Working model after Francesco di Giorgio, Ms. Ashburnham 361 (BMLF), fol. 43v
The waterwheel-powered saw was a fairly widespread industrial machine. It mainly served to cut large tree-trunks into planks. The most notable feature of the version shown here is the mechanism for moving the trunk-bearing carriage up to the blade. Indeed, Francesco's own notes next to the drawing give an elaborate explanation of the mechanism, stressing the need for an abundant water supply to power the waterwheel that drives the machine.
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