That night, Miguel was once again in his office, checking some important documents of the barony. He thought to himself that he urgently needed a new butler. But who could he appoint for that position? He didn't know anyone who stood out for the role.
While looking at the documents, the door opened, and Ricardo entered, not alone. Beside him was Marcus, holding wooden boards in his hands. It was the mold for the bricks.
"Good evening, my lord," greeted Ricardo, followed by Marcus.
"Good evening," replied Miguel, rising from his chair. "Marcus, have you finished the mold?"
"Yes, my lord," said Marcus, smiling. "I'd like to demonstrate how it works."
Miguel nodded and indicated the table where Marcus could show the mold. Marcus placed the wooden boards on the smooth surface and began to explain.
"This is the mold," he said, pointing to the moving parts. "The sides and the bottom are fitted with small wooden dowels. See, you can disassemble and reassemble it easily, just as your sketch directed."
He pulled one of the dowels, sliding the side of the mold out, revealing how the pieces separated. "This way, you can place anything inside and wait for it to dry."
Miguel watched attentively as Marcus reassembled the mold, fitting the wooden dowels back with ease. The moving parts allowed the mold to be disassembled and reassembled quickly, making the brick-making process more efficient, just as he had planned in the sketch.
He thought he would definitely need to apply a thin layer of oil to the sides and bottom to facilitate the removal of the dried bricks.
"Impressive," said Miguel, admiring the simplicity and functionality of the design. "This will greatly ease brick production, you've made it exactly as I drew in the sketch."
"Yes, my lord," agreed Marcus. "This mold looks like it will be very useful to you."
Miguel smiled, satisfied with the progress. "Excellent work, Marcus. We'll start production in a few days."
"With pleasure, my lord," said Marcus, nodding. "I will organize the workers and ensure everything is ready."
Miguel thanked Marcus again and looked at Ricardo, who also seemed pleased. "Ricardo, we will need a good amount of limestone to produce lime. Do you think we can start exploring the quarry tomorrow?"
"Yes, my lord," replied Ricardo. "I believe we can arrange a team for that tomorrow."
Miguel nodded, feeling confident about the next steps. "Very well. Let's make sure the barony is prepared."
As Marcus and Ricardo left, Miguel turned his attention back to the documents on his desk. He knew the hard work was just beginning, but each small victory filled him with hope and determination.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
He sat down again, looking at the mold on the table. He felt he was on the right path, turning his visions into reality. With people like Marcus, he knew he could overcome any obstacle and build a better future for everyone in the barony. He knew he was just an engineer and couldn't accomplish any of this alone.
With a satisfied sigh, Miguel picked up a pen and began to jot down the next steps in his plans. He was more determined than ever to continue fighting for his barony, ensuring each advancement was a step towards a prosperous and secure future.
Miguel was with Ricardo and the new city guard commander, John. John took them to an old tool shed near the military inn. It wasn't very big and had only 30 pickaxes and some materials for working with stones.
After organizing everything, Miguel headed to the quarry with a group of 20 people, including some soldiers. Ricardo, as always, was by his side. When they arrived, Miguel observed the abandoned place, filled with huge rocks and stones. He quickly identified the limestone.
"Look here," said Miguel, pointing to a large whitish rock. "This is limestone. We need to identify and collect as much as we can."
He quickly explained to the workers how to identify the limestone, describing its distinctive characteristics. "Look for rocks that have this color and texture," he said, showing an example. "These are the ones we need."
The workers began to spread out through the quarry, collecting the identified rocks. Miguel also ordered them to collect all the rocks that weren't too large, as he planned to crush them all to use as aggregate in the concrete.
While the workers gathered the rocks, Miguel and Ricardo watched closely. "This place has a lot of potential," said Miguel, looking around. "We can get a lot of material from here."
"Yes," agreed Ricardo. "We just need to ensure everything is done safely and efficiently."
After a few hours of hard work, the carts were loaded with limestone and other rocks. The return trip to the barony took about three hours. When they arrived, Miguel felt a sense of accomplishment as he saw the construction site that had been organized in his absence.
The construction site was impressive, with designated areas for each stage of the process. There was a section for lime production, another for crushing the rocks and creating the aggregate, one for mixing the concrete, and finally, an area for molding the concrete bricks.
Miguel watched as the workers began unloading the carts and headed to the person in charge of the operation. "Let's start with lime production," he said. "Let's take the limestone rocks to the furnace and start the heating process."
Miguel in the furnace hall, explaining to the furnace workers how to make lime. The process would take 24 hours, so he suggested using not-too-large limestone rocks, allowing them to obtain a significant number of calcified stones in less time. The workers listened carefully to his instructions, ready to start the work.
The next day, the calcified limestone rocks were carefully removed from the furnace and placed in wooden buckets to cool. Heat still emanated from the white and crumbly stones, but the calcination process had been a success. Once the stones had cooled, they were sent to the construction site.
Miguel, always attentive to details, instructed the workers to crush the calcified limestone with sledgehammers. The sound of the hammers striking the stones resonated throughout the construction site, creating a steady rhythm of activity. Larger pieces of limestone were broken into smaller pieces and eventually into a fine, white powder.
"Make sure the lime powder is well ground," said Miguel, watching the progress. "Store all the obtained lime powder in bags so we can use it in concrete production."
The workers followed his instructions, filling the bags with lime powder. Each bag was carefully sealed and stored, ready to be used when needed. The process took a week, during which a significant amount of lime and crushed stones was obtained.
Miguel supervised every step, ensuring everything was going according to plan. He knew every detail was crucial to the success of the project. Lime production was just the beginning, but it was an essential step in turning his visions into reality.
During that week, Miguel also spent time planning the next steps. He knew that with the lime and crushed stones, he could finally start concrete production and, later, the bricks they would use to build the new wall.
When the week ended, Miguel felt a deep sense of accomplishment. The lime bags were stacked and ready for use, and the crushed stones were enough to start concrete production.
He looked at Ricardo, who was by his side, and said, "We are ready. With this amount of lime and crushed stones, we can start producing concrete and then the concrete bricks."
Miguel observed the construction site, now full of activity and progress. He felt that every effort was paying off, and that the barony was transforming, step by step, into a stronger and more resilient place. The future seemed promising, and he was more determined than ever to keep moving forward, ensuring a prosperous and secure future for all.
With the construction site organized and the materials ready, Miguel knew the next step would be crucial. He was prepared to face any challenge, determined to turn his visions into reality and build a lasting legacy for the barony.
In the past week, besides the progress in lime and crushed stone production, another ballista was almost finished. The delay was justified by the fact that Marcus had made three dozen brick molds, addressing the urgent need for production.
Miguel, while observing the hard work of Marcus and Arthur, thought to himself that they needed to train more people to assist in their respective areas. The workload was becoming too heavy for just two men, no matter how skilled they were.
"This will be something to resolve soon," murmured Miguel to himself, noting the importance of expanding the team.
With the second ballista almost ready and the brick molds producing at a steady pace, he felt they were approaching the point where they could start the planned constructions. Each small step brought a sense of progress and accomplishment.