Back in August of last year, Hailey's 4-H leader's mother was moving from her farm house and selling several antique items, and I was able to get this dinner bell! After a little online research, I found out it was made by C.S. Bell Co. in Ohio of a cast steel alloy called "crystal metal" sometime between 1875 and 1900. She and her husband had gotten it many many years ago at a flea market. Part of the yoke had broken off where the bell sits, so they were holding it up with a leather strap. My in-laws were visiting shortly after I had gotten it and said they knew someone who could sandblast it to remove the rust, someone who could repair the broken yolk, and someone who could paint it. Love small-town America! It would be my Christmas and birthday gifts. I was so excited! They had it all done for Christmas, and I couldn't wait to get it setup in the back yard! We obviously had to wait until Winter was over for the ground to thaw, though. So, this past weekend, Brian and his dad got it mounted on a wooden pole, put into the ground, and fastened to the deck. And it's now in operation! I love it!!
This is what it looked like when I bought it. You can see the leather strap keeping the bell from falling off the yolk where the piece had broken off.
Repaired, sandblasted, and repainted!
Fastened to the deck to keep it stable in the wind. I'll probably paint the pole white to help it blend in with the deck better.
View from on the deck.
A video of what it sounds like...bell being rung by my father-in-law.
No comments:
Post a Comment