Replacing the "bumper" on the chimestand

On Labor Day weekend, 5-7 September 2015, I finally completed a project that had been underway far too long.  There is a rubber bumper (probably the wrong term but I don't know what else to call it) above the handles that is supposed to cushion the shock when they bounce back after the clapper has struck the bell.  The old bumper wasn't cushioning anything.  It was far beyond its service life - hard and brittle and broken in a number of places.  I was lucky to find a polyurethane replacement that was the exact same size, basically a 1" square cross section.  The bumper is held in place by metal brackets on either side of each handle, which means there should have been twenty but one was completely missing and one was missing all but the top "L" so what was left was more like 18½ brackets.

The old "bumper" above the handles.  Note the "bulge" above the second handle from the right, 

the missing bracket to the right of the third handle, and the breaks above the fifth handle.  The dark stains on the wood above the bumper are testimony to a vain attempt to loosen the screws through lubrication. 

The problem that developed was that many of the screws holding the brackets to the chimestand had rusted in place due to the humidity in the tower over the years.  Only two came out using a screwdriver, the rest seemed to be welded in place.  Months of frustrations with very little progress followed.  Using an impact driver and other knuckle-busting "enhanced techniques" I was finally able to remove all but three of the brackets.  Over a year had passed since this project started (why it is often hard psychologically to start new projects).

My original plan had been to remove the rust from the brackets using a wire wheel on a rotary bench grinder and then paint them with rust-preventive paint.  Having bought a new screw extractor set, my original plan for the Labor Day weekend  had been to remove the last three brackets and start cleaning them up for repainting.  On the first screw, I succeeded in getting the pilot hole drilled pretty much dead center in the head of one of the rusted screws (that is at least half the battle).  Then I applied the screw extractor and it gripped the screw.  It was beginning to look like victory when the screw extractor broke.  Yes. indeed, the screw was so firmly rusted in place that the tip of the screw extractor had broken off and was firmly lodged in the head of the screw.

I felt defeated.  But then I got the idea I could make the project simpler and faster.  Maybe, with only three brackets to go through, I could thread the new polyurethane bumper through those three brackets.  Even though the brackets created a lot of friction, it worked.  I decided I could finish the job before then end of the day (Labor Day) by giving up the cleaning and painting of the brackets, at least for now.  The job would be done before I returned home.   After many delays and setbacks, it was time to wrap this project up.

The three recalcitrant brackets far right (one) and center right (two).

 The new polyurethane bumper threaded through the recalcitrant brackets and some of the other brackets screwed in place - with stainless steel screws.

All the available brackets in place.  The missing bracket position was moved to the left of the 2nd lightest bell (#8, 2nd handle from the left) since it has the second lightest clapper.  Since the lightest
bell (#9) is at the end of the bumper, I wanted to keep both brackets there.  You can also see the broken "half bracket" to the left of the 3rd handle from the left (#7 bell) which provides support against the top of the bumper where it is most needed when the handle comes flying back up.
  

The white vinyl 1x2 reinforcing bar screwed in place with brass (non-rusting) screws.  Before

installing the bar, I placed felts above each handle on top of the polyurethane bumper.  These did two

 things:  (1) they compensated for the thickness of the brackets; and (2) they provided additional "give" and cushioning when the handles strike the bumper.  The reinforcing bar should prevent the kind of bulges and breakages seen in the previous rubber bumper. 

Another view of the completed work.  Note the appearance of the two leftmost handles.  It is amazing

 what furniture polish and a little bit of elbow grease will do to erase the dust and years of neglect when there is good wood underneath assembled with true craftsmanship.  Meneely built these instruments for the ages. 

Another view of the completed work.