Rise of Rurik

Waiting for the arrival of the chromite ore (for refractory bricks), the laying of the furnace liner, and the most critical baking and hardening of the furnace, which was supposed to be completed in July, was abruptly delayed until August.

After a long time, Kravassen took time to complete the second wooden centrifugal blower, and his main task of making clay molds for casting was also successfully completed.

It was a mold made of two molds, fired from fine clay, mixed with lime and zircon powder, and it smoldered in the fire for two days until it became a very hard texture. Pottery mold.

It can be said that in order to meet the needs of Klavathon, the potters of the Ross tribe finally have the will to make more advanced pottery.

For ordinary living pottery, it is enough to burn clay, and the black pottery and brown pottery produced are suitable for daily use.

Potters have long known that adding some ore powder to the clay can greatly improve the performance of the pottery. However, the result of this is that the cost will soar, and its price will naturally increase. For a long time, the higher price of pottery has been lack of consumers. Since Kravassen came from his own pocket, the technology that everyone has hidden in his heart finally has a place to use.

It wasn't just the hard pottery mold that needed to cast the hemispherical cauldron.

At the same time smoldering in the charcoal fire, there are as many as four sets of molds for casting axes.

The pottery will join hands with the blacksmiths. At first, they cast the incredible pig iron as if it were cast in bronze. The only thing to note is that the temperature of the molten iron is higher.

So, apart from the slight surprise of the temperature, is the process of the two very different?

Even Clavasson, who had never done pig iron casting, was cognitively guessing.

Let's just follow the pattern of casting bronze, maybe as long as the mold is stronger, everything will be fine.

They made molds according to the model of casting bronze axes, and one mold could cast four axe pieces.

Times have changed. In today's era, no one pursues a bronze axe anymore. The reason why the Rus people no longer pursue it is because the cost of materials is really high, and secondly, the iron axe made of ordinary blocks of iron. On par with the performance of the bronze axe.

Especially at the moment of technological innovation, there is already a carbon steel axe with a quenching and carburizing process. It seems that those tools in the past are too bad.

After all, molten iron casting is to get iron more efficiently.

But from the outset, Kravassen ignored Rurik's teachings about the carbon ratio.

He felt that there was little difference between cast iron and forged iron. Thinking of producing axes and swords by sweating like rain, it would be better to cast iron directly. Perhaps only after a real failure can he realize that pig iron, wrought iron and steel are essentially similar and different.

But just casting axe blades that can be tied to a wooden stick, such an axe is actually used as a daily tool or a weapon in battle. At least for an enemy who only wears hides, it's quite enough.

A total of five sets of molds received the completed firing and they became hard beings.

They are indeed hard, and their resistance to the ablation of pig iron is still a little worrying. The only good thing is that no one thinks that these molds can be used a second time.

In the hearts of potters and blacksmiths, the mold that can be used many times is probably the iron mold. It is an expensive treasure and its usefulness is limited to the casting of bronze utensils.

For the production of larger bronze castings, the Rus people have always used disposable molds. After the casting is completed, it is naturally cooled, and the method of taking out the castings is to knock the molds into pieces with a sledgehammer.

Now the planned pig iron casting, and the mold made with great effort, can't avoid the fate of being smashed.

Fortunately, the shreds are mixed with new clay and can be reshaped into new molds in the fire.

Before the casting took place, no one could see the prospect of it.

Even Rurik, when all these molds were transported to the stove and to the outlet of the hardened ceramic casting trough, he saw these well-made molds and praised them at first, and after asking about the materials used, he also praised them. A little worried.

What Rurik was most worried about was the fear that the hot molten iron would melt through the mold.

He grabbed his hair and asked Kravason: "Maybe you should add some chrome ore powder to the mold to make it more heat resistant."

"Oh my lord, this is the best mold the brothers can make. When a new mold is made, I will try it according to your plan."

After all, the potters behind Clavasson all laughed.

Rurik looked at them and nodded with satisfaction: "I thought that the casting could be done by you, Kravasen, but now it seems that I have to unite with all the potters."

Clavasson, who smelled a different scent, hurriedly said: "My lord, if you want to cast on a large scale, you must rely on their strength. And I, I am weak."

"That's true."

For a long time Rurik was most concerned with blacksmiths, shipbuilders and carpenters. It seems that the potter's job is limited to making cookware and other cheap containers, leading to his own neglect.

Rurik hurriedly asked the names of all six potters, confirmed their family's address in the tribe, and nodded silently, taking it to heart.

He settled down: "It seems that the future work really needs the union of the blacksmith and the potter."

"Indeed. They can make the best clay molds, and my family does the smelting."

Cravason said some nonsense, in fact, he just hoped that he would not take up other jobs too much, because there is a specialization in the art industry.

"It seems that I do have a lot of work for you." Rurik put his hands on his waist and called the potter to his side, "Let's do it. In the future, pottery and iron smelting will be combined, and you people will make the pottery I need full-time. Moulds. As for the price, I will pay according to the usual rules." Rurik also added that he would not owe his wages.

Usually the potters of the Rus tribe sell their products, most of the time priced by weight. In order to sell more, of course, they can make the pottery small and heavy, and even after doing so, the buyer can realize that he will be deceived.

Both buyers and sellers are shrewd people, so this set of pottery within the tribe is exchanged for silver coins and copper coins in equal proportions, which is relatively stable.

A huge black-burning furnace oppressed all who approached it.

Rurik often noticed the occasionally quivering eyes of the potters, who were looking at the blast furnace!

"Oh, it looks like the opportunity is ripe. Clavason, you're here with the molds, and we're finally able to get to work."

"Sure. There's a second blower, and it hasn't moved out yet," Kravassen added effusively.

This old guy has always paid special attention to the time of smelting, and it is obvious that he is now a witness who is eager to become a miracle immediately.

"Then let's get started!"

Rurik made a great start, slapping his hands vigorously, and chanting his horns.

The first to act was a child like Kamne. After a while, Kawi, who was holding the blower together with the mercenary captain Yevlo, finally walked out of the house.

At the same time, a group of mercenaries became the cheapest labor force. They wore simple, compact burlap shirts, ignoring the toner-dyed turquoise clothes. They weren't too dirty, because the clothes would get soaked in sweat very quickly, and everyone was almost destined to end up shirtless.

There are mercenaries on the steps next to the blast furnace, who take the bundled charcoal blocks handed over by their companions in turn, or simply throw a bundle of firewood into the furnace.

There are also mercenaries, who are checking whether the clay that closes the slag outlet and the iron outlet is properly landfilled.

The slag outlet is designed at a higher position, and the drainage groove is also at a higher position.

Only the tap hole, which is at the bottom of the furnace, is an inclined hole drawn from the bottom of the furnace for the outflow of pig iron. The molten iron will flow into the drainage tank fired by the clay, and finally there will be a clay crucible to take over it, or direct drainage such as a mold for casting.

It took them nearly half a day to stuff a lot of firewood and charcoal into the stove.

It was almost evening again, and Kawi handed a fire to Rurik, who was standing on the highest steps.

"Dear, throw it in and light the stove."

"Okay! Let's put in the ore when the stove is hot." After that, Rurik glanced at the common hematite and magnetite piled up like a hill on the ground.

At the same time, hundreds of people gathered around the huge stove, and even Rurik's mother and his future wives and concubines came here.

His friend was a little hesitant to watch, and Kawi finally shouted: "Rurik, throw it away!"

There is no longer any hesitation.

Rurik let go of his little hand, and the torch sank into the stove.

At this moment, the two centrifugal blowers that had been on standby, under the control of strong mercenaries, began to spray a strong airflow into the furnace.

In the dark furnace, a solitary fire would have taken a while to ignite the charcoal. But the influx of fresh air was too strong, and the charcoal was igniting rapidly.

It was just some green smoke at first, and the smoke became more and more intense, and the strong smell of burning wood forced Rurik to cover his mouth and nose and withdraw from the steps.

Not long after he came down, he turned around abruptly amid the cheers of everyone, only to see that red flame, like the magnificent tail flame of a jet fighter, it was gushing vigorously. I'm afraid the only thing that makes him unhappy is that the flame is red.

"That's great. We succeeded?" Klavathon's impatient look left Rurik a little speechless.

"Where did we succeed?"

"Look! The stove, it's on fire."

"No!" Rurik shook his head vigorously. "What does this mean? It's just the beginning."

Clavason and his allies beamed with enthusiasm. "Okay, my friend. When are we going to put in the ore?"

"When?" Rurik held his chin and thought for a moment, then suddenly said: "We can't expect to put fresh fish on the fire for a blink of an eye, and expect the fish to be fragrant and oily. You know. I mean? It's that flame! When it turns yellow fire, put in the ore."

"Good! I hope I can see the molten iron soon."

"Forget it, this time we have to smelt a lot of ore, and in the end, a lot of molten iron will flow out! The casting mold you can provide is not enough."

"Huh?!" Cravathan was taken aback. "This... maybe we should put less ore for safety. I'm afraid it will collapse again."

"No. Don't worry about it collapsing either. It's me! It's the new stove I instructed you to make, and it won't collapse the first time you use it." Rurik's attitude became very firm, and he pointed to the pile that was close to himself. The tall pile of ore, "Since they have all been transported, let's smelt them desperately!"

"But too much molten iron, you just let it flow and condense on the ground? We don't have enough molds."

"It doesn't matter."

Rurik not only spoke his words, but his demeanor and actions showed his attitude.

"Ah. Wouldn't it be a serious waste if we did this? Heck, we can't do it now. Let's make a simple mold now, even if it's not of good quality, at least guarantee the shape of the tool after casting."

"Oh?" Rurik was a little surprised. He thought for a moment. If Kravassen and the potters took advantage of the fact that the molten iron had not yet been smelted, it would take two or three days to burn a batch of clay molds of even poor quality. The erosion effect of molten iron is serious, and the shape of the casting can still be guaranteed to a great extent.

In this era, there are not too many technical requirements for castings, but they are used as production tools, such as commonly used manuscripts and axes, or shovels. People do not ask for it to be exquisitely made, but only for practicality and cost performance.

In fact, the problem that Rurik thought of was not at all about how to ensure the one-stop work from opening the tap hole to the completion of the casting in the first time.

Pig iron is pig iron, even if it solidifies on the ground, it is still pig iron. Even if some small sand and gravel are attached, a small amount of pollutants will eventually become gas or flowing slag after secondary processing.

Rurik knew that the purpose of hoarding sponge iron in the Kravasen family and other blacksmith families was to have enough primary materials for the subsequent blacksmithing.

There were originally only five blacksmith families in Ross, and they made a treaty with each other and became a primitive and primitive blacksmith guild. Their process has long since been upgraded to the point of processing mild steel.

As long as conditions permit, they will not hesitate to process the iron at hand into low-carbon steel, so that the southern merchants who enter Roseburg like migratory birds every year buy steel tools and weapons at high prices.

To process iron into steel is to use some processes to control the internal carbon ratio to an appropriate level.

A large amount of pig iron is smelted and condensed into iron ingots of white iron, which is an alternative stockpiling.

As long as the tribesmen are not picky, cast white iron can also make do with farming tools.

But here at Rurik, he just wanted to smash these iron ingots into finger-sized pieces, and put them in a traditional furnace for long-term roasting at about 900°C. The carbon content decreased rapidly, and finally merged with each other, and fished out in the form of a huge hot iron mound for forging.

This is the method of frying steel, and it is also the most cost-effective method for producing low carbon steel that Rurik feels can be achieved in the Ross tribe.

For the time being, Rurik had no intention of telling Klawson about his plan to make mild steel by frying steel, and he couldn't force the old guy and other blacksmiths to get enlightened instantly.

The stove was on fire, and it was a bit of a dream to expect it to burn to the point where it could smelt pig iron in half a day.