Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 42: Milling Machine
After the first steam engine was deployed to run across the mining district, Owen, drawing on the production system used by Winston, reformed the old production system of the mines.
Instead of fixed wages, he implemented a floating wage system tied to the month’s ore output.
In other words, the more ore mined, the higher the miners’ pay. This greatly boosted the miners’ productivity, and daily ore output steadily increased.
All the surplus iron ore was sent to the blacksmith workshop. With Fanny’s fire magic assisting, smelting iron from ore became quite manageable.
On a side note, Fanny had finally mastered high-temperature flame jets.
However, Garcia, after repeated welding practice, had become even more skilled than Owen himself.
This meant that—for now—Fanny didn’t need to handle any welding tasks; anything of that nature could be left to Garcia.
Meanwhile, the militia’s training had also hit its stride.
Just then, Jita the blacksmith showed up urgently at the castle gates, insisting on an audience with Lord Owen.
Had he finished the crucial part Owen had commissioned? Owen immediately granted him entry into the castle.
“Marquis Owen! I’ve forged the item you asked for!”
As soon as he entered the study, Jita excitedly presented a cloth-wrapped object, placing it on the desk.
“Let me see.”
Owen eagerly unwrapped it.
Inside were three cylindrical, silver-white “iron rods.” Each had spiral-shaped cutting teeth on the upper half, and each differed in the number of teeth. The craftsmanship was extremely precise.
“Thanks to Miss Fanny’s help. Her flame magic reaches such high temperatures—it easily melts the iron, making steel production so much more efficient. When we needed to shape the steel billets, she could heat them red-hot on the spot, saving us tons of time.”
Under Owen’s influence, Jita had already embraced the concept of temperature and now praised Fanny’s magic non-stop.
It was clear that integrating magic into blacksmithing significantly boosted efficiency. This was Jita’s first time truly sensing the massive potential of magic in industrial production, and he was visibly thrilled.
“Marquis Owen, all three of these steel components have been quenched and hardened. Their… uh, hardness definitely meets your requirements.”
After a pause, Jita asked curiously,
“By the way, I’ve been wondering—what exactly are these components for? What do they do?”
“This is called a milling cutter. It’s used for milling workpieces—very versatile.”
Owen replied, picking up one of the cutters and closely examining it.
“But I intend to use it to machine iron gears.”
“Milling? Iron gears?”
Jita’s mind spun for a moment before he suddenly grasped the idea.
“So that’s it! You’re using the superior hardness of quenched steel to gradually shave off the excess cast iron, right? To form the shape you need?”
That was indeed a smart method. No more hammering iron billets endlessly to mold them into shape, then grinding, polishing, and processing them step by step. That old method was time-consuming and exhausting.
“Exactly! You catch on fast.”
Owen praised.
However, Jita had one more concern—how was this milling cutter supposed to be used?
Relying on manpower alone to carve with it would be incredibly labor-intensive.
Suddenly, a memory flashed through his mind from a past project he had helped with…
Recalling the steam engine they had previously built, Jita thought:
If they could harness the powerful force of that machine, wouldn’t milling cast iron become a breeze?
The second steam engine was already under construction, with even more parts than the first—likely to be paired with this milling cutter, Gitta figured.
With that thought, Jita somewhat sheepishly made a request.
“Marquis Owen… would it be possible for me to observe the gear processing when the time comes?”
“Of course.”
Owen nodded.
“I plan to invite all the blacksmiths from Bianshu Town, along with their apprentices, to come and observe and learn how to use this milling machine. You’ll all be working with it frequently in the future.”
“Then I’ll be sure to study it thoroughly.”
Jita replied enthusiastically.
“Have all the other components been forged as well?”
Owen asked.
Since the most crucial part—the milling cutter—was already done, the remaining iron parts shouldn’t be an issue.
Jita nodded.
“All have been forged exactly as per your specifications.”
“Excellent. Head back and bring the parts here. The carpenters have also finished their work, so we can start assembling. Tomorrow, we begin gear machining.”
Owen said.
“Oh, and one more thing—please inform the other blacksmiths to bring all their apprentices to the castle first thing in the morning.”
Huh? Tomorrow already? No need for the second steam engine?
Though confused, Jita agreed.
The next day, on the banks of the Wei River near the Sky Mountains, a temporary wooden structure had been erected. Beside it stood a massive wooden waterwheel, slowly turning.
The Wei River, originating from the Sky Mountains, had a strong and fast current in its upper stretches—rich in hydropower resources.
That was exactly why this location was chosen for the waterwheel.
Owen arrived with a group of blacksmiths and their apprentices and led them into the wooden building.
So many people at once made the space feel cramped, but their eagerness to learn was unaffected.
Standing beside a large, complex-looking machine, Owen introduced it to the group:
“This is a hydraulic milling machine.”
The group stared curiously at the machine. The base was made of wood, while key parts were forged from iron.
By their standards, this machine was impressively well-built.
Jita’s eyes were practically glowing.
So this was how they’d mill cast iron—using water power! That would be more than enough!
Now it was time for Owen to demonstrate how to use the milling machine to shape a gear.
Though he had never done this in real life, Owen had called on Winston to help him practice several times in his dream realm—just for this occasion.
Beside him, Mapel poured a plant-based oil onto the milling cutter for lubrication. A basin underneath caught the excess to prevent waste.
Lubrication was crucial to reduce wear and tear—otherwise, the milling cutter would wear out quickly.
Owen then took out a raw gear blank and carefully etched preliminary gear lines into it at the correct angles.
He mounted it onto the machine’s worktable and aligned the cutter above it, matching the position of the markings.
“Mapel.”
Owen called.
At his cue, she nodded and pushed a wooden lever that connected the drive mechanism to the outside waterwheel.
As the waterwheel turned, the wooden wheel inside began spinning, transferring power through belts to the cutter’s spindle.
Once the cutter reached the desired speed, Owen gripped the handle firmly and slowly lowered it.
The spinning cutter met the etched marks on the gear blank and began to carve—metal shavings flew off to the sides.
The group observed intently. When the gear began to take shape, a few apprentices couldn’t help but gasp in amazement.
They had never imagined components could be machined this way.
For the blacksmiths—aside from Jita—it was a true eye-opener.