Release that Witch

It was better used to create, because using it to fix was really too inconvenient, thereupon people would often try to fasten their product or place it in a recess on a table to fix their processed parts. For example, the early matchlock and flintlock gun barrels were placed into a recess on the anvil to be pounded out by hand.

Later, manual creation became too slow to meet demand, so they needed tools to increase production speed. The lathe could be used according to different purposes, the tools could be fixed according to each need, and the manual and machine processing could be used together. So, the lathe could effectively improve the strength of pure manual labor and could be changed for every weak point.

Roland also considered a manual milling machine.

Although the milling machine had various functions, he wanted to mainly use it in order to process involute gears, so its architecture could also be simplified correspondingly. With a slot for a fixed tooth plate and a rotatable steel disc, customized cutting gear could be easily manufactured with Anna’s help — by grinding off and polishing the top layer after it got heated to a red hot state, erasing the slag on the iron, and then immersing it water to harden it, it would become a highly rigid custom disc.

After the key problems were solved, Roland immediately gave Carter the order to hire two carpenters, who would build him a milling machine. Meanwhile, Anna continued to manufacture other metal parts in the castle backyard.

Roland had to say, that with Anna’s help, metal processing had become as easy as forming clay, especially after she had mastered the retrieval of her flame. At the moment she was pretreating small items, forming their rough shapes within her hands. Seeing Anna take an iron ingot in her hand, melt it without further help and shape it into the form she wanted caused Roland to sigh in wonder.

If he hadn’t been able to employ a witch, Roland thought, achieving his production program would be delayed by more than a decade.

Two days later, the first simple milling machine appeared in the backyard.

This time Roland wasn’t idle, drawing the gears could be regarded as his job. He designed a set of gears to be used for speed control and stabilizing the steam output. The corresponding tooth plate’s design was already normed, and Roland could only wait until the milling machine was completely assembled before they could start with the production of the gears.

Using gears wasn’t a new thing, most of the mines in this world used a winch mechanism to drain the water, which was built out of wooden gears and pulled by animals. The Chief Knight finally felt satisfied — last time, His Highness had done so many unfathomable things, but this time he could understand what the Prince tried to achieve.

Roland also gathered three blacksmiths with their apprentices, who would learn how to use the milling machine together. After all, he could not personally operate the machine every day, so it was necessary to train a group of professional workers.

After everyone respectfully bowed, Roland began to demonstrate how to use the milling machine to process the gears.

Roland didn’t mind acting as a teacher in front of everyone. In fact, what else could one do in this era? Plus, while doing this there was no one who could criticize his manners, so he could operate the machine without any pressure.

The Chief Knight was in charge of pouring hot lard into the machine as lubrication — naturally in this age there were no oil lubricants. Replacing it with lard was a bit of a waste, but it was still better than nothing. After drenching the disc, the lard would fall into a pot which was placed under the machine. With this, the lard could be reused several times.

Roland first placed the lower milling stone in accordance with the design he had engraved beforehand. Then, he set the tooth gear above it so that the tooth gear, the milling stone, and a wooden wheel were in one line. The wooden wheel was driven by a pedal and it’s power was transmitted to the lower millstone by a leather belt.

Then, he put his hands down to gently stabilize the disc handle, until the lower millstone and the slowly-moving tooth gear were at a 90° angle.

Because the material of the tooth disc was iron and the lower millstone was out of steel, cutting out the teeth marks was not very difficult. Due to the hot lard the yard was soon filled with a tasty smell, but because the blacksmiths and their apprentices hadn’t had meat in a long time, they had to swallow their saliva when smelling it.