Midwinter calling, day 8
Ordering people about
After breakfast there is my usual combat training which happens twice a week, and since I started to learn the basics in Krav Maga too, that has become four times a week. I really dislike doing physical training so early in the morning, but today it's the best time for it since we have new tests to prepare. Hrappr is arranging targets, and carrying things down to the test area etc. Since those preparations take time, I go for a walk with Ketill, and along comes the usual entourage. I show the harbor and its buildings. They have made contact on the other side between the harbor bridge and the stone pier, but still have work to do to complete the bridge. But it is possible to balance over without getting my shoes wet, and the contact makes me feel somewhat less 'cramped'.
We follow the road back and say 'Hello' to Unn and introduce Ketill as we pass Unn's house, where Unn and Amba are working on making a small enclosure for her pigs. She wonders if there will be more loud bangs in the future and cautiously asks if she can watch - from a closer distance. I should have realised that curiosity would make her and Amba go up on the mountain behind Unn's house to look at yesterdays tests. I would. We will continue to test after we return to the mansion, and they can watch, but stay up on the mountain or at the mansions pavilion for safety. The leaves have fallen so they should see enough. There will be further test in the future, so just get used to the noise.
We continue down to the village and see that the second craft house is finished on the outside but there is some work to do inside, and they are almost finished with its foundry and hot work extension. When Ketill understands that this will be a house for skilled craftsmen, a worker like him, and understands how nice it is with windows and hot and cold water, indoor shower etc, he is really impressed. We continue on to where they are building the first apartment building and I explain that most craftsmen and workers will not work in their homes, but in separate workshops, the smithy and carpentry, and that these new apartments will actually be more luxurious and larger than the craft houses, but they will have far smaller gardens. Unn obviously needs a large garden for medical herbs.
Except the wheelbarrows, I think my most appreciated idea so far by the workers is the tool vest and tool belts. But for people who have never had pockets even on their ordinary clothes, it is an incredibly revolutionary idea, and a leather belt with a hammer, axe, knife and chisel plus pockets for nails, a meterstick and other things like a hook for a saw or planer, has become a prestige symbol for a carpenter. It makes work easier and faster. My requirement for a safety harness, however, is not as appreciated, but is simply something they have to use when working at height. I really should make better ladders.
I describe how I intended the smithy etc to be so Ketill can explain it to Olafr. So much is being built that the workers and craftsmen have a priority list depending on weather, but it won't be more than a few weeks before this is also finished if the weather cooperates. Olafr is apparently really looking forward to visiting the island when it's done, and our hunt. Ketill knows what I said about hunting with thunder, and it has been such an honor for him to to visit and see and experience everything - he even got to try a thunder weapon. Ketill just shakes his head - the sejd here is so powerful and fantastic.
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We do similar tests as yesterday, and again no signs of any problems with the barrels, attachments or the stocks. And again the bullet crack the sound barrier with what I intended to be the standard charge. It is just a good idea to stick with the same powder charge on every weapon. Tests take longer as the targets are further away, and it takes time to check on the targets and return, especially as 200 meters quickly turns out to not be far enough away. The design I chose and Olafr did far exceeded expectations, was a 70cm rifled barrel for a 12mm elongated minie ball that weighs about 30g. They didn't manage to make the barrel as long as I hoped and it is 'only' 62cm, but that is more than enough, and the rifle still weighs about 4.5kg. I'm not a trained shooter, but the I can hit the 200m target without much issue and get a fairly good group. It is more my shooting skill and the sights that seems to be the issue, which is really impressive. I really need to get used to a flintlock. This weapon must be useful to 400-600m depending on target size and if the target is stationary, but I need to really test the spread, and the bullet drop will be high at those distances. I don't doubt the rifle is deadly at double that distance. I'm quite eager to get a rifled barrel made for my Boomstick, but that would reveal its secret to Olafr. However, I could ask for a rifled barrel in the right dimensions, and then cut it down and modify it myself, or I simply try to make my own rifling solution reamer and just hammer it down since the barrel are removable and I have several.
I really need to upgrade the rifle sights and make sure they can be adjusted sideways and in height because they are not correct, which makes any more tests just a waste of blackpowder. A telescopic sight is unnecessary but would be nice, and in the end I simply want a telescopic sight even if I don't need to use it for shooting. It's good to get a better look at something without having to use a separate binocular. Olafr can add a dovetail or picatinny style mount on the side, attached to the barrel, and the rest of the sight will be done in brass. I will make something based on the straight sextant telescope for minimal distortion. Just longer. Something with three to four times magnification and 15-20mm optics will be good enough. Clarity and usefulness is more important than field of view or magnification, and that will be hard enough with the glass here. Hell, I should try to do a lot of better optics this winter and seal them when the air is cold and dry. It will really help against fogging. I have built weapon sight and mounts before, but mostly for image intensifiers, thermal and digital stuff with very low magnification and recoil, so the precision requirement have been less, but a P8079HP cascade tube sight was still about 2kg. It worked fine and had a really nice contrast. I actually liked the image more than my Gen2 and Gen3 NVDs, and it was a small fraction of the price.
Oooh... That would have been something to have here.
Image intensified sight with a focused IR 850nm illuminator that could be used at 200-300m, on a flintlock rifle, in the Elvish Viking era. That would be so wonderfully absurd. Unfortunately, it is impossible to build. Maybe I should make that red dot sight just for the absurd factor, and my Mobius camera have a small red laser...
We end the tests and I discuss weapon improvements with Ketill. The right side have the flintlock so the telescopic mount must be on the left side so the mount doesn't block the iron sights, and with the mounting bracket and adjustment on the side, the telescopic tube can be lower over the barrel without blocking the iron sight. Beside the sights, most is actually about different parts of the stock. From simpler things like adding a slots to keep the ramrod channel clear, to improving the lock for the built in cleaning kit and storage compartment for a few shots. An adjustable cheek rest would be handy, but I decide to not complicate the stock any more for Olafr, and will sew a padded cheek rest instead. I might make that mod in the future, but explaining that will just be hard. However, adjustable length of the buttstock with wooden spacers feels like a useful idea. Alith needed a shorter stock, and it's stupid to make all the weapons for me since I'm unusually tall, and 7cm taller than Kari who is tall to be a woman and taller than most men. I would really like to do it quick adjustable since shooting from prone or kneeling becomes tricky when there is a telescopic sight and the distance between the sight and the eye change. Oh, well this is after all a prototype, so another future project.
The guards show Ketill the games and he will try Risk or something simple in the next few hours while I sketch things I want to see Digraldi make and cast for me, because Ketill has already offered to leave messages and orders in Borgarsandr.
There will only be two or three telescopic sights so I can make each by hand as long as I get the large complicated parts cast. While I sketch I can't help to think that I really want to make a larger cannon with a flintlock too. I have a pile of collected projects, including sketches for a slightly larger cast muzzle loading bronze cannon with flintlock, height adjustment, simple sight and molds for projectiles. A lot of directives and sketches for vertical casting so that the shrinkage and slow cooling are taken in consideration, and that the mold is in the ground so the pouring can will be easier. It will be very heavy and a pain to have so much melted bronze at once, and to move it over to the mold. I assume there might be more than one pour if done by hand, which needs to be synchronized. Then there is also the enormous splitting pressure on the mold due to the weight of the material over that height and all that surface. It just feel easiest to bury the casting mold and tightly pack sand around without disturbing the mold, but I have plans for that too. Then dig it out when the cast has cooled down enough a couple of days later. It is not a small project, although it will be a small cannon compared to classic old cannons; they could be about 3m long and weigh 3 tons. I don't need one of those huge cannons, and all that metal would make it very very expensive. My small cannon will be expensive enough.
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I will need to make a proper mechanism for drilling the barrel, which will be a pain in the butt to do, and I need a machine for that work, but I have hydropower. Then I'm worried that there will be irregularities and cavities in the casting which might mean melting it down and starting over. And the larger the cannon ball is, the more it weighs and requires more blackpowder, which means higher pressure. But I want a larger and better cannon than the iron cannon for this to be worth all the effort and cost. I also want to try rifling the cannon barrel, and make an enlarged minie cannon ball in iron or lead, but it too will be a future project. That bullet might get an iron core and tip with lead in its outer shell to limit rifling wear. I know myself and rifling will happen sooner or later.
But this won't be the only order to Digraldi. I have that project pile, which include the parts for an exercise bike, some better dumbbells for strength training, scales etc, as well as parts for ship compasses, pendulum clocks, sun mirrors, more oil lamps and lantern parts. Digraldi is gonna have a fit. Or just be giddy over all the silver I will pay him. I write two letters, one each to Olafr and Digraldi about details, what I want to have made and so on, and include a satchel with sketches, drawings and templates. The template for the right shape on the sun mirrors won't fit in the satchel. I also write that I will get married and invite them to my marriage to Iselin at Midwinter, but since we both have almost no relatives here, it will be a different and smaller feast.
If I'm gonna make a cannon, it needs wheels for it to be moved, so I order that from wagon maker Obaeinn. 8 spoke wagon wheels seems about right, as I want to put wheels on my smaller iron cannon, but smaller and lighter wheels, and overall nice wheels are useful. Might as well add a couple more. I got ideas.
I know that I am trust enough that I don't have to pay in advance any more, and can use the excuse that I am busy with too much to do right now, but I will come to Borgarsandr to pick it up myself and pay then, but I send some silver with Ketill. Especially to Digraldi, but all the craftsmen and craftswomen will have some.
I take a break and watch how the game goes for Ketill. He seems to have a nice time, but seems a little uncomfortable surrounded by Shieldmaidens and hang out with them in this way. I hope that if Ketill moves to the island he might will form a relationship with someone here in the future. Unfortunately, marriage is most planned here and not for love, but I can hope. I have a feeling there will be quite a lot of more young people here a year from now.
I also place an order for the Jeweller, who is a neighbour to Digraldi. I need pretty necklaces with precious stones that I have sketched way to much versions off, as it needs to be ready for Iselin and hopefully in the future Kari, and ask the jeweller to keep everything secret and not show or mention any of this to others. I also order three more of Ciara/Kari's buttplug, but with blue, white and green glass crystal. I just dislike the knowledge that Alith continues to use one made of wood because of the problems I told her about, and it might be a good idea to have a couple in the 'tool kit'. It will be picked up in about three weeks, but if everything is not finished, it is acceptable. Iselin's necklace is the priority.
I realise I need to talk to Jane, so I knock on her door and she asks me to come in. She is practicing painting with Caecilia as a model. The colors she gotten hold of apparently make skin tones and shading difficult - at least according to Jane's high standard - and she doesn't like to show her failures so I don't ask. The colors don't mix as they should, or doesn't layer well, or it all gets fuck up when they dry, or if she paints over. So Jane tries to find a solution or work around it with the limited palette and tools at her disposal. Brushes are a problem even though she has become better at making them in different sizes, shapes and with different hairs. She has become very good with a quill and ink, but painting with colors is 'problematic'.
Jane complains when Caecilia moves, starts flirting and caressing me, but I say that Jane and I have to talk and ask Caecilia to leave for a while, which she does after giving me a kiss, and with a sexy smile also a good view of her cleavage. It's probably time to be intimate with Caecilia. Is she training me to give in to her seduction, or do I train her to be extra seductive and suggestive when she really wants to have sex with me?
Anyway, once alone I explain that I want to surprise Kari and maybe Ciara and Iselin in the future, but I need information, and I wonder if she has any information about sex toys that can be made here. There is very limited material options and I have poor knowledge in that area, but I know there a small balls for the vagina, but I don't know size etc. Jane's smile grows so incredible wide and she is so utterly pleased and happy. She just takes several deep breaths and enjoys the feeling. Damn smug face.
After I have accepted that Jane will get a set as payment for this valuable information etc, and put up with Jane's smugness for far too long, I know more than I wanted. She had a friend who was 'quite adventurous', and they are called Ben Wa and I have enough data to make a specification, and a far too detailed description of how to use them, which she insisted on giving me as I was embarrassed. She knows that I am uncomfortable and embarrassed by certain topics of conversation. Sure, I have several sexual partners but I'm still uncomfortable talking about things like this, especially to my female friend. But that just made it all the more entertaining for Jane and probably the biggest reason why she was so detailed.
Jane suggests I focus on building a small electric motor, specifically a vibration motor, 'to ease my heavy burden', and she offers to try the prototype so it's safe for Iselin and the others, but I've pushed that to the future. I have already made good drawings of electric motors, but they're not so small and efficient that even the smallest will fit in a dildo. Although a slightly reduced size one might fit in one of those 'wand' things Jane oh so helpfully informs me about, and it will really be a magic wand. Nudge Nudge wink wink. But bad unflexible power cables with poor insulation and body fluids feels like a terrible combo, even if it is really low voltage at just six volts or so. Jane definitely agrees, and quickly withdraws her offer to test it.
But I have made those sketches of electric motors, just because I want to test how bad-good they will be. I should finish the drawings and include them to Digraldi, and I need to get the commutator and the brush holders made of ceramic.
Once back in the workroom, I make that order to the Jeweller for silver balls. 25mm and 35mm, 10 of the smaller ones and 6 of the larger ones, with an approximately 6mm hole through each, and try to make them hollow with half the weight or less of solid bullets. Also 5 tube like spacers 25mm long, because I have an idea I want to try, with stacked balls and spacers. Silver is heavy, 80 grams for the smaller ones, which according to Jane is far too much. Not to mention the price. Without the work to make them, that is more than 2 ounces of silver per ball just due to weight. Gold might be better but almost double the weight and would be insanely expensive since gold is also worth eight times more than silver. I could spend the money, but it just feels so wrong to spend more on a sex toy that will see little use than what a good horse costs, and it's suppose to be two of those small balls. Jane suggest they thread the balls on a leather strap or something, since again there are limited options here. At least they can easily be boiled for cleaning as long as the leather strap is removed or replaced, but not my problem, and some of my sambos seem to have too much free time as it is.
Since I will order the parts for the electric motors, I also have to give an order to the potter Ruskva, but unfortunately she can not fire those parts since I reckon that they have to be reworked a bit to make them fit and so on. But they will certainly shrink a bit when firing, so probably better to plan to modify the metal or include a spacer that can be modified in the design. Ruskva can make several sets to try a little different scale and shrinkage amount, plus do other jobs such as battery vessels, various switch parts, earthenware spacers for screws, connectors and more. Some she will be able to 'stamp out' with the simple tool I made. I just hope the earthenware doesn't deform too much or shrink too much. Everything I already ordered from Ruskva when it comes to electrical stuff have been good enough. I will also take the opportunity to order a bunch of air humidifiers to hang on the radiators. The air is already too dry for my taste, and it will only get worse if it gets colder.
There will be a small order for the glazier as well so that I can get glass parts for the other orders. I realise that glass is neutral, safe, cheaper and lighter than silver, and the glazier is able to mold glass well enough, so might as well have him try to make a couple of glass dildos. I sketch three different models in the right scale on paper, without any of them actually looking like a penis, and ask him to try to make three of each. However, glazed earthenware would be even cheaper and is not as design limited. It may be better to make balls of instead of glass, so the potter gets another order to make the same dildos, and the stacked one. I can have both do it since that will be 'cheap', and remove the stack silver design as that is just incredibly unnecessarily expensive.
I really need technical glass for lab work, and even though the glass won't be that good, durable and heat enduring, it will be good enough in many cases. So I also draw glass bottles, beakers, retort, flasks, test tubes, transfer pipes, stirring rods, funnels, scales, pipette, burette, stoppers, density meter etc. I'll need a few of each, and the glazier will simply do what he can. A bonus is that it helps mask the purpose of the dildos even more.