Despite entering winter, the temperature in Jiangnan is still more than ten degrees above zero. In the ironware workshop, the three iron-making furnaces were red, and more than 30 young men were sweating like rain shirtless. At this time, the sound of shouting and clanging iron was intertwined. Wang Tiezhu stood aside and watched his apprentice, shouting loudly from time to time.

At this moment, Deng Zixuan squatted in front of a pile of jet-black stones, holding a jet-black stone in his hand to examine it carefully. Although Deng Zixuan is very familiar with the physical characteristics of tungsten ore, he knows nothing about smelting. The reason is that there is too much gap between theoretical things and practice. Deng Zixuan's search memory was almost at a loss, and now he really felt how big the gap between theory and practice was. With the jet-black ore in his hand, Deng Zixuan knew in his heart that this ore was undoubtedly produced in Dayu, Jiangxi. This tungsten ore is basically exposed on the outside in Dayu, Jiangxi, and it is very easy to mine.

In the future, tungsten alloy is the best material for making gun barrels, and tungsten alloy has the characteristics of high melting point, high hardness, corrosion resistance and not easy to deform. These characteristics are the best materials for the manufacture of gun barrels, especially for the service life of the barrels. At present, it has been widely used in industrial production in Western countries, but it has not been used on a large scale in the weapons industry, especially in the production of firearms.

Deng Zixuan knew that if he made black alloy steel, it would mean that advanced armaments would come out decades earlier than Western countries. Especially for Deng Zixuan's strategic planning, its role is immeasurable. In view of the high melting point of tungsten alloy, the existing tong pot cannot melt tungsten ore at all, so Deng Zixuan must participate in the trial production throughout the whole process, after all, he has advanced theory and so-called "experience", and Wang Blacksmith has practical experience in modern iron workshops.

"Mr. Deng, this is the jet-black stone you said, can this thing make good iron?" Wang Tiehammer came over and asked. "To be precise, alloy steel is smelted, but I haven't seen how to smelt it, that's what foreigners do, I saw it in foreigners' books, so you and I can only study it together. I will be with you every day these months. "Mr. Deng, with you at the helm, I have the bottom in my heart, just give orders!" Wang Tiehammer was a little excited. "Master Wang, you have experience and you also have to make ideas, as the saying goes, is the flame high when everyone gathers firewood?" "But we are blind, I haven't heard of what alloy steel you are talking about!"

Deng Zixuan said with a smile: "If you don't say the same, it doesn't mean that you don't, you see this is a foreigner's book, which contains the principle of steelmaking, you are experienced, you can know if you can train good steel at a glance." As if playing a trick, Deng Zixuan took out a copy of the British Empire's steelmaking method from his arms. Blacksmith Wang took the book and said in surprise: "Mr. Deng, this is all foreign language, do you know?" "I don't know what I'm doing with foreign books." Iron-making and steel-making foreigners have summed up a lot of experience, and they are all recorded in the book! "Mr. Deng, foreigners are too generous!" The king blacksmith exclaimed.

Deng Zixuan said with a smile: "Right now, iron-making and steel-making are open secrets in the West, and their academy teaches these things, so there's no fuss." But it is not easy to practice good iron and steel, just like you blacksmiths make iron, how to make a good piece of iron, the mystery of which does not need to be said, Master Wang should be clear! "Yes, we are all ancestral skills, and we will not tell anyone about them easily." Wang Tiehammer replied truthfully.

Deng Zixuan said with a smile: "How to learn from foreigners, the key is here." Our steelmaking techniques are kept secret, and each family works alone, no matter how skilled you are, and the number of good iron you make is limited. Western ironmaking and steelmaking can smelt thousands of catties or even dozens of tons at a time. "Thousands of pounds, how big is this stove?" But what does ton mean? Wang Tiehammer was surprised. Ton is the algorithm of the West, 1 ton is equal to two thousand catties! The steel of foreigners is made in a steel-making factory, and a steel-making factory has as few as a few thousand people and as many as tens of thousands."

Deng Zixuan said with a smile: "Everything is difficult at the beginning, and we will also have a steelmaking plant in the future." At the moment, we can't reach the level of foreigners, so we can only make small fights. But even if it is a small fight, we have to refine the most haode steel, and create conditions for the construction of steel mills in the future, how do you have confidence. "Hey, hey! Mr. Deng can even read foreigners' books, and I believe that he will be able to do it! The blacksmith rubbed his big calloused hands with joy.

"Master Wang, you choose some good hands, the first step is to crush these black stones into sand-sized particles, and then we have to build two tong pots from the new masonry, at least a hundred catties of steel at a time. In addition, you use coke to swallow dates, and put all the haode into the furnace, so that there is no problem with striking iron, but there is a problem with melting molten iron. If the coke is unqualified, there will be a lot of impurities" Wang Tiehammer said confusedly: "Mr. Deng, what do you say?" "Recently I shipped a batch of high-quality coal from Shanxi, and you made it into coke. Then pick out the most haode coke to make alloy steel. As for how to make the new tongs pot, I'll give you the drawings tomorrow. In addition, you let the carpenter make two large bellows, especially if the temperature of the tungsten ore is not enough, it will not work at all. ”

Deng Zixuan returned to the manor, and then instructed the scholar to study on his own in the evening, and there would be no lectures tonight. Frankly speaking, Deng Zixuan was very busy, not only to teach the scholars, but also to go to the school every once in a while to tutor, and Zuihou spent most of his time in the ironwork workshop. After the meal, Deng Zixuan lit a big candle and lit the lantern to fight at night. Wan'er was a little inconvenient, so she sat down next to Deng Zixuan with the help of a maid. Seeing her husband's attentive appearance, and seeing her husband's face, Wan'er felt a little pain in her heart. Wan'er instructed the maid to serve tea to Deng Zixuan.

Deng Zixuan subconsciously took a sip of tea, and then buried himself in his work. Wan'er said distressedly: "Husband, this time is busy during the day and at night, can your body stand it?" Deng Zixuan was too focused and almost indifferent to Wan'er's greetings. I don't know how long it took for Deng Zixuan to look up and see Wan'er looking at him intently, and said in some surprise: It's late at night, why don't you sleep. Don't stay with me! Wan'er's nose was sour, and tears flowed out.

"Look at you! Sentimental. I know you're worried about my body, don't worry, your husband is young and can withstand the wind and rain. Deng Zixuan smiled. Wan'er was confused: "What is your husband?" Deng Zixuan snorted and said: "This is the Western way of calling the husband, let's go to sleep!" After this busy while, I am so haode with you! Then Deng Zixuan instructed the maid to help Wan'er down. Wan'er was a little reluctant, but it was not good to disobey her husband's words in front of the maid!

Frankly speaking, sketching the drawings of a small steelmaking furnace, Deng Zixuan is a layman. I had to study the English version of the book while combining the things in my impression. Maybe the drawings you make yourself are nondescript, and then the tongs you make are full of holes. But Deng Zixuan firmly believes that as long as he can practice tungsten alloy steel, it is a victory. Even if tungsten alloy steel can reach the level of 70%, it is a great achievement.

Refining tungsten alloy steel, Deng Zixuan weishenme wants to build a car behind closed doors, and weishenme does not rely on the liliang of foreigners? In fact, Deng Zixuan is most worried about foreigners, once foreigners know the wonderful use of tungsten alloy, in view of the strong scientific research and manufacturing capabilities of foreigners, the foreigners' weapons industry will achieve a qualitative leap in advance. Once the weapons of foreigners are updated, if they are purchased in large quantities by the imperial court, it will be a big trouble for Deng Zixuan to pull the flag and rebel in the future.

Deng Zixuan's meticulous formulation was to use advanced armaments and elite soldiers to subvert the Qing Dynasty at the lowest cost. Just like the foreign guns and cannons of foreigners against the broadswords and spears of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, they strive to defeat the Manchu court in a short time. Therefore, Deng Zixuan must be careful in building advanced weapons, which is also his choice of self-reliance. Fortunately, time is abundant for him, so he can take his time. In addition, after Deng Zixuan practiced tungsten alloy, he mainly made guns and cannons, and had no other use. As for industrial production, that's later. In addition, this will allow you to accumulate a large number of professionals. ”

Half a month later, two new tongs were manufactured, and a layer of iron was placed on the outside of the tongs. Although a miniature version of the steelmaking furnace appeared in front of me, it was already in shape. Deng Zixuan admired Wang Tiehammer and his apprentices very much for using the sledgehammer in their hands to beat out the iron plates piece by piece, and then spliced them together piece by piece, which is very difficult at the current Jishu level, which shows that their skills are outstanding.

Immediately Shiyan began, and it was too difficult to melt the tungsten ore. The melting point of tungsten ore is 3400 degrees, and it is not easy to achieve such a high temperature. Frankly speaking, Deng Zixuan didn't know how to do it, so he could only study Shiyan repeatedly with Wang Tiezhu. Fail again and again, never again. In particular, the sealing box has been increased again and again, and Zuihou has switched to using a horse-drawn bellows. During this period, the coke was fired and a quality leap was also made.

The temperature of the furnace rises again and again, hoping to get closer and closer. Frankly speaking, if it weren't for Wang Tiehammer and his apprentices' many ideas, Deng Zixuan would be almost at a loss. Two months have passed in the blink of an eye, and on this day, the remodeled tongs pot is on fire, and the huge bellows is pulled by the horse-drawn running circle. The bellows alone have been modified countless times, starting with manual operation. Even the frequent replacement of the good guy is difficult to support. Later, as the bellows became larger and larger, manpower could not hold on at all, and Zuihou Wang Hammer suggested using horse-drawn horses.

It is easy to implement the horse-drawn idea, and Wang Tiehammer and his apprentices finally solved the problem of the horse-drawn bellows after repeated pondering. Deng Zixuan has witnessed their ingenuity, and it is not difficult to see that this is a creative group. See the flames burning, see the fire getting stronger and stronger. Deng Zixuan closed his eyes and prayed silently. "Mr. Deng, the tungsten ore is starting to melt!" I don't know who shouted, Deng Zixuan opened his eyes and stared nervously at the exit. Soon the light gray liquid flowed out and gradually merged into a stream······

Wang Tiehammer knelt on the ground excitedly and cried with joy, and the apprentices hugged each other and jumped and jumped. Deng Zixuan looked up to the sky and sighed, pioneering is a lot of hardship. Three months have passed, and there are still a few days before the old calendar year, and a piece of tungsten alloy finally appeared in front of Deng Zixuan. Deng Zixuan was holding a heavy tungsten alloy block in his hand, Xiao Di's forehead and cheeks trembled slightly, and his heart was extremely excited. With the start of haode, a brilliant future is unexpected, which means that success is no longer far away. Next, Deng Zixuan asked Wang Tiehammer to repeatedly shiyan and make the most haode tungsten alloy steel.

Maybe it's double happiness, just after the old calendar year, Wan'er was in labor on the 15th day of the first month, and Deng Zixuan was happy to get a thousand gold. According to the rules of the family, the daughter must follow the surname of the Gao family. Deng Zixuan didn't have any imbalance in his heart, but Gao Juren and Mrs. Gao were very depressed, how much they hoped to have a boy and continue the incense of the Gao family. After drinking the full moon wine, Wan'er suddenly became restless.