse

A square one might be hard to find.

Right

Here is the guts of my bell

http://www.steamscenes.org.uk/tti/14/008_1250.jpg

In my opinion 95% of the components are simply made out of sheet material. Mine is brass, but I would suggest water cut stainless (or steel) a better option. The rest is lathe work and drilling holes. Leaving the problem of the bulbous striker.

I have drawn round the internal components of my bell. And am happy to fire a 1:1 scan of these templates to anyone who wants one via e-mail (for free). Chris is having a copy already. You will have to live with my humour on the sheet, and mixed imperial and metricated dims.

I have agreed to convert my bell section into a pattern to take to my tame foundry to cast Chris one in Brass (assuming this can be done without butchering it).

I am also happy to take orders for more 'bells'. These will cost more or less whatever it costs me to get them done. I can't give a price presently, but my foundry is not in the business of ripping people off.

Any interest in some bell castings?, plus the templates? you can then make your own bell.

Hedd, are you just getting the Bell cast or all the hammer, thrower, lever and backing plate as well? If not, I can offer all these components as I have patterns for them, seeing as your is all assembled.

I'll stick to my dog bowl style bell though thank you Hedd.

Just to note, I think there is a copy of the signalling gong mechanism drawing in one of Gilberts books...

No just going to do the bell. it is 126mm OD diameter if that helps to confirm if your guts would suit.

I do not want to dismantle mine, but I see no reason to, everything is simply made out of flat stock except the striker, and I could carve one of them out of solid with an angle grinder if I had too, so have no doubt Chris could.

If you don't mind the cost, new longcase clock bells are available in various sizes from horological parts suppliers, they come in various sizes in the correct metal with a nice ring to them.

They can sometimes be purchased quite cheaply in salerooms on old movements.

http://www.m-p.co.uk/muk/parts/chap0...0280043815.htm

http://www.m-p.co.uk/muk/parts/chap0...0280051215.htm

Gentlemen & Ladies,

What is the bell needed or - I can see the parallel with a bicycle but surely your average steam tractor makes too much noise for such a bell to be heard / used as a warning (and you've got a whistle for that anyway) .....

Andrew,

At the time of manufacture a whistle was not a legal form of audible warning. Consequently bells were often original fitment.

According to the erection sheet of my Marshall it was fitted with one. As I understand was the case with Chris's Foster. Very often a whistle was not fitted. There is no record of a whistle being fitted to my Marshall when manufactured.

I find that road users take no notice of whistles, probably because of historical frivolous use.

john

Brilliant

http://www.m-p.co.uk/muk/acrobat/cat41e/mp41e-s-c3.pdf

Strikes me the 120mm cast 'Comtoise' is almost perfect.

http://www.m-p.co.uk/muk/parts/chap0...1098012015.htm

I'll dig it out the car later tonight and have a trial assembly etc see how it all fits up etc.

If anyone is ever going to the trouble of casting a gong , then it would be worth going to a bell foundry . Whitechapel still cast and finish hand bells , and I seem to remember that they have patterns for gongs , which would be cast similarly . Bell metal , which is 22% tin , rings better than anything else ( even better than Fowler gears ) I would bet that Whitechapel's gong patterns are imperial . They would tune it too if you wanted .

Send me a picture of all the other bits please

Our local foundry is a very good old school firm. When we had ours coppied for the Aveling he recast the bell twice until he was happy with the ring ( much to the annoyance of Basil!!)

I have converted Hedd's drawings in to CAD and will send them to him, here is a PDF of the CAD, quite nice shapes for just an' ol' clanger!

Surely it would make more sense for me to go visit John Taylor & Co?

Nah. Pay £25 for the one D valve found.

Old school ? When I was at Whitechapel we still had to pick the beans out of the horse shit before we mixed it with the clay and the cow hair . I will admit that we cast the hand bells and gongs in that new fangled sand stuff . Taylors at loughborough are mere upstarts , Whitechapel go back to Queen Elizabeth's time , so must be the oldest foundry in the country .

Oh and I've ordered some "6" scale" bells from the above link provided (thank you).

This is the ding a ling a ding dong that I've got. I don't know what its origins were

http://www.tractiontalkforum.com/pic...ictureid=21911

http://www.tractiontalkforum.com/pic...ictureid=21912

David. Shouldn,t a 4CD have a bell like the Bermuda Bell I posted below?. With the button poking through the rear spectical plate

Yes but beggars can't be choosers. I'll hang on 'till something better comes along.

Look what I found today underneath the old Garrett canopy a gong / bell. I knew the brass plate which mounts on the back plate was there but couldn't remember the bell being there. I thought there was just some rusty guts. Does anyone know if this is a genuine Garrett style bell?

http://www.tractiontalkforum.com/pic...ictureid=22038

http://www.tractiontalkforum.com/pic...ictureid=22037

YES - Jammy or what ..............:)

That is the same as is fitted on the rear spectacle plate of a friends 4CD. There should be a brass nob on a rod coming through the middle of the brass ring that you push to operate the ding dong bell!

Yes, same as fitted to the 4CD Peter Timmis had.

Basically its a 'Bermuda Bell', you can still buy them new (if you sell a Kidney)

It provides much amusement when rung at rallies as the general public seem to more associate whistles with steam engines so i've had lots of laughs from people when i've rung it!
(especially useful when you break the whistle chain on a road run)

I've seen one of them, I think it was on the Garrett (lady Sarah)