In celebration of our 20th anniversary,
we set out to build the finest handbell service facility in America.
After two years in the making,
we proudly unveiled
our new home in 2008. |
Centrally located and nestled in the heart of the Texas hill country, where the deer and the antelope roam, this facility will serve America’s most discriminating ringers for decades to come.
You’re invited to follow a set of bells on their journey through the entire Combined Servicing process from start to finish in our fine new facility. |
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Arrival and Evaluation of your bells |
Whether your bells arrive via a shipping company, postal service or personal delivery, they will access the property through the gated entry of our security fenced rural retreat. |
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| Your bells will enter the facility through the gallery, where the cases are immediately assigned complimentary identification tags bearing your name, address, and phone number. The tags assure that your bells stay together as a set the entire time they are in our possession and never get mixed with the bells of others. A special code imprinted on the tags also identifies the service you selected, the assigned job number, their arrival date and anticipated completion date. |
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Soon after arrival, your bells will be evaluated for parts needs and you will be notified of the results. While your bells await their shop time, they will be housed on large racks in a climate-controlled storage area designed to safely store hundreds of octaves of handbells. Unless prior arrangements have been made, your bells will be serviced in the order of their arrival. |
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Shop Areas |
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Your bells will be serviced in one of three identically equipped shop areas. Transported on wheeled carts, the entire set enters the shop together and only one set of bells with matching ID tags is permitted in any shop area at a time. The bells are removed from the cases and placed on a padded work surface for disassembly, while their cases are vacuumed and stored on sliding shelves immediately below the work surface.
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Cleaning and Polishing |
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Upon disassembly, each casting will be hand cleaned and polished with the assistance of a specially designed, variable speed, polishing machine, which functions much like a “high-tech” potter’s wheel. Although no two of your bells are the same size, the variable speed feature of the machine assures that all surfaces of all bells receive essentially the same exposure to all of the various cleaners and polishes, each of which is hand applied. This prevents possible over-polishing or under-polishing of your bells and eliminates any concerns of possible pitch alteration. After all tarnish, oxidation, and corrosion has been thoroughly removed and all surfaces have been restored to their original jeweler’s or brushed finish, the castings will receive a final buffing to assure all polish residue has been completely removed. |
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Service and Repair |
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| Each clapper assembly is closely inspected and any necessary parts are replaced with only genuine manufacturer’s replacement parts, until each assembly has been restored to original factory specifications. Axles are cleaned or replaced as needed and bearing screws are adjusted until all rattles, clicks and squeaks are eliminated. Handles, handguards, and clapper heads are inspected for cracks, breakage or excess wear, and are replaced where necessary. |
 
Our European bell shop area is fully equipped with grinders, vises, clamps, torches, leather-working tools, drill press, riveting tools, punches, cutters, and everything else required for servicing all brands of European-made instruments. |
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Tension Adjustment and Voicing |
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During re-assembly, each restraining spring is individually adjusted to achieve a uniform and consistent playing response for every bell across the entire range of your set, and each clapper head is individually re-voiced to achieve an evenly-blended timbre throughout. This playing action adjustment and clapper head voicing requires great expertise and takes more time and attention than most shops are willing to commit. But it is our philosophy that professionally serviced bells should play as well as they look and you shouldn’t need to spend countless hours fussing with your bells after they return from the shop just to get them back into playing condition. |
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Pitch Analysis |
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A final pitch analysis is conducted with an electronic tuning device to check the accuracy of each casting. “Problem bells,” though rare, are identified for potential warranty follow-up between you and your manufacturer. No tuning of castings is performed at our facility.
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Return of your bells |
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Each bell is sealed in its own protective wrapper to prevent exposing the casting to excessive humidity or moisture on its return trip home. Instructions for re-acclimating your cases to their home environment are inserted in your cases. It is important to follow these instructions before disposing of the protective wrappers. |
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Service Report |
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When your bells are finished, you will be notified of their anticipated return shipping date, or a pick-up date will be arranged if you plan to retrieve your bells personally.
A written Handbell Service Report is provided detailing every repair, replacement part, adjustment made and any pitch problems discovered in your set. The service report will also make recommendations regarding future, repeat service intervals. We suggest you keep this report in your file for reference and as helpful information to future personnel regarding past service performed on the bells and future service requirements. |
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Based on the recommendations of your service report, you will receive a reminder notice by first class mail when your bells are due for their next service. |
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Follow-up Service
Our annual travel circuit allows us to provide
on-site follow-up service from coast to
coast.
Check our On-Site Service page and our
“MoBell Shop” page for more details
and contact us at your convenience to arrange on-site service
for your instruments. |
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Feedback
We always welcome feedback from our clients regarding the service you receive from us. We obviously assume it will be Client Praise, but please let us know if you find anything amiss. We also hope to hear from you immediately if you experience any problems with your bells before their next recommended service date.
Your toll-free call is always welcome at 800 375-BELL or 888 311-9955,
and you may e-mail us through the Contact page. |
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