water, wood and fire
down the sides, the curve of the profile of hull of a boat with lateen sail beyond the means of natural curvature of a wooden board. Force it into position can cause cracks or, worse, a sudden failure when under stress.
So we resort to an archaic method, the same for thousands of years, probably since the first Achaeans and Phoenicians built wooden ships.
Antonio, the young apprentice, an expert, rub with perseverance and attention to the table with a cloth soaked in water, while Michele Cafiero lighting a fire with scraps of wood in an iron bucket.
The wood of the table, a little at a time, it soaked in water, and becomes more elastic. But not enough. With great care, Michele slips and round the table in the flames. The water penetrates the wood fibers, is heated and heats the fibers already softened. If the board seems dry, Michele Antonio withdraws from the heat and continue to soak it in a game of balance between fire and water
. When the wood seems to exude steam, Michael hurries Mast'Antonio waiting at the hull of the crop: with a few gestures, fast but never frantic, securing the first board, the "bull", still smoking on the ordinate, and the strength against the keel with "wedges" and demanding. The drill, nail it, and when the table it will be dried, the wood fibers will remain in the deformed position set to hot, but without force. Next, the carpenters and the apprentice are preparing to repeat the process with the second carriage.
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