Repairs to the bell foundry, 2005

The problems

Weeds at the foundry By Micklemas 2006 the foundry hadn't been used for some years and was suffering from disuse. To run the foundry for Mayday 2006 or at least Summer 2006 it was felt that a refurbishment was needed. Weeds and undergrowth had encroached and required clearing.
Bellows in poor condition The bellows had not been treated or examined for some time. It was found that the last time the foundry had been run that there had been a problem with the fire from the furnace leaking back towards the bellows which would have to be cured as a matter of urgency.
Dividing wall in poor condition The dividing wall had become unstable as the lime mortar was starting to disintegrate. The wall takes no real stress or load in normal operation so this would not normally be a problem. There was however a potential for an unsuspecting person to lean on the wall and push it over with disastrous consequences.
Furnace for the melting of metals The furnace was also showing it's age. The furnace requires regular maintenance following a few casts of bronze in a crucible. When bronze is cast directly from the furnace it requires rebuilding after most runs so it's current state is not really a problem. In fact the furnace could be built in such a way as to be easy to disassemble and rebuild.
Pier leading into the pond Out the back of the foundry is a small pier into a pond. This has suffered the ravages of mother nature quite badly. It is only there to enable easy access to water should it be needed in a hurry to extinguish any fires. The water is still accessible without the pier but not so easily.

Repairs

Reconditioned bellows During Micklemas 2005 the site was cleared of most weeds and general rubbish that had built up over time. The bellows were disassembled where practical, a rodents nest removed (sorry for the eviction Mr. Mouse) from the inside of one of the bellows and the general condition of them checked.
Reconditioned bellows opened The wood was then treated, as were the canvas sides, to ensure their continued working condition.
Wall being rebuilt Later in the year the dividing wall was disassembled and re-building was started.

There was an intention to continue the work in November however there were problems. Cass, the builders mate and founders wife, hurt her back the day we were due to continue. Due to this and the approaching winter we have postponed further work till 2006.