Two huge furnaces were emitting green smoke, and if you looked closely, flames were erupting, like two erupting volcanoes.
Rurik came quietly and did not attract anyone's attention.
But I saw shirtless men everywhere, many with scars on their bodies, and many with gray beards.
It was obviously a cold period, why were they dressed so coolly?
Not only them, Rurik stood here, and even his entourage took off their cold coats.
Because here are not only two earthen blast furnaces, but also a number of traditional small furnaces. This is the blazing core of the Roseburg Industrial Zone.
He soon saw a familiar figure.
It's Kawei!
A young man covered in tendons shouted a chant, while a group of men lined up with clay grinding tools.
Kawei personally held a regular iron rod. Seeing that many people had gathered in line, he suddenly shouted: "The slag is coming!"
He pierced the slag channel at the bottom of the blast furnace, and the hot and viscous silicate substances flowed out quickly. As fertilizer, they flowed to the side along the grooves preset by the iron ore, and soon someone was carrying the melted snow.
The water splashed hard.
Suddenly, pungent steam exploded...
The strong steam even hit Rurik in the face. He squinted and held his breath, watching the steam gradually dissipate. He saw that the slag had turned into a pile of cracked black matter, which was still steaming.
, it was quickly beaten by servants with shovels and hammers, and a large amount of broken slag was shoveled aside and thrown into the mountain of slag forming a hillock.
Obviously even slag has great uses, and Rurik guessed its role almost instantly - serving as filling stones for making original concrete with cement. Indeed, the main component of these silicate slags is silica, and what's even better is that
They do not contain sea salt and are indeed good concrete fillers. In other words, if everything is a historical necessity, the cement industry in Soviet Russia in history was particularly good at utilizing these metallurgical waste water and slag. Now the Principality of Russia is suddenly interested.
The cement industry, which has a very limited scale, uses water slag to make concrete materials, which is actually a good destiny.
After the initial treatment of the slag, Kawei yelled again: "The molten iron is coming! Brothers, get ready!"
Those who operate the rotary blowers are covered in sweat. Each furnace has three air inlets, equipped with three blowers, and each blower is operated by two people.
They are blast furnaces, not those of extreme size. The amount of molten ore that can be placed inside is limited, so the air intake requirements for the blower are not extreme.
With the current technological level of the Russian people, both blast furnaces can operate reasonably. Oxygen is poured in at high intensity, and a belly of molten iron accumulates at the bottom. As Kawei pierces the taphole, bright yellow molten iron quickly gushes out.
, injected into the prepared mold with flames.
Kawei has been able to control the iron output relatively accurately, so the people waiting with the molds are also quantitatively controlled.
When one mold is filled, it is pulled aside by the iron drill to wait for natural cooling. As many as fifty molds line up to be filled one after another.
What is this being cast? Rurik estimates that it is probably the most common iron axe. After all, the cast iron is all pig iron. It is precisely because the carbon content is too high that Ross can melt the ore with such a crude technology. As a price for the simplicity,
Don't expect to use it as a knife. But it is quite suitable as a tool such as a hammer and ax that can be used in a variety of environments. Of course, it is not as good as the magical stuff made of chromium iron. It is better than the low cost. Even if it is shipped to Bill in Mälaren
In the Kabazaar, one can easily defeat the fellow blacksmiths of the Granites by relying on their cost advantage.
The fact is that the traditional tool iron tools of the Russians have already monopolized the Birka Market in an instant due to their cost-effectiveness advantage, which is equivalent to occupying the Swedish market during this period. This actually left the new Swedish King Bjorn speechless and helpless.
thing.
Rurik just watched them complete the casting of a furnace of iron, and he even thought that Kawei had made preparations and gave a demonstration to himself at the time when the iron was cast. Is this the so-called flattery?
Maybe it's just a coincidence.
Kawei indeed did not notice Rurik. He and his people had been busy with metal smelting for the past year. Looking at the two blast furnaces, they were of course used to smelt molten iron, and they also occasionally smelted bronze.
Even when using this furnace to smelt pure copper water, bronze is more efficient, but copper ore is not as blessed as iron ore.
"Well done! Brothers, let's keep up our efforts, put in the ore and charcoal, and let's continue!"
Kawei gave the order, and in a moment, someone brought the materials onto the hot earth platform and threw them one after another into the mouth of the cupola, which burned people to ashes in almost a minute.
"They continue to smelt? It's amazing. Our Rus is so great. People in my hometown should really see it." Jevro said with emotion.
This statement reminded Rurik: "Those hundred Suomi shooters haven't gone home yet. Maybe we shouldn't just let them cut trees. Send them here to work? In my opinion, they are too thin."
"Then let them carry the ore. Sir, I know what you are thinking. You see, these two furnaces are monsters that devour ore. If Kawei and the others are allowed to work so hard, the ore supply will definitely not be enough..."
"You?" Rurik turned his head and glared at Jevro with a smile: "You actually saw that the supply of ore for the furnace was insufficient? You are much smarter than many people. Simply being a martial artist is a demerit. You are me
The one you like! I already know your idea, it may be feasible, and I agree. Let’s go! Let’s see the Kawei brothers.”
Rurik's visit did not surprise Kawei too much. He had come quietly before.
After asking Kawei for a while, he responded fluently, but even if it was an inspection, it would be too uncomfortable to continue to stay in this hell like the Flame Mountain.
"Kawei, wipe all your sweat away. We are gathering in your parliament chamber. You! Smelting metal, you are such a hero!"
Kawei felt happy to be praised. It was because of this praise that he also understood that Rurik was about to issue a new important decree.
Can you make a lot of money? Indeed, you and your friends work together to run a large-scale "blacksmith shop". All the blacksmith families have made a fortune, and the servants have also made good profits.
But Kawei's mind has long been infected by the dream of "Atomic Theory". He no longer feels that he is just smelting iron and copper, but understanding and using the power of God Thor, even...
Kawei, he often stared at the wooden board that Rurik directed the carving, which was a rough version of the periodic table of elements.
He just stared at the gold marked with the Roman letters AU, eager to create it! Maybe that was too unrealistic, but he had become the number one metallurgist in Russia through constant operation of blast furnaces and ordinary furnaces.
This is what Rurik wants to see the most. This guy Kawei has clearly far surpassed his father.
However, Russia's metallurgical industry cannot be built on a few super craftsmen. The metallurgical industry needs a whole, a group of people who are dedicated to this task and can immediately expand production.
Kawei changed into fur clothes, but the smell of coke and rust still lingered on his body.
Kawei tried his best to suppress his excitement and asked casually: "If you don't mind, can you tell me what you want to order..."
"It doesn't matter." Rurik pointed at the stove casually, "I want to further expand production capacity. Even if we don't rely on war and plunder, we can make a lot of money just by selling iron."
"That's a great thing! Aren't we already doing this? Maybe you think it's not enough. But..."
"Yes! A lot of problems! Don't worry, I will make arrangements and I will try my best to solve the problem."
"That's great."
The blacksmiths have built an industrial alliance a few years ago. At first, it was just a connection of "professional blacksmiths". Now they are an organization that advances and retreats together, relying on the contract with Rurik to carry out activities. Their production activities have always been
With the endorsement of Duke Ross, the development of the industry has been smooth sailing.
Due to the demand for infrastructure within the Principality of Rus, an unprecedentedly huge domestic demand market is taking shape. Where there is demand, there is a market, and where there is a market, there is profit.
All the blacksmith families spontaneously became the leaders of Ross industry. Even if they did not need Rurik's administrative order and succumbed to the power of capital, they would inevitably start development.
The heavy industry of metal smelting is by no means simply about melting ore into liquid and then processing it into tools. It actually drives various supporting industries, directly or indirectly allowing a group of relatively unemployed people to invest in new production, thus sharing the industrial dividends.
.
The state machinery of the Principality of Rus is in operation!
What Rurik saw was that many people were accumulating wealth around the heavy industry of the primary industry. Many people did not need to participate in war and plunder, or even do fishing. They could stay in their hometowns and do metallurgical work.
Share the benefits.
He has nothing to lament about. After all, the metallurgical industry of heavy industry is the foundation of a country's rise.
No, the heads of all five blacksmith families gathered in their shared meeting room.
Not only them, Kamne and Lyrica also came. It seemed strange that the two of them appeared among the white-bearded old men. It happened that they had now become a small but important pillar of Ross's industrial power.
If the people engaged in light and heavy industry in Rossburg are forced to gather together, and hundreds of craftsmen with various skills gather together, the "Ross Duma" hall of the Principality of Ross will become extremely important.
The old guys gathered looked at each other happily, and when Rurik entered the room, pairs of eyes came to him again.
Rurik also smiled, casually sitting cross-legged on the leather cushion, and ordered his followers to stand guard at the door.
"It's quite warm in this room. The flames in the fireplace may be brighter." He said casually.
With a smile, Klavasen casually put in new charcoal blocks and claimed: "It's easy to make charcoal. We are not short of charcoal here."
From this, their negotiations began.
Everyone is very familiar with each other, and Rurik will undoubtedly make meaningless greetings, starting with a few polite greetings, which is the main body of the picture book.
What he wanted to know most was exactly how many people were currently engaged in smelting metals. To be more specific, how many laborers were employed by this group of senior blacksmiths.
Here, even if old Klavasen suddenly ages greatly, he is too senior and has the greatest say.
"We employ two hundred workers of all kinds, who provide all kinds of labor for the operation of our various stoves. In addition, there are at least twenty clay craftsmen who supply us with molds, and even more people who make charcoal.
We have no employment relationship with them. They sell molds and charcoal, and several of our families give them money. The supply of molds and charcoal is very stable, and there has been no problem until now. If there is a problem, it is the problem you can best understand. Sir, we
The supply of ore is not stable..."
Rurik listened with all ears, Klavasen spoke, his mind analyzing.
Indeed, although the clay mold is a disposable tool, it can be discarded after the metal casting is completed. The damaged mold can be ground into powder and recharacterized, and it can be shaped again after being fired anew. Clay minerals are not rare here in Roseburg, and the mold can be used twice.
Once utilized, the craftsmen who made the molds could indeed be busy working every day to make money. After all, Rurik had personally seen that when the blast furnace produced molten iron, a large number of molds would be used at once.
As for charcoal, the only fuel, the woods near Roseburg are still lush. Although those tall oaks and pine trees have been cut down for ship lumber a long time ago, and other trees are cut down to make charcoal, no one feels sorry for it. In fact, people are happy to see it.
The nearby forests disappear so that the people of Roseburg can successfully obtain land for production and living from nature.
"Ore supply problem? Let me guess, you just have a serious shortage of labor force!" Rurik's words were decisive, and he determined that this was the crux that would restrict future development.
Old Klavasen poked his head in, and the other old guys all poked their heads in.
"Exactly, sir! As for how many men and women there are in mining, we brothers have really not calculated it carefully. There are even women carrying rattan baskets and carrying tools to dig rocks in the mountains. We don't care whether the miners are men.
Yes, women, as long as they bring the ore, we will pay the same labor fee. Even so, the supply of iron ore is not enough, so your dozens of little blacksmiths, on average... have to go to the mountainous area in five days
Collective mining,” Klavasen described.
"Is that so? I really don't understand. You really need a lot of ore?" Rurik asked almost knowingly.
Kawei puffed out his chest and said: "Of course we need ore. You said that we can make a lot of money selling Russian ironware, and it is true. For the prosperity of our Rus, I have to take responsibility. I will demand desperately.
Brothers have stopped production. You know, it was very windy and snowy a few days ago, but the flame of the blast furnace has never been extinguished. I dare say that only when the blast furnace naturally collapses at the end of its lifespan, the long-burning fire will really be extinguished."
Kawei spoke very energetically, which made Rurik feel comfortable. After thinking about it for a moment, Kawei's description was very scientific. After all, even if it is an earthen blast furnace, the operation of burning fine carbon blocks with the help of a blower will heat the furnace, and it takes a lot of effort.
The cost is also high. Smart people will keep it smelting ore and keeping it at high temperature to avoid spending a lot of time and materials on the furnace.
Since dozens of blacksmith apprentices wanted to dig mines themselves, Rurik certainly knew whether their digging activities would turn into four or five days of collective mining. He immediately asked Kamne who was present.
"Sir." The young man said with a very flattering attitude: "It is true. We mine frequently and can finally ensure that the furnace keeps producing iron. It is an honor for me to serve Ross, and I am willing to do it no matter how tired I am."
Rurik laughed out loud: "You boy, your words are all flattery. It's okay, your boy is much stronger than the boys in your hometown. Work hard and I will find you a woman next year and more in the future."
Woman, give me a large group of skilled blacksmiths."
Hearing this, Kamne immediately blushed, which also made others laugh, and the laughter became more and more wild.
Old Klavason slapped his chest and laughed: "This boy will indeed reach his age next year. According to tradition, he should get married. Sir, you have married more than ten wives and concubines. It seems to me that you value this boy so much. We brothers also feel that it is awkward."
This kid Mne is trustworthy. It’s really not enough to find one woman for him, at least three or four will be needed.”
"Okay, I'll note this down first." After saying that, Rurik kicked the shy Kamne and shouted: "Brother, do your best, I have more important things to give you.
Woolen cloth."
After asking some substantive questions, Rurik got to know the exact production capacity of iron and bronze ware in Rossburg. Its quantity is not actually that large, but compared to other feudal kingdoms in Europe, it is higher than Rossburg’s production capacity.
The only higher power left is probably the Eastern Roman Empire.
This is of course not only because Rossburg's furnace has been producing iron frequently, but its biggest advantage is that the Principality of Ross now guards the best quality iron ore veins in Europe, with iron oxide and even magnet content exceeding 70% or even 80%.
It is true that this is the only ore, and what’s even crazier is that it guards the only chromite ore, and Ironburg in the north is still producing magical stainless steel.