Perfect project. I cut off the bottom of a gas cylinder to make a swage for making frying pans per another of your videos. The rest of the cylinder was doomed to be a long-range target for black powder rifle shooting. Now I will have a swage and a bell. Good idea wearing hearing protection when ringing the bell!
There was another option for a bell. My structural fabricator did something on the same line but different He cut the bottom out at the bottom of the tank which made the cylinder longer and use a hammer to ring the bell. What he did differently was to create a very unique apparatus to hang the bell. In his case a cartoon character of a scuba diver, with big eyes and a mask. you get the picture. Just another way of doing something different. Enjoyed the video. I am a woodworker, metal worker, and driving toward a blacksmith shop. I love it. that is making stuff. Thanks RC
Hello John, I really enjoy your videos. Like you I am a retired firefighter with 29 years on the job. I was exposed to blacksmithing in school and recently set up a forge at my home. I have a dozen useless SCUBA cylinders and your video inspired me to make some bells! I like your teaching style, you must have been an FTO!
Your cylinder as a bell, sounds a lot better than I had anticipated it would. I got one that I think maybe I’ll cut in half and see if I can make one too. It’s not going to be forged as I don’t have one. But lots of materials to pick from to manufacture the clapper..😉
I have loads of oxy bottles and all I do is take the valve out weld a piece of steel over the hole ,drill an 1/8" hole ,run a 1/16 "stainless steel cable through .attach a ringer inside like maybe a large 1 3/4 nut, then run the cable out bottom and make a design like a bear star or whatever floats your boat lol out of some flat copper for your wind catcher ,Thats after I sand the bell down to bare steel then i torch paint then and clear coat and then weld a hook on top of the bell so you hang it ,thats how I make mine ,and man they are loud lol great video ,thanks for sharing
We have at a local cowboy action shooting club a stage with two of these gas cylinder bells as targets. They're challenging to shoot at, but oh so satisfying when you actually hit them. Love the content and the channel, John. Keep up the good work.
Really good to see you do this one. I've had a cut cylinder sitting around in my shop for 2 years now with a bell in mind. Now you've given me some idea's and some inspiration. I like it! Thanks John!
Four years ago I discovered an old WWII Navy Scuba tank half buried in the dirt while working beehives on the farm and converted it into a garden bell. The deep resonating sound of the bell fills the air when we have heavy winds. Great to view how you made your 🔔.
Hello John You have Done a great job You have shown in this video alot of skills and that while building a usefull bell out of nothing It reminds me to my grandfather how fought in WW 1 He build a bell too but out of a Granate shell bottom and the interior of a igniter as clapper I still habe this peace and as i was a little child he always ring this bell to have some fun with me My grandfather was called in german Stellmacher he build wood wheels and Waggons I hope you stay save dont catch the Virus All the best wishes Yours Frank
Please work as you see fit. Always learning from watching another operater and your particular skillset helps muchly.....that's why I tune in so regularly.
I made a wind chime using several cylinders of various diameters and lengths, to get different sounds that had harmony with each other. I started with eight cylinders and then went to six. The big problem was the combined decidable level that would shake your teeth. The wind-activated clapper was in the middle of the cylinders, and its size had to be greatly reduced. To mellow out the cylinders I had to put a slit in the side, a few inches at a time. One of the cylinders needed a 10 inch slit starting at the bottom. When I was satisfied with the sound, I drilled a 3/4 hole at the top of the slit and that improved the tone. A wind chime should have soft tones, yet with a clear pitch.
I made a large wind chime out of five scuba tanks scrolled the tanks with different Tibetan symbols with a plasma cutter, and a kite size clapper for a Buddhist monastery in the Santa Cruz mountains. I built a large Redwood ring to hold the five tanks and three redwood post in a teepee arrangement to hold up the ring. It stood for about eleven years till vandals (or an angry neighbor) knocked it over. I have had an extra tank for about twenty five years in my garage, your video makes me think I need to put it to use.
Watched this one, then went back to your triangle dinner bell video, and it's obvious that I now need to make another ceiling hook to hang one from, and a hook to hang the clapper rod from, so many projects to take me away from the depressing news! Thanks!
Thanks for sharing your skills your workmanship your tradesmenship. I have no idea how you can manipulate Steel with heat very amazing power equipment.
It was great to watch this video. I have been walking around a diving tank since I started this hobby, with the intention to make a bell. Now I know all the parts I want.
Had to buy some inexpensive CO2 tanks for a different project years ago. Decided to make a few bells just for fun. Aluminum sounds really good. Even when I cut the large steel tanks in half, I save and use the bottom section, they sound just as good with heavy chain hangers. Mine are mostly 'gong' style. A small bat, mallet, or even a drum mallet all work great for smacking the bell as you walk by. They are awesome for your outdoor area with guests too. Love the forge work, thanks for the videos.
I've made many of these gongs and experimented with clappers and flangers and even bologna cuts to adjust sound. That was probably a K cylinder , for a bottle that size a metal Clapper sounds tinny, try a hard wood flanger , I often bore out a piece of oak or fruit wood so that my bolt will fit inside. Use epoxy to secure it in well. Allow enough of the wood to hang below the opening to catch wind. You only need an inch or so clearance. It will sound deeper and resonate much longer. I truly enjoy watching you forge.! Thank you
Nature Company sold a cylinder bell for $750, with a crude wooden stand.. Both ends make good bells. I strike mine with a home made hammer welded out of rebar. The whole neighborhood knows when I have a visitor.
Well that was definitely a comprehensive class on techniques and illustration of various ways to get a job done. Your work is so inspiring. Read the wind chimes idea ....uh I wouldn't thing that would be my idea. The little tinkely ones become bothersome on the windy days. Lol nosey bear alarm maybe lol. Thanks yous muchly for the lessons 🙏 Blessings to you and the Mrs. Y'all stay well now hear Crawford out ⚒️🧙♂️
This is great! While I've had this idea for several years and realize it's fairly simple, it's good to see how an experienced blacksmith would do it. Come and get it!
Well that's impressive , great skills working it out in the blacksmith tradition. Personally I would cut and weld all my pieces together and be done with it but you are on another level. Good job !
Nice bell, John! I have a piece of eight inch pipe about fourteen inches long, laying in the shop, I keep telling myself it would make a good bell. Thanks for reminding me.
“I think we need a bigger drift”. Classic. Sir, I’ve been watching you since I first became interested in forging about a year and a half ago. Each time I watch one of your videos I notice different nuances and subtleties. The finesse you have with your tong hand while whaling away with your hammer hand shows how much experience you have. Anyone who has tried forging and struggled with handling the tongs and keeping the work piece in position while working the hammer quickly while the heat is high can appreciate this.
My favourite bit was you wedging the cylinder in your forge to heat up the hook material!!! Followed by you man-handling the cylinder to form the hook! Brilliant, absolutely brilliant!! 👍👍👍👍👍
Nice job. I make bells similar to that. I forge the main hook and I forge the hanging brackets. But instead of just a plain tank I carve designs into them to make them more sculptural.
Good job John, that’s what a bell should sound like. As a neighbor would say, it would sound better in the next county 🤗. I think I’ll be looking for an old cylinder, Fred.
When I saw you putting the steel into the forge by holding onto the bell I said that is the blacksmith way or as we say around my part of the country you were getting a bit western. Great job with the bell. Now I am on the look out for tank I can cut up.
Sounds pretty good. I think I might have cut it to about half it's current length and made the bell, then slit and unrolled the rest of the cylinder to make some flat stock. But hey, that's me.
I have a small gas bottle John and you know it will make a great bell, my neighbors will hate me .but that's alright I Will just show them your video . ha ha .cheers mate.
Make sure to wrap the striker with thick leather or tightly-wrapped twine or thin cotton rope, to get a nice smooth rich tone without those harsh, high-pitched "CLANGGGGG" noises.
I love these cylinder bells. I saw my first one in a "Japanese Garden". It had Japanese writing on it made with a welder. Been coveting one since. Be well!
Black Bear Forge You have also become an accomplished teacher . Watch some of your earlier videos and see the difference.Nothing wrong with having pride in what you have done. Now that you have a little age maybe a new direction or calling .
I must admit I thought you were going to form the cylinder out into a bell shape :) but then I know nothing about smithing and anyway I was not disappointed with the result. Great to watch and now I know a bit more about it.
It's ironic to see your making of a bell chime...I just finished making one last week. Used a full size oxy bottle cut off about 2 ft. from neck. Love to listen to that deep sounding "gong" when I'm at the forge. I later cut off a circle about 4" wide from the other part and made a large, 9" circle bending jig welded to angle iron for use in the vise.
Social distancing has afforded more shop time, in my woodworking shop I have accomplished several tasks similar to this one in the sense that something has kicked around the shop for years waiting for me. So now some of those things are done. Great bell, next make a big flat sail to attach to the bottom and make it a wind chime...
If you wanted you could make a large sheet metal triangle and attach it to the clapper rope and turn it into a wind chime.... but they do get noisy some times.
I think I learn something every time I watch one of your videos. Thank you.
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
I like it. Nice bell. Take care John and God bless.
Perfect project. I cut off the bottom of a gas cylinder to make a swage for making frying pans per another of your videos. The rest of the cylinder was doomed to be a long-range target for black powder rifle shooting. Now I will have a swage and a bell.
Good idea wearing hearing protection when ringing the bell!
It can be painfully loud.
Definitely not going to be a question as to did you hit it from few hundred yards out.
It will ring. In the forged in fire dude's voice lol
There was another option for a bell. My structural fabricator did something on the same line but different
He cut the bottom out at the bottom of the tank which made the cylinder longer and use a hammer to ring the bell. What he did differently was to create a very unique apparatus to hang the bell. In his case a cartoon character of a scuba diver, with big eyes and a mask. you get the picture. Just another way of doing something different.
Enjoyed the video. I am a woodworker, metal worker, and driving toward a blacksmith shop. I love it. that is making stuff. Thanks
RC
Hello John, I really enjoy your videos. Like you I am a retired firefighter with 29 years on the job. I was exposed to blacksmithing in school and recently set up a forge at my home. I have a dozen useless SCUBA cylinders and your video inspired me to make some bells! I like your teaching style, you must have been an FTO!
No, I never worked in training, other than the new recrutes assigned to my crew.
very cool hook of the week 🤣 what a bell 👍 love your videos think i have watched them all at least once 😊
I enjoy watching and learning different techniques, thank you
That was awesome! Thanks for the idea. Keep up the great work. God Bless.
That was a awesome build John thank you
I don’t even blacksmith but I can’t get enough of this channel! Great work! Thanks for all the great content!
Glad you are enjoying the videos
Your cylinder as a bell, sounds a lot better than I had anticipated it would. I got one that I think maybe I’ll cut in half and see if I can make one too.
It’s not going to be forged as I don’t have one. But lots of materials to pick from to manufacture the clapper..😉
I have loads of oxy bottles and all I do is take the valve out weld a piece of steel over the hole ,drill an 1/8" hole ,run a 1/16 "stainless steel cable through .attach a ringer inside like maybe a large 1 3/4 nut, then run the cable out bottom and make a design like a bear star or whatever floats your boat lol out of some flat copper for your wind catcher ,Thats after I sand the bell down to bare steel then i torch paint then and clear coat and then weld a hook on top of the bell so you hang it ,thats how I make mine ,and man they are loud lol great video ,thanks for sharing
We have at a local cowboy action shooting club a stage with two of these gas cylinder bells as targets. They're challenging to shoot at, but oh so satisfying when you actually hit them.
Love the content and the channel, John. Keep up the good work.
Love the bell John. It sounds great!!!! Good job!!!!!
great video I hope you and yours stay safe during this crazy time
Really good to see you do this one. I've had a cut cylinder sitting around in my shop for 2 years now with a bell in mind. Now you've given me some idea's and some inspiration. I like it! Thanks John!
Four years ago I discovered an old WWII Navy Scuba tank half buried in the dirt while working beehives on the farm and converted it into a garden bell. The deep resonating sound of the bell fills the air when we have heavy winds. Great to view how you made your 🔔.
You amaze me! Thank you for sharing!
Hello John
You have Done a great job
You have shown in this video alot of skills and that while building a usefull bell out of nothing
It reminds me to my grandfather how fought in WW 1
He build a bell too but out of a Granate shell bottom and the interior of a igniter as clapper
I still habe this peace and as i was a little child he always ring this bell to have some fun with me
My grandfather was called in german Stellmacher he build wood wheels and Waggons
I hope you stay save dont catch the Virus
All the best wishes
Yours Frank
I have a bunch of paintball co2 tanks laying around and I keep meaning to make bells out of them. Thanks for sharing
Awesome Bell ! Great build ! Nice Sound !
That is the cowbell to beat all cowbells. Great project John and thanks for showing various techniques for forming metal.
Thanks John, excellent work as usual 👍👌
Please work as you see fit. Always learning from watching another operater and your particular skillset helps muchly.....that's why I tune in so regularly.
Great video. Such a great craft and art form . Nice job.
Just Amazing , a very fine piece of art work ,Sir...you are truly inspirational..
very cool! thanks for showing us this project!!!
I made a wind chime using several cylinders of various diameters and lengths, to get different sounds that had harmony with each other. I started with eight cylinders and then went to six. The big problem was the combined decidable level that would shake your teeth. The wind-activated clapper was in the middle of the cylinders, and its size had to be greatly reduced. To mellow out the cylinders I had to put a slit in the side, a few inches at a time. One of the cylinders needed a 10 inch slit starting at the bottom. When I was satisfied with the sound, I drilled a 3/4 hole at the top of the slit and that improved the tone. A wind chime should have soft tones, yet with a clear pitch.
I made a large wind chime out of five scuba tanks scrolled the tanks with different Tibetan symbols with a plasma cutter, and a kite size clapper for a Buddhist monastery in the Santa Cruz mountains. I built a large Redwood ring to hold the five tanks and three redwood post in a teepee arrangement to hold up the ring. It stood for about eleven years till vandals (or an angry neighbor) knocked it over. I have had an extra tank for about twenty five years in my garage, your video makes me think I need to put it to use.
John I think that counts for hook of the year!
Watched this one, then went back to your triangle dinner bell video, and it's obvious that I now need to make another ceiling hook to hang one from, and a hook to hang the clapper rod from, so many projects to take me away from the depressing news! Thanks!
Great video! I can think of at least a dozen uses for a bell like that, John! Definitely would let the neighbors know of a problem at your place!
Thanks for sharing your skills your workmanship your tradesmenship.
I have no idea how you can manipulate Steel with heat very amazing power equipment.
It was great to watch this video. I have been walking around a diving tank since I started this hobby, with the intention to make a bell. Now I know all the parts I want.
Thank you for all your time & effort you spend to share your knowledge...It is greatly appreciated! ...Stay Safe
Awesome mate keep those bells ringing
WOW ! that's loud I like it great work as always John. My wife loves wind chimes I wounder ? Hummm?
Had to buy some inexpensive CO2 tanks for a different project years ago. Decided to make a few bells just for fun. Aluminum sounds really good. Even when I cut the large steel tanks in half, I save and use the bottom section, they sound just as good with heavy chain hangers. Mine are mostly 'gong' style. A small bat, mallet, or even a drum mallet all work great for smacking the bell as you walk by. They are awesome for your outdoor area with guests too. Love the forge work, thanks for the videos.
Nice piece of rustic fabrication. The hook reminded me of the one Captain Hook had after his run in with the crocodile in Peter Pan. Real sweet job.
My wife and l have a small one hanging on our back deck...great tone...love it
I have several old cylinders and you have inspired me to make one. Thanks and God bless
I learned more about the use of an anvil from this 1 video than I did in 61 years of life.
I've made many of these gongs and experimented with clappers and flangers and even bologna cuts to adjust sound. That was probably a K cylinder , for a bottle that size a metal Clapper sounds tinny, try a hard wood flanger , I often bore out a piece of oak or fruit wood so that my bolt will fit inside. Use epoxy to secure it in well. Allow enough of the wood to hang below the opening to catch wind. You only need an inch or so clearance. It will sound deeper and resonate much longer. I truly enjoy watching you forge.! Thank you
Love the resonating ring
Nature Company sold a cylinder bell for $750, with a crude wooden stand.. Both ends make good bells. I strike mine with a home made hammer welded out of rebar.
The whole neighborhood knows when I have a visitor.
Great idea! I might go ahead and make one too. Love that power hammer you have. Nice anvil and the bell sounds great too. Thanks
Well that was definitely a comprehensive class on techniques and illustration of various ways to get a job done. Your work is so inspiring.
Read the wind chimes idea ....uh I wouldn't thing that would be my idea. The little tinkely ones become bothersome on the windy days. Lol nosey bear alarm maybe lol.
Thanks yous muchly for the lessons
🙏 Blessings to you and the Mrs. Y'all stay well now hear
Crawford out ⚒️🧙♂️
I give this video a ringing endorsement! Well done
Nice forging ⚒️🔥⚒️ Pat from Belgium
Great job.
This is great! While I've had this idea for several years and realize it's fairly simple, it's good to see how an experienced blacksmith would do it. Come and get it!
That was downright cool! Thanks.
Fantastic bell!
THANK YOU,,, REALY ENJOYED THAT PROJECT... REGARDS..
Friggin awesome
🎵🔔Ding 🎵🔔🎵 Dong 🔔🎵 .Fantastic use for that old cylinder.
Nicely done John :) nice ring to it, Bell hook ½ way through the week.
Thank you John. You and your family stay safe. And thank you for keeping the inspiration coming.
Well that's impressive , great skills working it out in the blacksmith tradition. Personally I would cut and weld all my pieces together and be done with it but you are on another level. Good job !
I have had one of those old cylinders for a few years and that is why I got it was to make a bell. You sir have inspired me to get er done.
Nice bell, John! I have a piece of eight inch pipe about fourteen inches long, laying in the shop, I keep telling myself it would make a good bell. Thanks for reminding me.
“I think we need a bigger drift”. Classic. Sir, I’ve been watching you since I first became interested in forging about a year and a half ago. Each time I watch one of your videos I notice different nuances and subtleties. The finesse you have with your tong hand while whaling away with your hammer hand shows how much experience you have. Anyone who has tried forging and struggled with handling the tongs and keeping the work piece in position while working the hammer quickly while the heat is high can appreciate this.
My favourite bit was you wedging the cylinder in your forge to heat up the hook material!!! Followed by you man-handling the cylinder to form the hook! Brilliant, absolutely brilliant!! 👍👍👍👍👍
Nice job. I make bells similar to that. I forge the main hook and I forge the hanging brackets. But instead of just a plain tank I carve designs into them to make them more sculptural.
That looks and sounds great John.
Good job John, that’s what a bell should sound like. As a neighbor would say, it would sound better in the next county 🤗. I think I’ll be looking for an old cylinder, Fred.
I'd count it as a hook of the week vid. The bell sounds awesome and gives me ideas for how I could make a workshop doorbell.
WOW, I actually watched all of this in one sitting and the time just flew bye. Thank you and you are definitely a modern day blacksmith craftsman.
Forge a decorative tripod frame to hang it from. I've been toying with idea of making a bell for a while. This is cool and fun. Thanks.
It works. And is load. Nice
When I saw you putting the steel into the forge by holding onto the bell I said that is the blacksmith way or as we say around my part of the country you were getting a bit western. Great job with the bell. Now I am on the look out for tank I can cut up.
Sounds pretty good. I think I might have cut it to about half it's current length and made the bell, then slit and unrolled the rest of the cylinder to make some flat stock. But hey, that's me.
Great looking bell
Thanks John, I've wanted to build a bell like that. You inspired me to get started on one. Thanks again.
Pretty cool John! Great work and thanks for sharing! God Bless you sir!
I have a small gas bottle John and you know it will make a great bell, my neighbors will hate me .but that's alright I Will just show them your video . ha ha .cheers mate.
SWEEEET! I hope mine comes out quite that well!
I love this. The tone is rich and deep! You’re amazing!
Quick and dirty bell I like it!
Make sure to wrap the striker with thick leather or tightly-wrapped twine or thin cotton rope, to get a nice smooth rich tone without those harsh, high-pitched "CLANGGGGG" noises.
That's pretty dog gone neat . Could make a terrific emergency bell . Enjoyed watching as usual and Thanks for sharing.
Something very unique, John. I'm always amazed.
I love these cylinder bells. I saw my first one in a "Japanese Garden". It had Japanese writing on it made with a welder. Been coveting one since. Be well!
Awesome hook of the week
You have come a long way. I remember when you didn’t seem comfortable in front of the camera. Now it comes natural and your videos flow.
Thanks, Back then I never would have guessed that I would get comfortable talking to the camera
Black Bear Forge You have also become an accomplished teacher . Watch some of your earlier videos and see the difference.Nothing wrong with having pride in what you have done. Now that you have a little age maybe a new direction or calling .
Sounds Great!!
Air/ gas cylinders make great targets also the kapow then bong of impact😁
Thank for the video.
I must admit I thought you were going to form the cylinder out into a bell shape :) but then I know nothing about smithing and anyway I was not disappointed with the result. Great to watch and now I know a bit more about it.
Thank you GURU!
Well that was different. Awesome
I just cut the bottom off a cylinder this weekend , nice timing!
It's ironic to see your making of a bell chime...I just finished making one last week. Used a full size oxy bottle cut off about 2 ft. from neck. Love to listen to that deep sounding "gong" when I'm at the forge.
I later cut off a circle about 4" wide from the other part and made a large, 9" circle bending jig welded to angle iron for use in the vise.
Good idea
Great Job!
Social distancing has afforded more shop time, in my woodworking shop I have accomplished several tasks similar to this one in the sense that something has kicked around the shop for years waiting for me. So now some of those things are done. Great bell, next make a big flat sail to attach to the bottom and make it a wind chime...
Lovely....and - it counts as a hook... ;)
If you wanted you could make a large sheet metal triangle and attach it to the clapper rope and turn it into a wind chime.... but they do get noisy some times.
I think we would be tired of listening to it after the first windy day
Awesome informational educational video experience Y'alls
Excellent,
Great idea