Sawing Wagon

This is one of the two machines armed with rotating sickles designed by Leonardo in 1485 and included in the file for Ludovico il Moro, Duke of Milan, as a presentation of his own skills that he intended to put at his service. In this project the Tuscan genius does not limit himself to a technical drawing, but illustrates its functioning and, above all, its terrible effectiveness, almost as if to discourage its use, drawing soldiers massacred as it passes. In fact Leonardo was against war, which he considered “bestial madness”; and this in particular was also very dangerous for anyone who found himself within its range of action: friends or enemies.

Leonardo da Vinci’s Sawing Wagon is like the ultimate DIY project, but with 15th-century flair! Imagine a wagon that not only carries wood but actually saws it as it moves—powered by the turning wheels. This invention is a genius mashup of transportation and carpentry, designed to make work smoother and faster. The saw is set on a rotating platform, so as the wagon rolls, it slices through logs with precision. It’s like a mobile lumber mill on wheels—fast, efficient, and totally ahead of its time.

Leonardo was thinking big, even back then—bringing together practicality and innovation, all in one.