Production Videos - Spinning a Bell

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This first video shows Bruce spinning a trombone bell. Spinning is the process where a bell is formed into its final shape. As Bruce applies pressure with the "harpoon-like" tool, the bell slowly takes the shape of the mandrel. Next, he trims back excess metal near the rim.

Edwards trombone bells are two-piece; therefore, care must be taken to remove the extra mass where the bell flair and stem meet. Notice how Bruce feels the bell and then removes the extra mass in order to insure a worthy end product. (Trumpet bells are spun in much the same way, except the removal of material is not required as our trumpet bells are one-piece.)

Finally, Bruce "straps" the bell, starting with a file before finishing with sandpaper. This smooths out the bell and prepares it for buffing. Bruce has been spinning bells for over 15 years and truly makes his art look easy.

Videos are Microsoft Windows Media Video (wmv) format. If you need assistance, please visit Site Tools. These videos are quite large and will require a few minutes to download.