Another World Metal Factory

Chapter 62

Following the Factory Manager’s operation, the spinning lump of metal began to be shaved into a circular shape.

Taking out the now cylindrical piece of metal, the Factory Manager secured it again and started drilling a hole. After drilling the hole halfway through, not all the way, the Factory Manager stopped the machine.

Once the Factory Manager finished shaping the metal, Richel and Channing each laid out the items they had been commissioned to make on the workbench.

“I brought them.”

“Good. Tehez, drill holes in the bottom of that container. Hey, how big should the holes be?”

At the Factory Manager’s question, Oran nodded and answered.

“Between 1.5 and 2 pi. That’s perfect.”

“Tehez, you heard that? Drill the holes and smooth them out. You need to make a lot of them, close together. Channing! You help me.”

The Factory Manager had Channing prepare the welding machine.

After inserting the pipe Channing had brought into the round-shaped metal piece, the Factory Manager examined it carefully and told Channing,

“Weld it.”

“Yes.”

The Factory Manager went to the corner and started rummaging through the pile of wood.

He picked up a thick piece of lumber, examined it closely, then dragged it over and placed it on the milling machine, changing the chuck.

“Factory Manager-nim. I’ve finished drilling the holes.”

While the Factory Manager was preparing the milling machine, Tehez brought over the stainless steel container with all the holes drilled in it from the drilling machine.

“Ah, good job. Then go over there and bring the vacuum cleaner we use for cleaning and two dust masks.”

The Factory Manager said as he received the stainless steel container, and Tehez nodded and headed to the corner.

After the Factory Manager finished changing the chuck, he waited for a moment, and Tehez returned with the vacuum cleaner and masks. The Factory Manager put on a mask and safety glasses.

“When you process wood with this, a lot of dust and sawdust will fly around. So while I’m operating it, hold the vacuum cleaner nearby and suck up the sawdust. Wear your safety glasses.”

“I understand.”

Tehez turned on the vacuum cleaner. The Factory Manager glanced at her and started the machine.

As the blade touched the lumber, a tremendous amount of sawdust started flying, and Tehez, startled, brought the vacuum cleaner nozzle closer. The machine’s blade spun, creating a circle.

After the milling machine had been running for a while, a hole was cleanly drilled into the lumber.

“Good. Shall we try fitting it in?”

The Factory Manager inserted the stainless steel container Tehez had drilled into the hole in the lumber. Since the top of the container was wide, it was caught snugly in the hole.

Seeing this, the Factory Manager nodded and took the container out again.

“Good. Channing! How’s the welding going?”

“It’s finished.”

The Factory Manager approached Channing and checked the welded pipe.

After confirming the cleanly welded pipe, the Factory Manager put it down and picked up another pipe, marking it with a tape measure and a marker pen.

After finishing the marking, the Factory Manager handed the pipe to Channing.

“Drill holes as marked here. Widen this part as indicated and smooth it out with a hand grinder.”

“Wow… this looks a bit difficult. I understand.”

Channing changed the hand grinder’s bit to a cutting bit. This was because he had to drill rectangular holes in the front and back of the pipe’s side.

First, Channing secured the pipe in the drilling machine and started drilling holes according to the marked locations.

“I wrote down the pi there, so use that to drill.”

“Yes, yes. I’ve already changed the bit. Don’t worry.”

Channing replied to the Factory Manager and finished drilling the holes.

After drilling holes in the front and middle of the pipe, Channing clamped the pipe, which had holes drilled in the corners of the marked rectangle, in a vise.

He picked up the hand grinder he had prepared earlier and brought it to the pipe. Sparks flew as the steel pipe began to be cut. The cutting bit became red hot from the heat.

After cutting all four sides with the grinder, Channing inserted a hacksaw into the slightly remaining parts of the corners to finish the job. With a snap, a square piece fell off the pipe.

He turned the pipe and did the same on the other side.

Thus, a square, through-hole was drilled in the pipe, and he changed the grinder bit to a polishing bit and smoothed out all the sharp edges.

“I’m done.”

“Good. Bring it here. Now.”

At the Factory Manager’s words, Channing brought the finished pipe over. The Factory Manager received the pipe and connected it to the lumber.

After aligning the pipe with the long, ㄷ-shaped angle iron attached to the lumber, the Factory Manager secured it with bolts.

“The bolts are unusual. The threads are only at the end.”

Tehez asked a question while watching the Factory Manager tighten the bolts with a wrench.

Tightening the bolts with a wrench, the Factory Manager replied.

“It’s a shoulder bolt. It’s also called a stripper bolt. The middle part is smooth, so it’s good for fixing parts that need to move like this.”

After securing the bolt, the Factory Manager moved the pipe up and down. The part fixed with the bolt started to move smoothly.

“What’s that white washer you put between the bracket and the pipe?”

“It’s a Teflon washer. It makes the movement smoother.”

Tehez took notes in her notebook. Channing, having anticipated this, inserted the metal lump he had made earlier into the hole in the pipe.

“Factory Manager-nim. This is for fixing it here, right? I think I have a rough idea of what this is. It seems similar to an oil press, right?”

Channing said while tightening the bolts, following the Factory Manager. The Factory Manager laughed and nodded.

“You’ve become quite smart. Now, Richel! Is the dough finished?”

“Yes! It’s almost done.”

Richel shouted from the kitchen. The Factory Manager instructed Channing to take the finished machine and wash it.

“Wow. This is heavier than I thought.”

While Channing groaned and carried the finished machine away, the Factory Manager took out a cigarette and lit it.

Almost simultaneously, Channing returned with the cleaned machine, and Richel came out with the finished dough. Illia also came out with Richel, covered in flour.

“Illia helped with the dough too.”

“Yes. It was fun.”

The Factory Manager stroked the head of Illia, who was smiling brightly, and placed the lumber on the workbench, putting the machine on top of it.

“It’s a noodle maker.”

“It’s similar to the one we use to make buckwheat noodles in our hometown.”

Oran said, looking at it.

“Let’s not waste the flour, so hold it firmly underneath.”

At Oran’s words, Richel nodded and positioned herself. The Factory Manager put the flour dough into the stainless steel container and carefully inserted the cylindrical metal piece.

“Channing. Press it down.”

“Yes. I understand.”

At the Factory Manager’s words, Channing pulled the handle down hard.

“Whoa… This is hard.”

“Did you think it would be easy? Put more strength into it!”

Channing practically hung onto the handle, using all his strength.

“Oh! It’s coming out! It’s coming out!”

“It’s real!”

As the noodles started coming out from below, Richel and Tehez cheered. Illia, who was too short to see properly, stood on tiptoe to watch the noodles emerge.

Richel quickly reached out and grabbed the noodles as they came out.

A moment later, Tehez held the long, extruded noodles in her hand with a delighted expression.

“Wow! This is amazing. So many thin and long noodles are coming out evenly in an instant.”

“It’s all good, but this is too tiring.”

Channing complained while rotating his shoulder, but everyone was too focused on the extruded noodles to pay attention to him.

“So it pushes the flour through the holes by applying pressure. It’s definitely similar to the oil press that Channing mentioned.”

“Theoretically, it’s similar since it’s compressing. By adjusting the holes in this stainless steel container, you can extrude noodles of various thicknesses.”

Oran replied when Tehez spoke while looking at the noodle maker.

Richel smiled brightly and looked at the Factory Manager.

“Wow! You can make them in different thicknesses too? Please make more.”

“Anyone listening would think I’m making them for free.”

“Don’t worry! I’m going to open a food stall in the plaza during the festival. I’m going to sell a lot of new dishes using this and make a lot of money!”

When Richel said this with a bright smile, Oran frowned slightly.

“You’re going to sell this dish?”

“Yes! If you boil this and mix it with tomato stew, it’s quite delicious.”

Oran thought for a moment and then spoke.

“Do you have enough tables and chairs? What about tableware?”

“Tables and chairs? And tableware… Ah!”

“Huh? Why? Is there a problem?”

Richel was about to answer when she realized the intention behind the question and screamed. Tehez, who was listening from the side, didn’t understand and asked again.

“It’s a festival. This isn’t a food you can easily hold and eat. People who come to the festival usually prefer food they can carry around and eat. This requires a plate.”

“Ah… Definitely…”

At Channing’s words, Tehez also realized the problem and nodded. It was a new problem.

If they were going to sell it at a food stall in the plaza, it would be difficult to set up chairs and tables, and washing dishes wouldn’t be easy either.

The Factory Manager, watching the young people pondering, took out a cigarette and lit it, saying,

“Richel. Do you bake the bread at your place too?”

“Bread? No. That would be too much work. We get our bread from Mr. Brot.”

“Then, make hard, round bread like a ball and hollow out the inside. Then put the noodles and stew in it.”

“Put it inside the bread?”

“Then you can carry it around and eat it. You don’t have to worry about preparing separate dishes and washing them. After you finish the noodles, you can just eat the bread and be done.”

Everyone looked at the Factory Manager with surprised eyes.

Confirming their gazes, the Factory Manager tilted his head.

“What’s wrong? Everyone?”

“We’re surprised because you’re talking about food, not making something out of metal, Factory Manager-nim.”

At Channing’s words, the Factory Manager smacked him on the head.

“Everyone’s saying that because they didn’t expect you to think of something like that.”

“You remember when we went to that Western restaurant? They had a dish like that. That weird dish inside the bread. That’s what I was thinking of! Damn it! Even when I give a useful answer, it’s always a commotion!”

Everyone burst into laughter at the Factory Manager’s grumbling in response to Oran’s words.

“That’s a really good idea, mister. I should go and tell Mr. Brot right away.”

“But, unni. How are you going to eat it?”

“Huh? That’s… Ah!”

Just as Richel was about to move, Illia asked a question. Richel stopped mid-sentence.

“Oh right… Eating it is a problem.”

Richel fell into thought again.

Most people used their hands when eating. They only used spoons when eating food with broth.

There were no forks. However, a fork was almost essential for eating noodles.

Since Richel had used a fork when eating ramen at the factory, she hadn’t considered this eating problem.

“Sigh… It’s one problem after another… To avoid having to collect forks, we need to find a way to make them cheaply.”

When Richel sighed, Oran stepped forward this time.

“Richel. Do you know any carpentry workshops?”

“Carpentry workshops? Yes, I do. Everyone in this workshop street is a regular at our place.”

Oran brought paper and a pencil and said,

“Go there and ask them to make forks out of leftover wood scraps. If you cut a roughly square piece of wood three times with a saw, it becomes a fork. You should be able to ask them to make a lot of these cheaply.”

“Ah! Ahhhh!”

Richel clapped her hands and cheered.

“I should go to Mr. Brot’s and Mr. Brenhotz’s right now and order bread and forks! I’ll be right back! Channing! Please deliver what you made and what the Factory Manager-nim made to my place!”

“What I made too? You don’t need this.”

Richel, who was preparing a basket, smiled brightly, grabbed Channing’s shoulder, and shook her head.

“No! What you made is very convenient too. I think it’ll be really useful for chopping vegetables finely. And I think making wide noodles with it could lead to some interesting dishes. I’ll put it to good use! Thank you!”

After hugging Channing tightly, Richel grabbed the basket and hurriedly left through the back door.

“She’s really excited. So excited…”

Channing sighed and scratched his head. The Factory Manager burst into laughter.

“Well, she’s always been like that. Anyway, Channing, Tehez. Clean all this up.”

Channing and Tehez looked at the workbench and sighed.

The noodles they had just made were sitting on a wooden cutting board, and the workbench was covered in flour.

“What should we do with all these noodles?”

Illia asked, bringing over the noodles cut with the machine Channing had made.

Oran looked at the noodles and smiled gently.

“I guess we’ll have to have kalguksu for dinner tonight. With zucchini and carrots.”

“Kalguksu. Sounds good. With seafood.”

The Factory Manager replied, and Oran nodded with a smile.