need to make a bell ring by itself

Would people be close to the bell? My first thought was of a picture of a bell from the Haunted mansion that was being "rung be ghosts". It looked like a bell but just had a speaker inside that played sounds of a ringing bell.

yeah people are gonna walk right by It so its gotta move...good idea tho..that will be my last resort.

Do you have this bell already? How big is it? A wiper motor could do the trick nicely. Run it on 5 volts to slow it down, might be just what you need.

How big is the bell?
Could a small motor fit inside of it, with a cam on the axle?
If not, could a motor fit behind it where it couldn't be seen, again with a cam on the axle that hits the bell when the motor spins?

thanks for the ideas!! i'll try the wiper motor and see if it works out

Try a vibrating motor, like the ones in cheap shaking skeleton props.
I've Tried a bell attached to it and it works.

"Seizure skeleton..lol

Click to expand...

lol I accidently duplicated maybe..

If you want a heavt-duty bell-ringer find a power tool like a Wagner paint scraper and mount it solidly next to the bell,mount the bell solidly too. but ,of course it still has to"swing' some.
The paint scraper has a small blade that moved back and forth very quickly with strength. The bell will get "Tired" before the paint scraper does.
I bought mine at Goodwill ,brand new in the box for $2.00? 120volt tool.

If the bell or clapper is ferrous,Try an electromagnet...