Chapter 1167: Industrial Feast
Védrine stood frozen for a full half-minute before nodding vigorously. "This is indeed an excellent method. No, it is a stroke of genius!"
He immediately whipped out a pen and spent several minutes feverishly scribbling calculations. Turning the verification sheet toward Joseph, he spoke with visible excitement. "It is perfect. The structural strength of the mold can fully support it. As long as we keep cold water circulating through the tube, the temperature of the inner layer of the barrel will not exceed 400 degrees Celsius, and it will quickly drop to 100 degrees."
The way he looked at Joseph had undergone a total transformation.
Previously, he had heard people claim that the "Son of Divine Favor" possessed many startling inventions, but he had always assumed those were simply works of others released under the Crown Prince's name for political prestige.
However, he had never heard of this specific casting solution before. It was clearly something the Crown Prince had come up with on the spot.
It was truly unimaginable. Though it seemed like a simple trick, it was profoundly creative and solved a major problem with ease!
'Thank you, Mr. Rodman,' Joseph thought to himself before giving a light cough. "Ahem, I am glad you find it effective.
"Oh, and do not apply for a patent for this technology. It is restricted to you and the internal members of the breech-loading cannon project. Maintain strict confidentiality. Naturally, the specific technical details will require your refinement."
On the surface, it was just running water through the center of a mold, but Joseph knew the actual operation would not be that simple. The material of the water pipes, their diameter, and the appropriate flow rate would all require repeated testing to determine.
As Carnot watched Védrine's calculation process, a thought suddenly struck him. "Your Highness, we could completely utilize this technology to manufacture traditional cannons.
"Casting cannons entirely from iron and steel would be more than 70 percent cheaper than using bronze.
"Furthermore, it would allow the craftsmen to familiarize themselves with the casting technology in advance, making it easier to cast the more structurally complex breech-loading cannons later on."
Joseph's eyes lit up upon hearing this.
It was true. If they stopped using bronze to cast cannons, it would save France a massive amount of copper.
France was a copper-poor nation, importing large quantities of the metal every year from Spain and Eastern Europe.
The Navy had been waiting anxiously for the chance to follow the British example of sheathing the bottoms of warships in brass to prevent damage from shipworms and barnacles. These marine organisms attached themselves to the wooden hulls, and in severe cases, could reduce a warship's speed by as much as 15 percent. Shipworms were even worse, devouring the hull planks and forcing a warship into major repairs after only a few years of service.
Previously, the French Navy could not bear to use their scarce copper on ship hulls. Now, the copper saved from the cannons would finally allow them to enjoy that "luxury."
Joseph immediately instructed Carnot, "Your suggestion is excellent! Add one or two casting experts to the project team to research iron cannon technology alongside Mr. Védrine. Once the technology is mature, separate them into a dedicated department responsible for casting muzzle-loading cannons."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Joseph then recalled the matter of the Minié ball. "By the way, I also need a technician who is proficient in firearm design and, ideally, familiar with mold processing. Do you have a suitable recommendation?"
"Mr. Suhl," Carnot replied instantly. "He designed the ignition mechanism for the Charleville Pattern 1777, including the molds. He happens to have no other assignments at the moment."
Joseph nodded. "Good, please have him come to see me as soon as possible."
He didn't have exceptionally high requirements for this technician, as it only involved designing the bullet's shape, and he could sketch the general outline for him.
The design meeting for the breech-loading cannon lasted until three in the afternoon. Once Joseph finished explaining the design concepts, there wasn't much left for him to do.
Not long after he returned to Versailles, he saw Eman entering with a white-haired, small-eyed elderly man.
"Your Highness, this is Mr. Arnault Georges Suhl," Eman said with a bow.
The old man hastily pressed his hand to his chest and bowed. "Respected Crown Prince, Mr. Carnot informed me that you require my services."
Joseph nodded with a smile, signaling for him to sit. He then had Clauzel bring over a Pattern 1790 Chasseur Rifle and a round of ammunition. Turning to Suhl, he said, "I need you to design a new type of bullet. It must be easily loaded into a rifle without the need to hammer it against a pin at the bottom of the powder chamber before firing.
"Oh, and you will also need to design a set of steel molds for casting the bullets."
Suhl reflected for a moment, his expression respectful. "Your Highness, though I do not yet know what kind of bullet you desire, if I may be so bold, producing bullets by casting molten lead may not be entirely feasible. As you know, casting creates adhesion and a large number of burrs. Craftsmen would still need to polish them by hand, which isn't much faster than making them manually from the start."
Joseph made a downward pressing motion with his hand. "We will design a steel plate with runner grooves between it and the mold. Then, we will compress the mold to squeeze out all the excess molten lead. In this way, after cooling and demolding, the bullet will be more than 95 percent complete, requiring only minimal manual finishing."
Suhl was stunned, then blurted out, "Your Highness, that would require considerable pressure, and it would need to be very uniform."
Joseph nodded. "That is why we will use a steam forging press."
"Ah? What is that?"
"It is in His Majesty's experimental workshop. You will only need the 0.4-ton version; that will be more than enough."
Suhl felt as though he had suddenly stepped into a completely new world.
...
Half a month later.
At the Nancy Industrial Development Zone.
Outside the first-class experimental workshop of the French United Steam Engine Company, Murdoch waved his hand with a dark expression. "Respected Mr. Carnot, I really cannot let you use the milling machine for the next few days."
He gestured toward a senior assistant from the Royal Workshop in the distance. "Mr. Aymeric needs it for three hours every day. Mr. Suhl has an order personally signed by the Crown Prince, requiring at least an hour and a half.
"This is already severely infringing upon our experimental time. If you continue to..."
Carnot quickly offered a conciliatory smile. "You see, I am also carrying out a design task for His Highness."
Murdoch let out a long sigh. "God, have mercy! You haven't even finished drawing the blueprints yet."
"That is exactly why I need to process some parts—to help us complete the design." Carnot reached into a cloth bag he was carrying and pulled something out. Seeing no one around, he quietly tucked it into Murdoch's arms. "One hour every two days."
The latter looked down and saw a bottle of "Queen of Bordeaux" wine produced by Château Margaux. His eyes instantly lit up. "Uh... one hour every three days. Truly, I cannot give any more than that."
This wine cost 120 francs a bottle and was incredibly difficult to find.
To gain access to the high-precision milling machine, Carnot was truly going all out.
Lately, the workshop of the United Steam Engine Company had become incredibly lively. Top technicians specializing in cannons, revolvers, steam forging presses, and high-pressure steam engines were all gathered here, as if attending a grand industrial feast of the French Revolution.
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