Thick armored steel plates were firmly fixed to the rear of the cross slide, and the holes drilled on them were connected to several scrap screws that served as reinforcing ribs with high-strength bolts, forming a simple but exceptionally stable support and reinforcement structure for the rear of the slide.
The original mechanical contouring contact was removed and replaced with a special contouring template with a unique shape, hand-ground from scrap carbide.
The old machine tool now resembled a bizarre mechanical monster covered in rough metal patches and with splints tied to its joints, exuding a strong sense of rudimentary construction and bearing no resemblance to the word "precision."
"Load the ingredients."
Mingzhao wiped the grease off her hands, her voice remaining calm. She pointed to a new piece of aviation aluminum ingot.
The two apprentices looked at each other, but still did as instructed and laboriously lifted the aluminum ingots onto the workbench, barely securing them with a pressure plate.
"Knives".
Mingzhao looked at Master Chen.
Master Chen hesitated for a moment, then took out a treasured carbide end mill from his toolbox. The mill was sharpened to an extremely sharp edge and was specifically designed for precision machining of curved surfaces. He then handed it over.
Mingzhao took the knife, didn't even look at it, and directly inserted it into the spindle chuck.
Then, she walked to the distorted, hand-polished mold made from scrap alloy, stretched out her oil-stained fingers, and pressed and adjusted it with extreme precision on a very tiny bump and depression on the surface of the mold.
Their movements were so fast that they were almost invisible.
Finally, she started the machine tool.
Buzz...creak...!
The old motor groaned under the strain, and the drive belt vibrated violently, as if it were about to break at any moment.
The entire modified machine tool was trembling slightly, and the rough patches and clamps made a tooth-grinding metallic scraping sound.
Wang Tiezhu's sarcasm deepened, and he almost burst out laughing. It's a miracle this broken machine even works!
Mingzhao, however, remained unfazed.
She stood in front of the control wheel, her oil-stained hands resting steadily on it.
Her eyes, like a hawk locking onto its prey, were fixed on the spinning blade and the aluminum ingot held in place by the clamp.
Everyone then saw Mingzhao's wrist begin to move.
It wasn't the kind of careful, subtle adjustment that Master Chen made.
Instead, he used a large handwheel to operate it with a series of clanging sounds!
Advance! Retract! Lateral movement! Vertical feed!
The movements appeared to be wide and sweeping, even somewhat rough.
The old cross slide made a screeching noise under her control, and the spindle made a dull sound under high load.
The scalding hot aluminum shavings were no longer fine powder, but were roughly peeled off in large pieces like popcorn, flying everywhere!
"Nonsense! Utter nonsense!"
Wang Tiezhu could no longer contain himself. Pointing at the flying, obviously excessively thick aluminum shavings and the violently trembling machine tool, he angrily retorted.
"Is this finishing? This is destruction! This is wasting materials! Stop it! That knife..."
Academician Zhang Meng cast a warning glance at her.
His words came to an abrupt end.
At this moment, the flying aluminum shavings suddenly changed.
No longer are they roughly separated into pieces.
Just as Mingzhao completed a seemingly casual, large-stroke lateral movement, and the tip of the blade cut into the starting point of an extremely complex S-shaped curved surface of the aluminum ingot, the flying aluminum shavings instantly became extremely fine and uniform!
Like silver-gray silk being gently peeled away!
The blade tip swept across the surface of the aluminum ingot at high speed, leaving behind an incredibly smooth metallic sheen!
That was precisely the most complex and critical S-shaped intake starting surface required on the blueprints!
Mingzhao's hands remained steady and strong as he manipulated the old, patched-up machine tool that trembled and groaned.
Her movements still carried a grand, rhythmic quality, but the trajectory of the blade was so precise it was as if controlled by the most advanced CNC program!
The ear-piercing sounds of the machine tool rubbing and the roar of the spindle seemed to be a march accompanying her.
Scalding hot aluminum shavings cascaded down in front of her like a silver waterfall, landing on the oily ground and piling up in a shimmering trail.
The air in the entire workshop seemed to have been sucked out.
All the machine noise disappeared.
Wang Tiezhu stood there with his mouth agape, still defiant, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets as he stared intently at the smooth, mirror-like, perfectly curved metal surface that was taking shape at a speed visible to the naked eye!
That was the devilish curve on the blueprint that he had been unable to mill out no matter what he tried before!
Master Chen dropped his cigarette on the ground, unaware that it had burned a black spot on his hand.
He straightened his hunched back, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the flying knife tip and the shaped curved surface.
His chapped lips trembled as he muttered to himself, "Amazing... absolutely amazing..."
The two apprentices, exhausted and slumped on the ground, also stared wide-eyed.
Looking at the perfect curved surface that seemed to have been born of magic, and then at the slender figure standing in front of the roaring, trembling scrap metal, covered in oil but seemingly controlling the soul of the metal.
Mingzhao's gaze was focused and calm.
Her fingers moved steadily on the large handwheel, manipulating the crude machine tool she had turned a pile of junk into gold, carving the first perfect scar belonging to the ghost on the expensive aerospace aluminum ingot.
The resentment that had been frozen on Wang Tiezhu's face now appeared incredibly pale and glaring.
He felt as if his face had been slapped hard by the flying silver aluminum shavings, an invisible blow that stung fiercely.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
