Tuning cuts

Tuning an old bell

To retune an old bell, metal is removed from different parts of the inside of the bell, depending on which partial frequencies need adjusting. The picture shows cuts in some areas only.

Tuning a new bell

Modern bells are cast deliberately thick, so all frequencies need tuning. Quite a lot of metal is removed in the process, but it is better than risking having to scrap a bell because part of it isn't quite thick enough to tune properly. As a result, a new bell has tuning cuts over the whole of the inside, as shown in the picture.