Tira
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
Today is 10 November, the anniversary or birthday of the United States Marine Corps which has its roots back to 1775.
This year I had the opportunity to engrave a 40 pound brass bell for the Naperville, IL Marines. The bell was solid brass with no clear coat, was 15 inches in diameter and 20 inches tall. It weighed 40 lbs. without the tongue (the part that strikes the side). I removed the tongue so it wouldn't shift during the process and cause the entire bell to fall. Balance was a big issue in engraving this piece because I had to lay the bell on its side for it to rotate. The bell had a tendancy to want to fall towards the heavy side so when I had it set to engrave I had one hand on it at all times just to make sure it didn't list to the side and fall.
The bell is going to be mounted in a custom made maple bell stand and used tonight at the Naperville Marine Ball for the festivities. The Marines are supposed to get a couple of good pictures tonight with the honor guard near the bell in dress uniforms.
The picture of the bell on the piano is to show the relative size of the bell.
This year I had the opportunity to engrave a 40 pound brass bell for the Naperville, IL Marines. The bell was solid brass with no clear coat, was 15 inches in diameter and 20 inches tall. It weighed 40 lbs. without the tongue (the part that strikes the side). I removed the tongue so it wouldn't shift during the process and cause the entire bell to fall. Balance was a big issue in engraving this piece because I had to lay the bell on its side for it to rotate. The bell had a tendancy to want to fall towards the heavy side so when I had it set to engrave I had one hand on it at all times just to make sure it didn't list to the side and fall.
The bell is going to be mounted in a custom made maple bell stand and used tonight at the Naperville Marine Ball for the festivities. The Marines are supposed to get a couple of good pictures tonight with the honor guard near the bell in dress uniforms.
The picture of the bell on the piano is to show the relative size of the bell.