Chapter 200 - 88: Expensive Ergonomic Chair (Part 2)
These five rabbits were no exception. Under the increasingly skilled hands of Chen Zhou, the butcher, they were quickly transformed into various small parts, some stretched on drying racks, some chopped and thrown into the copper fryer, or rolling in boiling water, gradually cooking.
After dealing with the rabbits, Chen Zhou lit the oil lamp and assembled the ergonomic chair in the bedroom.
Thinking it over, he felt that among the entire chair, only the bearings in the five casters were useful. They could be removed and used in the wheels of a cart.
However, the chair's casters use a very specialized type of custom-shaped screw, unlike the last time when he could just bind two iron rods together to unscrew hex bolts. If he could not create a specific screwdriver, he would have to resort to brute force dismantling.
And brute force dismantling was bound to damage the casters.
Despite the chair's exquisite craftsmanship and high-end materials, compared with regular ergonomic chairs, it wasn't significantly superior. Sitting on it would at most reduce the pressure on the spinal and lumbar regions; it couldn't cure a herniated disc, let alone prolong life.
It couldn't avoid the common flaws found in typical ergonomic chairs.
It's like the saying about baijiu: "You get what you pay for, but you don't always get double for what you pay extra."
Asking if a top-tier baijiu priced at hundreds of thousands is dozens of times more delicious than an entry-level baijiu priced at fifteen or sixteen hundred a bottle is ridiculous. The aromatic substances created during fermentation are limited, as are the components the liquid can hold. The upper limit of the wine is thus locked.
The same goes for this chair — even if it were made of titanium alloy or gold, without the casters, it would still fail to stand properly. Even if it could barely stand, it would become cumbersome, requiring manual movement.
Furthermore, the height and footrest design of the ergonomic chair were calculated with the casters' radius in mind. Without them, its comfort would be significantly reduced.
Removing the casters would effectively destroy the entire chair and burn thousands of dollars.
Chen Zhou hesitated at the notion of becoming a profligate, throwing away ten thousand yuan at a whim.
Internally wavering, he plopped down on the chair, adjusted the lumbar and armrest, and indulged in the pleasure that money brings. Ultimately, he decided to still remove the casters.
The bearings inside the casters, when applied to trolleys or traditional tools like dirt plows and water pestles, could be a hundred, or thousand, times more effective than the chair, far more useful than being a decoration in a bedroom.
But before starting the removal, he hoped to use a less destructive method, aiming to find some metal rods to try filing out a specialized screwdriver. If it failed, then he'd resort to forceful dismantling.
At the same time, he measured the height and size of the casters in advance. After the ergonomic chair loses its casters, he intended to customize five non-rotating "wooden prosthetics" for it.
Although this would render the ergonomic chair worthless and immobile, it could still shine and serve as the only piece of luxurious modern furniture in the cave dwelling.
...
On May 12, the countdown for the 16th mysterious reward began.
On the same day, Chen Zhou devoted all his energy to making the dirt plow and water pestle, preparing for the harvest and processing of crops.
He brought several short tables from the camp and lined them up at the cave entrance, spending his days cutting wood blocks, carving wood, or mixing and shaping mud balls according to the steps pre-planned in his notes.
The process of practice was both tedious and interesting.
As time passed, more and more small models appeared on the short tables, becoming increasingly refined, gradually closing the gap with a truly sturdy and efficient dirt plow.
During the creation of the dirt plow, Chen Zhou constantly validated his hypotheses and improved upon them, honing his woodworking skills.
This process of thinking and progress was far more enjoyable than monotonous woodcutting and sawing.
At the same time, it allowed Chen Zhou to gradually transition from being an "ignorant lad" relying on brute strength to a mature "master craftsman."
...
On May 19, the rice matured.
On the same day, Chen Zhou completed the first-generation rice husker prototype model, designed using a combination of prior knowledge and modern understanding.
This small model, no taller than eighty centimeters, was not structurally complex and functioned similarly to the dirt plow in "Heavenly Craftsmanship," with slight optimizations and many modern industrial elements.
This included interchangeable parts and modular design.
The millstone inside the first-generation rice husker used mud for its construction due to its lower manufacturing threshold and shorter production time.
While mud was less durable than stone, for now, the millstone could only be made of mud.
This is because while stone millstones are more durable, they are also heavier and harder to carve, requiring more time to produce.
According to Chen Zhou's vision, the mudstone was a stopgap solution. Once suitable stone millstones were carved, the mudstone should be able to be easily replaced.
Manufacturing another rice husker would be time-consuming and labor-intensive, so designing replaceable parts was very necessary.
Besides the millstone, the inlet and outlet of the rice husker were designed to be separable. If damaged, they could be individually manufactured and replaced without requiring complete dismantling.
Considering future increases in grain production, it wouldn't be possible to rely solely on manual labor forever. Chen Zhou reserved interfaces for connecting transmission shafts in the power structure of the millstone.
If animal power, hydraulics, or wind power were used in the future, after building a water wheel or windmill, they could be directly utilized.
In addition, he reserved an interface for a bellows next to the rice husker's outlet.