Bellmaking
The process of casting bells is called bellfounding or bellmaking, and in Europe dates to the 4th or 5th century. The traditional metal for these bells is a bronze of about 23% tin. Known as bell metal, this alloy is also the traditional alloy for the finest Turkish and Chinese cymbals. Other materials sometimes used for large bells include brass and iron. Steel was tried during the busy church-building period of mid-19th-century England, for its economy over bronze, but was found not to be durable and manufacture ceased in the 1870s.
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