High-tech renaissance mechanisms. Part 1

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

Many researchers and those simply interested in the topic of antiquities argue that in the past there was a highly developed civilization on Earth. This is evidenced by traces of mechanical processing of granite and other solid rocks, on which traces of mechanisms inaccessible even to us are visible. Namely: saw discs with a thickness of 1-2 mm, high-quality vessels with a wall thickness of a few millimeters, etc.

Yes, perhaps all this took place in antiquity. But some of the examples can be explained by the hypothesis of casting and molding from geoconcrete (outcrops of cold fluidolites). It is possible that the traces of cutting tools are just traces of a spatula on the "plasticine" masses.

I believe that there was a highly developed civilization, but it was different, not the same as we imagine it. Without industry and consumerism, without crutches in the form of gadgets and centralized energy supply. And the production tooling was self-sufficient and versatile. At the level of handicraft small-scale production. The drive is manual with a flywheel (inertial storage), or steam engines, about the most striking examples of which we were later told in history in the form of the first steam locomotives. Each piece was individual and, to some extent, a work of art. There was no pipeline and one size fits all standardization.

And this civilization was recent, back in the Middle Ages. I propose to dive into the proof of this statement.

Video about the exhibits stored in the Hermitage (there are more than 300 of them!) 18th century. These are masterpieces of micromechanics and engineering of the time. To develop such mechanisms today, we need design teams:

In Europe, the fascination with this automation and mechanical toys lasted 200 years in history. And almost instantly, interest in them disappeared! Even in the palace of the Chinese emperor by the 19th century. accumulated about 5000 such exhibits. Then how many were there in all of Europe? How are our cell phones? And what happened that the tradition of making these machines and interest in them disappeared? Historians say that the invention of the gramophone put an end to such toys. But is it? Maybe there was a completely different reason? Indeed, in our time, electronics in smartphones is only progressing. I doubt that all over the world, interest in them can instantly disappear.

Kulibin's watch

One of the masterpieces kept in the Hermitage collection is Kulibin's watch:

An egg-shaped clock, created by I. Kulibin in 1767 for the arrival of Catherine II for her arrival in Nizhny Novgorod. The clock played Easter tunes every hour. At the end of each hour, performances based on biblical themes were performed with miniature figurines. 427 smallest details. The restorers have not been able to restore it until now, because cannot figure out the secret of their work.

And now, after reading this brief information, think: how could a simple self-taught person make such a masterpiece of micromechanics? For a modern engineer, you need to know many disciplines and have just vast experience in materials science and the principles of constructing watch mechanisms. This means that there was an excellent school even in the outback of the Russian Empire at that time. Or Kulibin studied somewhere? Did you go to Europe or were there other schools here?

Hours 17-18 centuries. How could symmetrical gears and other parts be handcrafted with such precision?

I once carved a medallion for myself from a silver plate according to a marked template. At my disposal was a hand jigsaw, files and files, polishing paste. But I didn't get a high-quality product. I did not achieve either good geometry or quality of metal processing. Yes, I am not a jeweler and do not know all their techniques. But were all watchmakers of that time jewelers? Carving a miniature gear is not like putting a stone into a ring.

If we take a closer look at the watches of I. Kulibin and other watches of European masters of that time, then we can understand that the parts were made by turning, and not by hand. What do we know about lathes of that time? It turns out they were in great variety, here's the info:

Screenshot from the 17c book. These are weapon machines for the manufacture of rifle barrels at the Tula plant.

Reference is made to the book showing the drawings of the rest of the machines of those times, namely 1646. Their level is in no way worse than the machines of the 19th century. It was on them that such masterpieces were made, and not with a hand tool, as historians write.

A few more photographs of the machines used to manufacture high-tech parts of the 17-18th centuries.

Machine tools up to the 19th century.

Announcement on avito for the sale of a machine bed from the early 19th century. Apparently there is a date on it, if it was so accurately dated.

Watchmaking machines?

But the machines themselves are also made on machines, and probably using the milling principles of metal processing.

Close-up

The units of these machines are also a work of art and the height of engineering and technology of that era. And this was far from uncommon.

But this is why historians say that everything was made by hand? Manual processing of precision for watch mechanisms will not give, the watch simply will not work.

I am most interested in friction units in such mechanisms. And how were they lubricated? There are many questions, but no one gives answers to them from the point of view of manufacturing technologies and materials science.