The First National Preceptor of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 59

After four or five days of hard work, all the parts were finally processed. The parts were assembled one by one, and finally a machine that Xu Tian could call crudely made was formed.

He wasn't worried about whether the machine could operate; its structure wasn't complicated, and it would be perfectly fine to get it moving. His only concern was whether its performance and quality would meet the minimum requirements.

"Get ready, let's begin." The machine was fixed to the ground, and Xu Tian and Song Liang stood on either side, each holding one end of a long handle, moving up and down like a seesaw.

At a command, the two men began to swing the handle up and down. The power was transmitted through the turntable, gears, and connecting rods to the saw handle, and the saw began to move up and down back and forth.

Xu Tian felt the pressure in his hand; since it was unloaded, it was quite easy. He then reached out and touched the saw handle to feel its stability.

The stability of the saw blade is crucial. If it is unstable, the cutting surface will be uneven, and the saw blade will easily break, making it unusable.

Fortunately, this aspect was a key consideration during the initial design phase, and the iron components used were precisely controlled to the highest possible level. In addition, to reduce saw blade vibration and enhance strength, the saw body was specially widened and thickened, making it much sturdier than the blades of ordinary hand wood saws.

"Come on, foreman, let's try it out with a piece of wood."

"okay."

The blacksmith and his two apprentices lifted a tree trunk as thick as a bowl, placed it on the platform, and then pushed it so that the cut surface was aligned with the up-and-down moving saw teeth.

When the saw teeth made contact with the wood surface, the saw blade seemed to pause, and Xu Tian felt a weight in his hand.

"Song Liang, give it your all."

As the two people exerted force simultaneously, the saw blade moved rapidly again.

With a hissing sound, a cutting line appeared on the cut surface of the wood. Fortunately, the saw blade withstood the force; Xu Tian's biggest fear was that the saw blade would snap.

With the help of several people, the wood was cut in half. Checking the cut surfaces, they were generally neat; they just needed to be leveled slightly with a pusher later.

"It looks great, much smoother than what you get from a hand saw," Song Liang commented with a smile. After participating for a while, he was no longer a complete novice.

"It still feels a bit strenuous; it's easier with two people," Xu Tian said, expressing his feelings.

There are advantages and disadvantages. In order to increase the frequency of saw blade movement, a gear speed change is used in the middle.

In addition, the saw blade is wider and thicker, which increases the cutting resistance. We also need to consider the loss of machine transmission force. In short, the required force is more than doubled, but the cutting speed is also relatively faster.

"I don't think it's too strenuous. It's much less strenuous than using a saw by hand. I watched them sawing, and they started sweating very quickly. After cutting this one, they were probably drenched in sweat."

"That's true."

“Xu Lang, I have seen wealthy families by the river who use waterwheels to irrigate their fields. They do not need manpower at all; they are driven by the flow of water.”

There's a river right outside this wall. If this machine could also be powered by water, wouldn't it save manpower? That would be a wonderful thing. Mr. Xu, do you think it's possible to do it?" Chai the blacksmith suggested.