"Old leader, Wan Dalongtou, you have actually done so many things. I am really surprised and moved. Zian is extremely impressed. You have been busy during this period," Fang Zian sighed.

"Mr. Fang, starting from the new year, we won't be idle anymore. We can't stay idle. Besides, even if everyone has no work, you will still pay wages. How can we sleep here? Mr. Fang has a heart.

We have to do something, how can I live up to it? This is what we should do. In fact, there is still a lot of room for improvement here. We actually want to dig a dry dock on the north side of the river bend, but this project is too big and can only be done later.

Besides, the current site and dock can basically guarantee the repair or construction of two large ships at the same time." Mr. Liu raised his head and smiled.

Fang Zian nodded and said: "It's already very good. This place is very good. Master Su, I have an idea whether to build a blast furnace and set up a workshop here. There are many restrictions in the city. Look at this place, the terrain is open

, build walls and houses, and then we can build what we want to build on the spot. At that time, this area will be our manufacturing base. You can do whatever you want, and you don’t need to worry about the cramped space and some inconveniences in the city.

It’s the right place.”

Su Hengheng looked around, nodded slowly and said: "This is a good idea. The place here is really big, and a little flattening is a good thing. It is not rigid. I think it is okay. Anyway, I don't care about working there.

.As long as it allows me to concentrate on doing things, I can do it.”

Mr. Liu raised his head and said happily: "Okay, okay, this is a good idea. This area is a wasteland in the river bend. It is also an ownerless land. It is not suitable for growing crops and no one wants it. All we need to do is to remove the nearby weeds and rivers."

Fill in the branches, level the ground, enclose a large yard, and build a house. It will be an excellent place. The waterway is smooth, and everything can be transported in. Why not do it like this. If you think it is okay, old man

I will ask the people nearby to help me work together."

Fang Zian nodded and said: "Okay, let's get ready first. We originally wanted to have a formal construction site. I'll leave this matter to the boss."

Mr. Liu nodded his head in agreement. Wan Dalongtou on the side frowned and said: "Master Fang, please don't think so far ahead, okay? Do the things at hand first, I'm waiting to go to sea. I'm talking in July.

Now, are you going to let us go to sea? Is this machine you built useful? I've been struggling for half a year. If I had known this, I would have gone to sea on an eight-masted ship in the first half of the year, and now I'm back."

Fang Zian laughed and said: "Wan Dalongtou is already impatient. If you go to sea in the first half of the year, people may be gone. It's not like you haven't seen the hurricane more than ten days ago. An eight-masted ship can be dangerous at sea."

We can’t withstand a hurricane like that.”

Mr. Liu raised his head and said: "Yes, Brother Wan, it's a good thing you didn't go to sea. Otherwise, we went to sea in March and now is the time to come back and hit this hurricane. It will definitely not be able to survive. Can you come back alive?"

Say both."

Wan Dahai said angrily: "Why? Brother Fuye is also making noise?"

Mr. Liu shook his head and laughed: "I don't dare, I don't dare."

Su Heng said from the side: "Without further delay, we have to get started."

With the arrival of Fang Zian, there was more backbone in the study of the installed machines. Everyone immediately started discussions based on the situation on the ground and formulated an installation plan. Things were much more difficult than imagined, and even Fang Zian

In fact, I have never really thought about some of the details of installing a steam engine on a ship. But once I delve into the actual installation discussion, I find that there are so many problems that it is difficult to proceed.

First of all, how to install the steam engine on the ship is a huge problem. It was previously thought that it was feasible to transport the parts to the cabin for on-site assembly. However, after seeing the situation in the cabin on the spot, it was found that it was impossible. The cabin

It is so small and hot that it is impossible to carry out precise assembly. It requires a large number of people to coordinate the assembly, which is impossible to solve in a narrow cabin. And it is obviously impossible to assemble the steam engine on the shore and hoist it as a whole. Not to mention

The steam engine is not a whole. Even if it is an iron lump, the wooden crane cannot bear the weight of thousands of kilograms. Even if the wooden crane can bear the weight, the entire deck of the ship needs to be lifted, otherwise it cannot be put in place.

The above is just a question of how to get the steam engine on board. As for the ship itself, there are more problems. The problem of the center of gravity of the ship. Will the center of gravity of the ship shift after the steam engine is put on the ship, thus making the center of gravity of the ship unstable. In order to install

For a steam engine, the two cabins at the stern of a large ship must be opened to accommodate this huge guy. But in this way, after the cabins are opened, the structure of the hull will be damaged, which will cause the hull to be insufficiently strong and damage the overall hull structure.

.

There is also an extremely critical technical issue, which is how to solve the sealing problem between the main shaft of the steam engine and the cabin. Because the main shaft has to pass through the stern of the large ship to install the propeller. The propeller main shaft sinks under the sea water during navigation.

If the sealing problem cannot be solved, it will become a colander, and seawater will pour in directly from the place where the main shaft and stern pass, and everything will be a disaster.

Questions like these are all dizzying problems. Everyone, even Fang Zian, has never actually been exposed to these things. The more they discuss, the more unsure they feel and the more frustrated they become.

I always feel that this matter is getting more and more unreliable. Everyone's expressions have become extremely solemn.

Fang Zian knew that continuing like this was not an option. If a lot of difficulties were put in front of him, it would completely destroy everyone's confidence.

"Everyone, we can't be sad. I, Fang Zian, will guarantee with my life that this matter is definitely not a fantasy and will definitely succeed. It's just that we have encountered some difficulties. But it is impossible to stump us with such difficulties.

, is this more difficult than Wan Dalongtou facing the violent waves in the sea through life and death? There are always more solutions than difficulties. We must cheer up and come up with good solutions. Here, frowning and blaming everyone is not the right thing.

I believe my Fang Zian’s style of conduct is not the style of Master Su, the boss and the big dragon. Cheer up. Let’s discuss it one by one.”

None of these people in front of them are people who have gone through hardships and hardships, and who are weak-willed people who give up easily. With Fang Zian's reminder, everyone immediately woke up and realized that something was wrong with their mental attitude. So everyone cheered up and started

Discuss the plans and steps one by one.

As time went by, things were solved one by one. As for the problem of hoisting the steam engine, it was finally decided to partially assemble the steam engine, lift it onto the ship in sections, and then assemble it comprehensively. This not only overcomes the problem of overall assembly

The steam engine is large in size and weight,

The wooden crane cannot bear the problem and the hoisting is not in place, and it avoids the limitations caused by full assembly in a narrow cabin. According to the structure of the steam engine, it can be assembled into five fixed parts, and finally assembled as a whole.

After such a plan is finalized, there will be no need to make too much cutting on the deck hatch. With the current hatch of about ten feet in diameter, it is completely possible to allow the separately assembled steam engine components to enter the bilge.

Regarding the shift of the ship's center of gravity, since it was impossible to measure the center of gravity of the steam engine, everyone unanimously decided to use sandbag counterweights to make fine adjustments. When the steam engine was completely in place, the draft on both sides and the angle of the bow and stern were measured.

Use sandbags to fine-tune the balance, and finally weigh the sandbags and place fixed counterweights at the corresponding positions to complete the overall counterweight balance. The cabin modification plan has also been determined. After opening the two tail cabins to install the machine,

The structural damage that may be caused by the hull is strongly reinforced by encrypting ribs and beams, and the impact on the overall structure of the hull after the cabin modification is minimized. With Lao Tou's experience as a shipbuilder, he is confident that he will

The impact is eliminated to the minimum.

Each and every difficulty was overcome in detailed discussions, and everyone's confidence was quickly restored. After all the problems and solutions were listed and solved one by one, the operating manual in Fang Zian's hand was left.

The only remaining problem is the last one that is not marked with a '√' sign indicating that there is a solution. That is the solution to the watertightness of the tail propeller shaft and the hull.

Focusing on this problem, everyone discussed for nearly half an hour and proposed many solutions, but they were overturned one by one. This problem became an insurmountable gap, which seemed to block all the way forward.

Seeing that everyone was about to fall into a dead end and feel anxious again, Fang Zian made a decisive decision.

"Everyone, let's get started. Let's put this problem aside for now. When everything is ready, we will solve this problem. To be honest with you, I actually have a backup plan to solve it, but I don't want to use it until it is absolutely necessary.

Plan. Now we have to take action first. Half a day has passed since we discussed it like this. Time waits for no one."

Everyone completely agreed with Fang Zian's statement that spending so much time on this problem was not the answer. So they unanimously decided to start working on it first.

In the afternoon, the equipment work officially began. The manpower was divided into two groups. One group was led by Fang Zian and Su Heng, and partially assembled the steam engine on the shore. The other group, led by Lao Baotou and Wan Dalongtou, began to dismantle the tail warehouse partition.

, set up a log base, install reinforced ribs, and prepare counterweight sandbags.

The weather in July was unbearably hot, but this did not affect everyone's morale. Fang Zian also took measures. He asked Shen Ling'er to return to the city and asked Qin Xiqing to bring the ice stored in Wanchun Garden in winter.

He gave some for himself and asked Shen Ling'er to buy a large cart of melons and fruits from the market. When they rested in the evening, everyone ate iced melons and fruits, which greatly relieved the heat.
Chapter completed!