bigb Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 I hope it's OK to post this here, it's mostly cutting & welding but some hammering could be done on the decoration and hooks. I am getting ready to hang my O2 cylinder bell. I have the stand figured out for now but I am wondering what people are doing for the part that you hang it from, and hang the clanger from. I noticed the threads where the valve came out look like 3/4" with fine threads. I have some nice heavy rings, and I can probably make or buy a big eye bolt. I also thought about a D ring shackle. Just looking for some ideas from those who have done this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 We have a saying, pictures or it didn't happen. The only one I made I forged the ring and the clapper was attached to it. I don't have a picture because it was gifted ten years or so ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swedefiddle Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 Good Morning, You need to figure out what kind of noise you want. A 5-pin Bowling Pin, with the ring on it, makes a VERY hollow sound. A piece of hard wood makes another sound. A piece of hard plastic makes a different sound. A round steel ball makes a completely different sound. You have to have a hanging thing at the top and a hanging thing that will connect to your clapper and change motion from the wind velocity. Don't put it near the out-house, too windy!! You need to experiment to answer your own question. Neil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigb Posted February 4, 2020 Author Share Posted February 4, 2020 Pics will come....progress is very slow as I still work full time. (I've had the cylinders cut and ready for about 5 years!) Neil thanks, I am planning to experiment, I saw where one guy uses hard wood wrapped in leather. I also have some smaller cylinders that would fit up inside the large one but I wonder if that will be too heavy for the wind to move. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 How heavy the clapper can also depend on how large the "wind catcher" is on the bottom. Croquet balls or polo balls can make a nice sound for large tanks. I do quite a few from tank valve covers as they seem to show up cheap at fleamarkets, garage sales and scrapyards. For them I have some 3/16" dia steel wire I use. Drill a hole in the top of the valve cover, heat one end of the wire and thread on light chain and bend the wire to form a loop and then wrap the end around the wire to hold it and provide a rest for the valve cover, then heat the other end of the wire and do likewise making a nice loop to hang it from. For these small one I usually let the light chain serve as the "clapper" and hang a small forged chili pepper on the end as a wind catcher. Each style of cover has a different tone and each chili pepper/chain swings at a different wind speed. Got a bunch of various wind bells hanging on the Mesquite tree by the shop and in the summer when the bedroom window is open I can tell how much wind we are having by which ones are ringing. For the full sized tanks I find a bolt that fits the threads, cross drill the bottom for a split ring (like on a key chain) and forge the top to take a punched and drifted hole or bent into a loop depending on the bolt length. (BEWARE PLATED BOLTS---AVOID THEM!!!). I'll try to get a picture this weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arkie Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 There are many youtube videos that show how folks have made different types of bells from cylinders....please don't flame me for mentioning youtube!! LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 We only flame you when you use flame to cut a closed container or cylinder. Boom is not a nice noise. The neighbors can tell you how loud it was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arkie Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 I'm lucky on the one that I am about to work on. The previous owner took the valve out and cut the bottom off to make a dishing tool! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 I just pulled the valvestems from 2 that went through a fire. Now I need to get new brushes for my 9" grinder to chop them for bells, forge shells and dishing forms---and I will sell back the valvestems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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