Chapter 75 Craftsmanship

The Afang Office built a hydraulic workshop on the canal in Jinguang Gate. This place was originally a dock where the gate was driven by the agency to increase the water level and facilitate grain transportation, but was expropriated by He Zhizhang.

Many things on the gates are ready-made, which makes it easier to build a workshop, so this experimental house was almost completely renovated within half a month.

He Zhizhang came to Zhongshi for a check-up and ordered the craftsmen to start work and test pressure.

I saw someone open the gate to release water, and soon it caused the water truck to rotate. An official from the Afang Office shouted: Put it on if it burns red!

After hearing this, the two craftsmen carried a piece of fiery red iron with iron tongs and placed it on the anvil.

With a loud bang, He Zhizhang felt a flash of fire in front of his eyes, and subconsciously closed his eyes.

how?He opened his eyes and asked casually.

A craftsman replied: The whole piece of iron that Ming Gong asked for was too heavy and the force was not enough to be suppressed.

He Zhizhang's heart sank, and he saw someone trying for a long time, but he really couldn't hit the whole iron plate.

There was no choice but to ask someone to burn a small piece, which can be forged now...

Finally, it was not wasted any effort. The manpower could not hit the iron just now with a hammer, and the strength of the mechanism was finally much greater.

After multiple tests, experienced craftsmen estimated that the hammer force of this water drain was about 400 kilograms, which far exceeded the arm strength of the strong Lifu.

The Jiafang Office Order Zeng Jin flattered: He Shilang is well-versed in Yin and Yang physics, which makes the workshop very effective. After the transformation time, it will definitely increase the hammer force.Here, the waterway has a low drop, and the water drainage is also small. Let’s choose another place where the mountains and flow water are flowing. What should we do if we hire skilled craftsmen to rebuild the water drainage?

I'm afraid the time limit is not enough.He Zhizhang pondered for a moment, and when he looked at the water power, I thought that even if he changed to a larger water drain, he would not be able to forge the entire piece of armor within a short period of time.

An old craftsman next to him said: Why don’t Ming Gong cast a piece of iron first, then burn red and beat it, and grind it into shape?

He Zhizhang asked: How long does it take to create a pair of armor like this?

The craftsman thought for a long time before saying: After burning softness, he must be heated again. If this is repeated, there are many repair and grinding processes, and it will probably take several months... A group of skilled craftsmen will need, and most people cannot take this job.

He Zhizhang's brows were not spreading and thinking hard. He did not respond to the craftsman's words. The officials did not dare to say much when they saw his expression.After a while, he waved to let the accompanying officials leave the workshop.

Zeng Jin asked carefully: Did this workshop... return it to Tuncang?

Isn’t it easier to use a heart protection mirror to make more labor-saving?

He Zhizhang turned around and said, "It's not that easy to press out the armor so simply. I first see how they burn iron with charcoal. Whatever they burn depends entirely on experience. Heat is also a problem.We can't just go to one place, we have to find another way.

Yes...yes.Zeng Jin was amused in his heart, but he was still dealing with it seriously.

After a lot of trouble, the process of heating iron blocks in the workshop was long and it took not much time. When they walked out, the whole morning passed without realizing it.

Zeng Jin and others looked up at the sun and reminded him: Please ask Mr. He to go back to the official office for dinner. It will be not too late to be busy in the afternoon.

He Zhizhang said: I have to have a meal after I have done some serious business, and I have to have a tea and chat after the meal?Then what else can we do!Now let’s go to the manufacturing workshop of your Afang Office to take some pancakes and fill your hunger with water. Why do you need to spend more time?

The group had to follow Mr. He to the craftsman workshop of the Jiafang Bureau. There were almost no local officials coming, and only minor officials came to pass on messages and handle the job. It was rare to see so many officials suddenly.

When He Zhizhang arrived at the place, he found that there were not many people inside. He felt a little unhappy and asked Zeng Jin: Since today is not a vacation, where are the people working?

Zeng Jin said: The rated forged armor of the imperial court has been completed this year. The damaged armor stored last year was basically repaired last month, and only a few were left, so the Afang Office temporarily dismissed most of the craftsmen and left only a few people to finish.Wait for the government office to sign a new batch of armor-breaking before recruiting people to work.

He Zhizhang said: If a war occurs somewhere in the border area at this time and the armor is damaged, will you repair it until next year?

Zeng Jin's face looked a little ugly, and pointed to a busy craftsman and said: Look at this armor, it requires hundreds of fish-scale armor pieces to supplement it. From creating these armor pieces to being intact, it will not be a day's effort.

He Zhizhang said: You have dismissed people, why don’t you make some scales when you are free and add them when it is damaged?

Zeng Jin couldn't help laughing and said seriously: These armors were made five years ago or three years ago, and were made by countless different craftsmen. The current armor pieces may not match them.What's more, people are tall, short, fat and thin, and they wear different clothes. How can they save so much trouble?

Haha... He Zhizhang suddenly laughed and pointed at Zeng Jin and said, "I know where your problem lies. I have a solution."We'll be dispersed today. I promise that a pair of armor can be made within two months and repair it only takes half a month.

I have never understood why.

He Zhizhang hurried back to the official office and asked someone to move some files from the Afang Office, and started working all night with his staff.

The first thing he started was to formulate armor standards.

This is also the experience I got when opening a cotton spinning workshop. At that time, many workshops in Luoyang were bought or recruited by people who were brought by farmers. The models of each village were different, and once the broken spinning wheels were delayed. He Zhizhang specially recruited craftsmen to build some spinning wheels according to the prescribed size. The size standards were almost the same. They could be replaced immediately if they were damaged in a certain place. In addition, specially hired craftsmen to improve the equipment from time to time, so the speed of cloth production in his workshop continued to increase.

Now the problems of the Afang Office are just like those of those small workshops, which is also the reason for their inefficiency.

What seems simple is actually difficult to detect in this era, because the entire society is a loose small peasant structure, and people act independently. Except for military and political institutions, there are few opportunities for large-scale collaborative work. Even large-scale projects such as canal construction and fortifications are temporarily requisitioned to gather together.

Therefore, it is normal for the armor to be confused.

He Zhizhang's knowledge is much higher than that of ordinary people, and he happened to have experience, which made him discover the problem.

If Xue Chongxun spent his energy to do this, he would definitely understand it. Because of the amount of knowledge. However, the entire country and court have many links, and he would not have time to handle it. If he did it, he would not be able to separate himself and do another one. Using the right person is the most effective method.