I have been making bells for a few years out of Bell Bronze, 87% Copper. Would cryogenic freezing have any effect on the tone of a bell if I had it treated after casting? Your help would be appreciated.
1 Comment
Rick Diekman
August 1, 2008
From practical experience, the answer is yes. We’ve found that cryogenic processing changes the vibrational characteristics of metals in ways that most people find pleasing.
We’ve done many different musical instruments such as flutes, French horns, cymbals, guitar strings, and piano strings. Granted, this is a field where what is “good” is highly subjective. We can definitely say that the vibrational characteristics changed. In a test on a golf club shaft being rung, we heard and recorded something that went like this:
“Ring ing ing ing.” When the shaft was treated, the sound was more “Ring ing.” I wish I had saved the sound files, but they are lost. It is my intention to re-do the experiment with a bell for this month’s newsletter, but I don’t know if I will get to it. The bell has been sitting on my desk for a month. Perhaps you can guide me on a good way to test it.
What would happen to your bells? From experience, I would say there will be a definite change. If it is a good change or a bad change depends more on what you consider good or bad.
1 Comment
Rick Diekman
August 1, 2008From practical experience, the answer is yes. We’ve found that cryogenic processing changes the vibrational characteristics of metals in ways that most people find pleasing.
We’ve done many different musical instruments such as flutes, French horns, cymbals, guitar strings, and piano strings. Granted, this is a field where what is “good” is highly subjective. We can definitely say that the vibrational characteristics changed. In a test on a golf club shaft being rung, we heard and recorded something that went like this:
“Ring ing ing ing.” When the shaft was treated, the sound was more “Ring ing.” I wish I had saved the sound files, but they are lost. It is my intention to re-do the experiment with a bell for this month’s newsletter, but I don’t know if I will get to it. The bell has been sitting on my desk for a month. Perhaps you can guide me on a good way to test it.
What would happen to your bells? From experience, I would say there will be a definite change. If it is a good change or a bad change depends more on what you consider good or bad.