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The Sword in the Stone


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4












$begingroup$


I am trying to recreate King Arthur's the Sword in the Stone using chemistry.



I have a couple ideas how this could be done Would any of these work or how it might work?
enter image description hereArthur removes the sword from the stone and is blessed by Archbishop Brice, from Le Livre de Merlin, France, N. (Arras), 1310, Add MS 38117, f. 73v." Caption via the British Library's Medieval Manuscripts Blog.



Unlike this answer: Making a sword in the stone, in a medieval world without magic I am interested how this could have been done with a substance available in 500AD.



What could be smelted or concreted then to allow a sword to be entered into it then allowed to cool or harden with no chemical bond to the sword?



The material of the stone would need to contract as it gets colder to release the sword at a certain temperature, not be so hot during insertion to effect the temper of the sword, and/or allow water or ice to permeate between the sword and stone.



Similar to using whiteout to create a barrier between the soft iron shell and the inside hard steel of a canister Damascus forge could the sword be coated with a whiteout/liquid paper like material that breaks down when wet over time?



Could water get between a designer stone and sword enough to erode or breakdown the bond between the sword and the stone?



The simplest way this could be done I can think of is thrusting the sword into a ball of lava rock that meets the edge of an ocean then moved and carved. Over time water and winter loosen the sword.



enter image description here










share|improve this question











$endgroup$












  • $begingroup$
    Could you please include a clear definition of what you mean by "whiteout"? When I look it up, it just comes up with a load of film references. That product may not be available in all the countries that our members live in. Can you clarify please? Also, are you asserting that the sword is not corrosion resistant, like just a normal steel sword, what's to stop atmospheric moisture from corroding the tang and expanding to destroy the handle?
    $endgroup$
    – Confounded by beige fish.
    8 hours ago












  • $begingroup$
    ...Cont. At the moment your question seems to be story based and has little to do with worldbuilding. It would perhaps help if you provided context that gave us the worldbuilding problem in a nutshell.
    $endgroup$
    – Confounded by beige fish.
    7 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    @Confoundedbybeigefish. Whiteout is a generic term for liquid paper often known by the brand name Tipex. The white fluid painted onto paper to correct spelling mistakes when typing or writing by hand. There is an American TV show called Forged in Fire that has highlighted its use in the sword making process.
    $endgroup$
    – Sarriesfan
    7 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    Sticking the sword in lava will ruin the temper of the steel, Getting steel more than a few hundred degrees will ruin the temper.
    $endgroup$
    – John
    7 hours ago






  • 1




    $begingroup$
    Whiteout will have no effect on the heat ruining the temper of the steel. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempering_(metallurgy)
    $endgroup$
    – John
    7 hours ago


















4












$begingroup$


I am trying to recreate King Arthur's the Sword in the Stone using chemistry.



I have a couple ideas how this could be done Would any of these work or how it might work?
enter image description hereArthur removes the sword from the stone and is blessed by Archbishop Brice, from Le Livre de Merlin, France, N. (Arras), 1310, Add MS 38117, f. 73v." Caption via the British Library's Medieval Manuscripts Blog.



Unlike this answer: Making a sword in the stone, in a medieval world without magic I am interested how this could have been done with a substance available in 500AD.



What could be smelted or concreted then to allow a sword to be entered into it then allowed to cool or harden with no chemical bond to the sword?



The material of the stone would need to contract as it gets colder to release the sword at a certain temperature, not be so hot during insertion to effect the temper of the sword, and/or allow water or ice to permeate between the sword and stone.



Similar to using whiteout to create a barrier between the soft iron shell and the inside hard steel of a canister Damascus forge could the sword be coated with a whiteout/liquid paper like material that breaks down when wet over time?



Could water get between a designer stone and sword enough to erode or breakdown the bond between the sword and the stone?



The simplest way this could be done I can think of is thrusting the sword into a ball of lava rock that meets the edge of an ocean then moved and carved. Over time water and winter loosen the sword.



enter image description here










share|improve this question











$endgroup$












  • $begingroup$
    Could you please include a clear definition of what you mean by "whiteout"? When I look it up, it just comes up with a load of film references. That product may not be available in all the countries that our members live in. Can you clarify please? Also, are you asserting that the sword is not corrosion resistant, like just a normal steel sword, what's to stop atmospheric moisture from corroding the tang and expanding to destroy the handle?
    $endgroup$
    – Confounded by beige fish.
    8 hours ago












  • $begingroup$
    ...Cont. At the moment your question seems to be story based and has little to do with worldbuilding. It would perhaps help if you provided context that gave us the worldbuilding problem in a nutshell.
    $endgroup$
    – Confounded by beige fish.
    7 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    @Confoundedbybeigefish. Whiteout is a generic term for liquid paper often known by the brand name Tipex. The white fluid painted onto paper to correct spelling mistakes when typing or writing by hand. There is an American TV show called Forged in Fire that has highlighted its use in the sword making process.
    $endgroup$
    – Sarriesfan
    7 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    Sticking the sword in lava will ruin the temper of the steel, Getting steel more than a few hundred degrees will ruin the temper.
    $endgroup$
    – John
    7 hours ago






  • 1




    $begingroup$
    Whiteout will have no effect on the heat ruining the temper of the steel. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempering_(metallurgy)
    $endgroup$
    – John
    7 hours ago














4












4








4





$begingroup$


I am trying to recreate King Arthur's the Sword in the Stone using chemistry.



I have a couple ideas how this could be done Would any of these work or how it might work?
enter image description hereArthur removes the sword from the stone and is blessed by Archbishop Brice, from Le Livre de Merlin, France, N. (Arras), 1310, Add MS 38117, f. 73v." Caption via the British Library's Medieval Manuscripts Blog.



Unlike this answer: Making a sword in the stone, in a medieval world without magic I am interested how this could have been done with a substance available in 500AD.



What could be smelted or concreted then to allow a sword to be entered into it then allowed to cool or harden with no chemical bond to the sword?



The material of the stone would need to contract as it gets colder to release the sword at a certain temperature, not be so hot during insertion to effect the temper of the sword, and/or allow water or ice to permeate between the sword and stone.



Similar to using whiteout to create a barrier between the soft iron shell and the inside hard steel of a canister Damascus forge could the sword be coated with a whiteout/liquid paper like material that breaks down when wet over time?



Could water get between a designer stone and sword enough to erode or breakdown the bond between the sword and the stone?



The simplest way this could be done I can think of is thrusting the sword into a ball of lava rock that meets the edge of an ocean then moved and carved. Over time water and winter loosen the sword.



enter image description here










share|improve this question











$endgroup$




I am trying to recreate King Arthur's the Sword in the Stone using chemistry.



I have a couple ideas how this could be done Would any of these work or how it might work?
enter image description hereArthur removes the sword from the stone and is blessed by Archbishop Brice, from Le Livre de Merlin, France, N. (Arras), 1310, Add MS 38117, f. 73v." Caption via the British Library's Medieval Manuscripts Blog.



Unlike this answer: Making a sword in the stone, in a medieval world without magic I am interested how this could have been done with a substance available in 500AD.



What could be smelted or concreted then to allow a sword to be entered into it then allowed to cool or harden with no chemical bond to the sword?



The material of the stone would need to contract as it gets colder to release the sword at a certain temperature, not be so hot during insertion to effect the temper of the sword, and/or allow water or ice to permeate between the sword and stone.



Similar to using whiteout to create a barrier between the soft iron shell and the inside hard steel of a canister Damascus forge could the sword be coated with a whiteout/liquid paper like material that breaks down when wet over time?



Could water get between a designer stone and sword enough to erode or breakdown the bond between the sword and the stone?



The simplest way this could be done I can think of is thrusting the sword into a ball of lava rock that meets the edge of an ocean then moved and carved. Over time water and winter loosen the sword.



enter image description here







science-based technology chemistry middle-ages






share|improve this question















share|improve this question













share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited 6 hours ago







Muze

















asked 8 hours ago









MuzeMuze

7021 gold badge8 silver badges30 bronze badges




7021 gold badge8 silver badges30 bronze badges












  • $begingroup$
    Could you please include a clear definition of what you mean by "whiteout"? When I look it up, it just comes up with a load of film references. That product may not be available in all the countries that our members live in. Can you clarify please? Also, are you asserting that the sword is not corrosion resistant, like just a normal steel sword, what's to stop atmospheric moisture from corroding the tang and expanding to destroy the handle?
    $endgroup$
    – Confounded by beige fish.
    8 hours ago












  • $begingroup$
    ...Cont. At the moment your question seems to be story based and has little to do with worldbuilding. It would perhaps help if you provided context that gave us the worldbuilding problem in a nutshell.
    $endgroup$
    – Confounded by beige fish.
    7 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    @Confoundedbybeigefish. Whiteout is a generic term for liquid paper often known by the brand name Tipex. The white fluid painted onto paper to correct spelling mistakes when typing or writing by hand. There is an American TV show called Forged in Fire that has highlighted its use in the sword making process.
    $endgroup$
    – Sarriesfan
    7 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    Sticking the sword in lava will ruin the temper of the steel, Getting steel more than a few hundred degrees will ruin the temper.
    $endgroup$
    – John
    7 hours ago






  • 1




    $begingroup$
    Whiteout will have no effect on the heat ruining the temper of the steel. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempering_(metallurgy)
    $endgroup$
    – John
    7 hours ago


















  • $begingroup$
    Could you please include a clear definition of what you mean by "whiteout"? When I look it up, it just comes up with a load of film references. That product may not be available in all the countries that our members live in. Can you clarify please? Also, are you asserting that the sword is not corrosion resistant, like just a normal steel sword, what's to stop atmospheric moisture from corroding the tang and expanding to destroy the handle?
    $endgroup$
    – Confounded by beige fish.
    8 hours ago












  • $begingroup$
    ...Cont. At the moment your question seems to be story based and has little to do with worldbuilding. It would perhaps help if you provided context that gave us the worldbuilding problem in a nutshell.
    $endgroup$
    – Confounded by beige fish.
    7 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    @Confoundedbybeigefish. Whiteout is a generic term for liquid paper often known by the brand name Tipex. The white fluid painted onto paper to correct spelling mistakes when typing or writing by hand. There is an American TV show called Forged in Fire that has highlighted its use in the sword making process.
    $endgroup$
    – Sarriesfan
    7 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    Sticking the sword in lava will ruin the temper of the steel, Getting steel more than a few hundred degrees will ruin the temper.
    $endgroup$
    – John
    7 hours ago






  • 1




    $begingroup$
    Whiteout will have no effect on the heat ruining the temper of the steel. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempering_(metallurgy)
    $endgroup$
    – John
    7 hours ago
















$begingroup$
Could you please include a clear definition of what you mean by "whiteout"? When I look it up, it just comes up with a load of film references. That product may not be available in all the countries that our members live in. Can you clarify please? Also, are you asserting that the sword is not corrosion resistant, like just a normal steel sword, what's to stop atmospheric moisture from corroding the tang and expanding to destroy the handle?
$endgroup$
– Confounded by beige fish.
8 hours ago






$begingroup$
Could you please include a clear definition of what you mean by "whiteout"? When I look it up, it just comes up with a load of film references. That product may not be available in all the countries that our members live in. Can you clarify please? Also, are you asserting that the sword is not corrosion resistant, like just a normal steel sword, what's to stop atmospheric moisture from corroding the tang and expanding to destroy the handle?
$endgroup$
– Confounded by beige fish.
8 hours ago














$begingroup$
...Cont. At the moment your question seems to be story based and has little to do with worldbuilding. It would perhaps help if you provided context that gave us the worldbuilding problem in a nutshell.
$endgroup$
– Confounded by beige fish.
7 hours ago




$begingroup$
...Cont. At the moment your question seems to be story based and has little to do with worldbuilding. It would perhaps help if you provided context that gave us the worldbuilding problem in a nutshell.
$endgroup$
– Confounded by beige fish.
7 hours ago












$begingroup$
@Confoundedbybeigefish. Whiteout is a generic term for liquid paper often known by the brand name Tipex. The white fluid painted onto paper to correct spelling mistakes when typing or writing by hand. There is an American TV show called Forged in Fire that has highlighted its use in the sword making process.
$endgroup$
– Sarriesfan
7 hours ago




$begingroup$
@Confoundedbybeigefish. Whiteout is a generic term for liquid paper often known by the brand name Tipex. The white fluid painted onto paper to correct spelling mistakes when typing or writing by hand. There is an American TV show called Forged in Fire that has highlighted its use in the sword making process.
$endgroup$
– Sarriesfan
7 hours ago












$begingroup$
Sticking the sword in lava will ruin the temper of the steel, Getting steel more than a few hundred degrees will ruin the temper.
$endgroup$
– John
7 hours ago




$begingroup$
Sticking the sword in lava will ruin the temper of the steel, Getting steel more than a few hundred degrees will ruin the temper.
$endgroup$
– John
7 hours ago




1




1




$begingroup$
Whiteout will have no effect on the heat ruining the temper of the steel. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempering_(metallurgy)
$endgroup$
– John
7 hours ago




$begingroup$
Whiteout will have no effect on the heat ruining the temper of the steel. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempering_(metallurgy)
$endgroup$
– John
7 hours ago










3 Answers
3






active

oldest

votes


















4












$begingroup$

You could use Roman concrete



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_concrete




Roman concrete, also called opus caementicium, was a material used in
construction during the late Roman Republic until the fading of the
Roman Empire. Roman concrete was based on a hydraulic-setting cement.
Recently, it has been found that it materially differs in several ways
from modern concrete which is based on Portland cement. Roman concrete
is durable due to its incorporation of volcanic ash, which prevents
cracks from spreading... Further
innovative developments in the material, called the Concrete
Revolution, contributed to structurally complicated forms, such as the
Pantheon dome, the world's largest and oldest unreinforced concrete
dome.




The Pantheon is 2000 years old and looking very, very good. Roman concrete is poured and cast like modern concrete, but is chemically different from modern concrete in several ways. If you are materials-science inclined, recent studies of Roman concrete make for interesting reading. To release the sword the concrete does not contract, but the metallic sword does. It needs to get really cold.



Your sword is embedded in Roman concrete and has been since Roman-trained engineers put it there 150 years before your story. Dark ages medieval Britons would know of the Romans and be familiar with their works but would likely have lost the arts of reproducing their technology - which is what really happened.






share|improve this answer









$endgroup$









  • 1




    $begingroup$
    For added spice, the way the Romans make concrete used materials not found on the British Isles, specifically pozzolanic ash, which is a sort of natural cement. So there was no reason for Britons to remember how make concrete -- they did not have raw materials anyway. The sword-in-stone must have been set up with imported materials.
    $endgroup$
    – AlexP
    7 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    @AlexP - that is a very interesting observation. I wonder if roman cement found outside Italy used imported volcanic ash? It is a long way to carry ash. Let me see...
    $endgroup$
    – Willk
    6 hours ago






  • 1




    $begingroup$
    @AlexP: Example: the seawall in Roman Palestine. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesarea_Maritima#Construction_techniques And in the text: "Herod imported over 24,000 m3 of pozzolana from the name-giving town of Putoli, today Puzzoli in Italy, to construct the two breakwaters:" So you are right - imported ash.
    $endgroup$
    – Willk
    6 hours ago








  • 2




    $begingroup$
    Great example, and good confirmation that indeed they were perfectly able to import natural cement when they need and wanted to. Ties in with the answer, too!
    $endgroup$
    – AlexP
    6 hours ago






  • 1




    $begingroup$
    @Muze: "How much roman stuff is found outside Italy at that time?" Quite a lot. Lots and lots. By the 1st century CE the vast majority of the Romans were not Italiots/Italians anyway. That's the entire idea of an "empire". (And this is where most modern empires failed. In a successful empire one doesn't go about making petty distinctions between people from the original provinces and people from other provinces. Once you got around and conquered Hispania and Syria you should make sure that Hispanians and Syrians can become senators, generals and emperors just like anybody else.)
    $endgroup$
    – AlexP
    6 hours ago





















4












$begingroup$


I am trying to recreate King Arthur's the Sword in the Stone using chemistry




Chemical



You could use thixotropism and come up with a sword that cannot be removed from its stone scabbard no matter how hard you pull, unless the sword is rattled gently for a couple of minutes beforehand. However, this solution is almost surely bound to undergo degradation along the years.



Mechanical



The simplest way to reproduce the effect would be with a friction lock. Basically, the Stone has a wide hollow "sleeve" inside, not so large as to perceivably alter the Stone's mass or balance; the sleeve is drilled from the bottom side of the Stone and stops a few inches from the surface of the top side, where it narrows to the exact width and thickness of the Sword's blade. So, from above, the Sword is set in the Stone. If this was the whole setup, the Sword would be very easy to extract.



But inside the sleeve you have two steel prongs as long as the blade, covered with a layer of soft lead. Once pressed against the blade, the blade bites the lead and leaves its exact impression; if the rods are kept pressed hard against the blade, the friction is so high that you will never be able to extract the blade, not even using levers. You'd break the blade hilt first.



Now the prongs are kept in place by a counterweight mechanism hosted in a small chamber beneath the stone. The mechanism can work in several ways: it can be "remote-controlled" from a nearby cloister through a wire or light chain pulled through a tube, or it can be released by placing weight on specific stones. One could even devise a "combination lock" so that you'd need to put your weight on stone A, then B, then A, then C, then B to achieve release. Of course anyone would feel the pavement stones wobble slightly, but if most of the flagstones were equally wobbly, nobody would think twice about it. If the mechanism were controlled by pulling a pin attached to an underground chain in a tube, even the wielder of the Sword would never know how the trick was done.



Approximately:



enter image description here






share|improve this answer









$endgroup$





















    3












    $begingroup$

    Gypsum. Also known as drywall. Gypsum plaster has been used for millennia.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmbk8Pfau0I



    With a little artistry, you could easily cast it into the shape of a big rock around a sword. Throw in some darker sand/gravel and maybe some bigger stones, to give the appearance of natural occlusions.



    The big advantage gypsum has over concrete is that it's not all that strong. A big guy could possibly pull a sword out, whereas I'd think cement/concrete would be impossible. The sword in that case is basically rebar.






    share|improve this answer











    $endgroup$
















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      3 Answers
      3






      active

      oldest

      votes








      3 Answers
      3






      active

      oldest

      votes









      active

      oldest

      votes






      active

      oldest

      votes









      4












      $begingroup$

      You could use Roman concrete



      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_concrete




      Roman concrete, also called opus caementicium, was a material used in
      construction during the late Roman Republic until the fading of the
      Roman Empire. Roman concrete was based on a hydraulic-setting cement.
      Recently, it has been found that it materially differs in several ways
      from modern concrete which is based on Portland cement. Roman concrete
      is durable due to its incorporation of volcanic ash, which prevents
      cracks from spreading... Further
      innovative developments in the material, called the Concrete
      Revolution, contributed to structurally complicated forms, such as the
      Pantheon dome, the world's largest and oldest unreinforced concrete
      dome.




      The Pantheon is 2000 years old and looking very, very good. Roman concrete is poured and cast like modern concrete, but is chemically different from modern concrete in several ways. If you are materials-science inclined, recent studies of Roman concrete make for interesting reading. To release the sword the concrete does not contract, but the metallic sword does. It needs to get really cold.



      Your sword is embedded in Roman concrete and has been since Roman-trained engineers put it there 150 years before your story. Dark ages medieval Britons would know of the Romans and be familiar with their works but would likely have lost the arts of reproducing their technology - which is what really happened.






      share|improve this answer









      $endgroup$









      • 1




        $begingroup$
        For added spice, the way the Romans make concrete used materials not found on the British Isles, specifically pozzolanic ash, which is a sort of natural cement. So there was no reason for Britons to remember how make concrete -- they did not have raw materials anyway. The sword-in-stone must have been set up with imported materials.
        $endgroup$
        – AlexP
        7 hours ago










      • $begingroup$
        @AlexP - that is a very interesting observation. I wonder if roman cement found outside Italy used imported volcanic ash? It is a long way to carry ash. Let me see...
        $endgroup$
        – Willk
        6 hours ago






      • 1




        $begingroup$
        @AlexP: Example: the seawall in Roman Palestine. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesarea_Maritima#Construction_techniques And in the text: "Herod imported over 24,000 m3 of pozzolana from the name-giving town of Putoli, today Puzzoli in Italy, to construct the two breakwaters:" So you are right - imported ash.
        $endgroup$
        – Willk
        6 hours ago








      • 2




        $begingroup$
        Great example, and good confirmation that indeed they were perfectly able to import natural cement when they need and wanted to. Ties in with the answer, too!
        $endgroup$
        – AlexP
        6 hours ago






      • 1




        $begingroup$
        @Muze: "How much roman stuff is found outside Italy at that time?" Quite a lot. Lots and lots. By the 1st century CE the vast majority of the Romans were not Italiots/Italians anyway. That's the entire idea of an "empire". (And this is where most modern empires failed. In a successful empire one doesn't go about making petty distinctions between people from the original provinces and people from other provinces. Once you got around and conquered Hispania and Syria you should make sure that Hispanians and Syrians can become senators, generals and emperors just like anybody else.)
        $endgroup$
        – AlexP
        6 hours ago


















      4












      $begingroup$

      You could use Roman concrete



      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_concrete




      Roman concrete, also called opus caementicium, was a material used in
      construction during the late Roman Republic until the fading of the
      Roman Empire. Roman concrete was based on a hydraulic-setting cement.
      Recently, it has been found that it materially differs in several ways
      from modern concrete which is based on Portland cement. Roman concrete
      is durable due to its incorporation of volcanic ash, which prevents
      cracks from spreading... Further
      innovative developments in the material, called the Concrete
      Revolution, contributed to structurally complicated forms, such as the
      Pantheon dome, the world's largest and oldest unreinforced concrete
      dome.




      The Pantheon is 2000 years old and looking very, very good. Roman concrete is poured and cast like modern concrete, but is chemically different from modern concrete in several ways. If you are materials-science inclined, recent studies of Roman concrete make for interesting reading. To release the sword the concrete does not contract, but the metallic sword does. It needs to get really cold.



      Your sword is embedded in Roman concrete and has been since Roman-trained engineers put it there 150 years before your story. Dark ages medieval Britons would know of the Romans and be familiar with their works but would likely have lost the arts of reproducing their technology - which is what really happened.






      share|improve this answer









      $endgroup$









      • 1




        $begingroup$
        For added spice, the way the Romans make concrete used materials not found on the British Isles, specifically pozzolanic ash, which is a sort of natural cement. So there was no reason for Britons to remember how make concrete -- they did not have raw materials anyway. The sword-in-stone must have been set up with imported materials.
        $endgroup$
        – AlexP
        7 hours ago










      • $begingroup$
        @AlexP - that is a very interesting observation. I wonder if roman cement found outside Italy used imported volcanic ash? It is a long way to carry ash. Let me see...
        $endgroup$
        – Willk
        6 hours ago






      • 1




        $begingroup$
        @AlexP: Example: the seawall in Roman Palestine. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesarea_Maritima#Construction_techniques And in the text: "Herod imported over 24,000 m3 of pozzolana from the name-giving town of Putoli, today Puzzoli in Italy, to construct the two breakwaters:" So you are right - imported ash.
        $endgroup$
        – Willk
        6 hours ago








      • 2




        $begingroup$
        Great example, and good confirmation that indeed they were perfectly able to import natural cement when they need and wanted to. Ties in with the answer, too!
        $endgroup$
        – AlexP
        6 hours ago






      • 1




        $begingroup$
        @Muze: "How much roman stuff is found outside Italy at that time?" Quite a lot. Lots and lots. By the 1st century CE the vast majority of the Romans were not Italiots/Italians anyway. That's the entire idea of an "empire". (And this is where most modern empires failed. In a successful empire one doesn't go about making petty distinctions between people from the original provinces and people from other provinces. Once you got around and conquered Hispania and Syria you should make sure that Hispanians and Syrians can become senators, generals and emperors just like anybody else.)
        $endgroup$
        – AlexP
        6 hours ago
















      4












      4








      4





      $begingroup$

      You could use Roman concrete



      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_concrete




      Roman concrete, also called opus caementicium, was a material used in
      construction during the late Roman Republic until the fading of the
      Roman Empire. Roman concrete was based on a hydraulic-setting cement.
      Recently, it has been found that it materially differs in several ways
      from modern concrete which is based on Portland cement. Roman concrete
      is durable due to its incorporation of volcanic ash, which prevents
      cracks from spreading... Further
      innovative developments in the material, called the Concrete
      Revolution, contributed to structurally complicated forms, such as the
      Pantheon dome, the world's largest and oldest unreinforced concrete
      dome.




      The Pantheon is 2000 years old and looking very, very good. Roman concrete is poured and cast like modern concrete, but is chemically different from modern concrete in several ways. If you are materials-science inclined, recent studies of Roman concrete make for interesting reading. To release the sword the concrete does not contract, but the metallic sword does. It needs to get really cold.



      Your sword is embedded in Roman concrete and has been since Roman-trained engineers put it there 150 years before your story. Dark ages medieval Britons would know of the Romans and be familiar with their works but would likely have lost the arts of reproducing their technology - which is what really happened.






      share|improve this answer









      $endgroup$



      You could use Roman concrete



      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_concrete




      Roman concrete, also called opus caementicium, was a material used in
      construction during the late Roman Republic until the fading of the
      Roman Empire. Roman concrete was based on a hydraulic-setting cement.
      Recently, it has been found that it materially differs in several ways
      from modern concrete which is based on Portland cement. Roman concrete
      is durable due to its incorporation of volcanic ash, which prevents
      cracks from spreading... Further
      innovative developments in the material, called the Concrete
      Revolution, contributed to structurally complicated forms, such as the
      Pantheon dome, the world's largest and oldest unreinforced concrete
      dome.




      The Pantheon is 2000 years old and looking very, very good. Roman concrete is poured and cast like modern concrete, but is chemically different from modern concrete in several ways. If you are materials-science inclined, recent studies of Roman concrete make for interesting reading. To release the sword the concrete does not contract, but the metallic sword does. It needs to get really cold.



      Your sword is embedded in Roman concrete and has been since Roman-trained engineers put it there 150 years before your story. Dark ages medieval Britons would know of the Romans and be familiar with their works but would likely have lost the arts of reproducing their technology - which is what really happened.







      share|improve this answer












      share|improve this answer



      share|improve this answer










      answered 7 hours ago









      WillkWillk

      131k33 gold badges246 silver badges549 bronze badges




      131k33 gold badges246 silver badges549 bronze badges








      • 1




        $begingroup$
        For added spice, the way the Romans make concrete used materials not found on the British Isles, specifically pozzolanic ash, which is a sort of natural cement. So there was no reason for Britons to remember how make concrete -- they did not have raw materials anyway. The sword-in-stone must have been set up with imported materials.
        $endgroup$
        – AlexP
        7 hours ago










      • $begingroup$
        @AlexP - that is a very interesting observation. I wonder if roman cement found outside Italy used imported volcanic ash? It is a long way to carry ash. Let me see...
        $endgroup$
        – Willk
        6 hours ago






      • 1




        $begingroup$
        @AlexP: Example: the seawall in Roman Palestine. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesarea_Maritima#Construction_techniques And in the text: "Herod imported over 24,000 m3 of pozzolana from the name-giving town of Putoli, today Puzzoli in Italy, to construct the two breakwaters:" So you are right - imported ash.
        $endgroup$
        – Willk
        6 hours ago








      • 2




        $begingroup$
        Great example, and good confirmation that indeed they were perfectly able to import natural cement when they need and wanted to. Ties in with the answer, too!
        $endgroup$
        – AlexP
        6 hours ago






      • 1




        $begingroup$
        @Muze: "How much roman stuff is found outside Italy at that time?" Quite a lot. Lots and lots. By the 1st century CE the vast majority of the Romans were not Italiots/Italians anyway. That's the entire idea of an "empire". (And this is where most modern empires failed. In a successful empire one doesn't go about making petty distinctions between people from the original provinces and people from other provinces. Once you got around and conquered Hispania and Syria you should make sure that Hispanians and Syrians can become senators, generals and emperors just like anybody else.)
        $endgroup$
        – AlexP
        6 hours ago
















      • 1




        $begingroup$
        For added spice, the way the Romans make concrete used materials not found on the British Isles, specifically pozzolanic ash, which is a sort of natural cement. So there was no reason for Britons to remember how make concrete -- they did not have raw materials anyway. The sword-in-stone must have been set up with imported materials.
        $endgroup$
        – AlexP
        7 hours ago










      • $begingroup$
        @AlexP - that is a very interesting observation. I wonder if roman cement found outside Italy used imported volcanic ash? It is a long way to carry ash. Let me see...
        $endgroup$
        – Willk
        6 hours ago






      • 1




        $begingroup$
        @AlexP: Example: the seawall in Roman Palestine. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesarea_Maritima#Construction_techniques And in the text: "Herod imported over 24,000 m3 of pozzolana from the name-giving town of Putoli, today Puzzoli in Italy, to construct the two breakwaters:" So you are right - imported ash.
        $endgroup$
        – Willk
        6 hours ago








      • 2




        $begingroup$
        Great example, and good confirmation that indeed they were perfectly able to import natural cement when they need and wanted to. Ties in with the answer, too!
        $endgroup$
        – AlexP
        6 hours ago






      • 1




        $begingroup$
        @Muze: "How much roman stuff is found outside Italy at that time?" Quite a lot. Lots and lots. By the 1st century CE the vast majority of the Romans were not Italiots/Italians anyway. That's the entire idea of an "empire". (And this is where most modern empires failed. In a successful empire one doesn't go about making petty distinctions between people from the original provinces and people from other provinces. Once you got around and conquered Hispania and Syria you should make sure that Hispanians and Syrians can become senators, generals and emperors just like anybody else.)
        $endgroup$
        – AlexP
        6 hours ago










      1




      1




      $begingroup$
      For added spice, the way the Romans make concrete used materials not found on the British Isles, specifically pozzolanic ash, which is a sort of natural cement. So there was no reason for Britons to remember how make concrete -- they did not have raw materials anyway. The sword-in-stone must have been set up with imported materials.
      $endgroup$
      – AlexP
      7 hours ago




      $begingroup$
      For added spice, the way the Romans make concrete used materials not found on the British Isles, specifically pozzolanic ash, which is a sort of natural cement. So there was no reason for Britons to remember how make concrete -- they did not have raw materials anyway. The sword-in-stone must have been set up with imported materials.
      $endgroup$
      – AlexP
      7 hours ago












      $begingroup$
      @AlexP - that is a very interesting observation. I wonder if roman cement found outside Italy used imported volcanic ash? It is a long way to carry ash. Let me see...
      $endgroup$
      – Willk
      6 hours ago




      $begingroup$
      @AlexP - that is a very interesting observation. I wonder if roman cement found outside Italy used imported volcanic ash? It is a long way to carry ash. Let me see...
      $endgroup$
      – Willk
      6 hours ago




      1




      1




      $begingroup$
      @AlexP: Example: the seawall in Roman Palestine. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesarea_Maritima#Construction_techniques And in the text: "Herod imported over 24,000 m3 of pozzolana from the name-giving town of Putoli, today Puzzoli in Italy, to construct the two breakwaters:" So you are right - imported ash.
      $endgroup$
      – Willk
      6 hours ago






      $begingroup$
      @AlexP: Example: the seawall in Roman Palestine. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesarea_Maritima#Construction_techniques And in the text: "Herod imported over 24,000 m3 of pozzolana from the name-giving town of Putoli, today Puzzoli in Italy, to construct the two breakwaters:" So you are right - imported ash.
      $endgroup$
      – Willk
      6 hours ago






      2




      2




      $begingroup$
      Great example, and good confirmation that indeed they were perfectly able to import natural cement when they need and wanted to. Ties in with the answer, too!
      $endgroup$
      – AlexP
      6 hours ago




      $begingroup$
      Great example, and good confirmation that indeed they were perfectly able to import natural cement when they need and wanted to. Ties in with the answer, too!
      $endgroup$
      – AlexP
      6 hours ago




      1




      1




      $begingroup$
      @Muze: "How much roman stuff is found outside Italy at that time?" Quite a lot. Lots and lots. By the 1st century CE the vast majority of the Romans were not Italiots/Italians anyway. That's the entire idea of an "empire". (And this is where most modern empires failed. In a successful empire one doesn't go about making petty distinctions between people from the original provinces and people from other provinces. Once you got around and conquered Hispania and Syria you should make sure that Hispanians and Syrians can become senators, generals and emperors just like anybody else.)
      $endgroup$
      – AlexP
      6 hours ago






      $begingroup$
      @Muze: "How much roman stuff is found outside Italy at that time?" Quite a lot. Lots and lots. By the 1st century CE the vast majority of the Romans were not Italiots/Italians anyway. That's the entire idea of an "empire". (And this is where most modern empires failed. In a successful empire one doesn't go about making petty distinctions between people from the original provinces and people from other provinces. Once you got around and conquered Hispania and Syria you should make sure that Hispanians and Syrians can become senators, generals and emperors just like anybody else.)
      $endgroup$
      – AlexP
      6 hours ago















      4












      $begingroup$


      I am trying to recreate King Arthur's the Sword in the Stone using chemistry




      Chemical



      You could use thixotropism and come up with a sword that cannot be removed from its stone scabbard no matter how hard you pull, unless the sword is rattled gently for a couple of minutes beforehand. However, this solution is almost surely bound to undergo degradation along the years.



      Mechanical



      The simplest way to reproduce the effect would be with a friction lock. Basically, the Stone has a wide hollow "sleeve" inside, not so large as to perceivably alter the Stone's mass or balance; the sleeve is drilled from the bottom side of the Stone and stops a few inches from the surface of the top side, where it narrows to the exact width and thickness of the Sword's blade. So, from above, the Sword is set in the Stone. If this was the whole setup, the Sword would be very easy to extract.



      But inside the sleeve you have two steel prongs as long as the blade, covered with a layer of soft lead. Once pressed against the blade, the blade bites the lead and leaves its exact impression; if the rods are kept pressed hard against the blade, the friction is so high that you will never be able to extract the blade, not even using levers. You'd break the blade hilt first.



      Now the prongs are kept in place by a counterweight mechanism hosted in a small chamber beneath the stone. The mechanism can work in several ways: it can be "remote-controlled" from a nearby cloister through a wire or light chain pulled through a tube, or it can be released by placing weight on specific stones. One could even devise a "combination lock" so that you'd need to put your weight on stone A, then B, then A, then C, then B to achieve release. Of course anyone would feel the pavement stones wobble slightly, but if most of the flagstones were equally wobbly, nobody would think twice about it. If the mechanism were controlled by pulling a pin attached to an underground chain in a tube, even the wielder of the Sword would never know how the trick was done.



      Approximately:



      enter image description here






      share|improve this answer









      $endgroup$


















        4












        $begingroup$


        I am trying to recreate King Arthur's the Sword in the Stone using chemistry




        Chemical



        You could use thixotropism and come up with a sword that cannot be removed from its stone scabbard no matter how hard you pull, unless the sword is rattled gently for a couple of minutes beforehand. However, this solution is almost surely bound to undergo degradation along the years.



        Mechanical



        The simplest way to reproduce the effect would be with a friction lock. Basically, the Stone has a wide hollow "sleeve" inside, not so large as to perceivably alter the Stone's mass or balance; the sleeve is drilled from the bottom side of the Stone and stops a few inches from the surface of the top side, where it narrows to the exact width and thickness of the Sword's blade. So, from above, the Sword is set in the Stone. If this was the whole setup, the Sword would be very easy to extract.



        But inside the sleeve you have two steel prongs as long as the blade, covered with a layer of soft lead. Once pressed against the blade, the blade bites the lead and leaves its exact impression; if the rods are kept pressed hard against the blade, the friction is so high that you will never be able to extract the blade, not even using levers. You'd break the blade hilt first.



        Now the prongs are kept in place by a counterweight mechanism hosted in a small chamber beneath the stone. The mechanism can work in several ways: it can be "remote-controlled" from a nearby cloister through a wire or light chain pulled through a tube, or it can be released by placing weight on specific stones. One could even devise a "combination lock" so that you'd need to put your weight on stone A, then B, then A, then C, then B to achieve release. Of course anyone would feel the pavement stones wobble slightly, but if most of the flagstones were equally wobbly, nobody would think twice about it. If the mechanism were controlled by pulling a pin attached to an underground chain in a tube, even the wielder of the Sword would never know how the trick was done.



        Approximately:



        enter image description here






        share|improve this answer









        $endgroup$
















          4












          4








          4





          $begingroup$


          I am trying to recreate King Arthur's the Sword in the Stone using chemistry




          Chemical



          You could use thixotropism and come up with a sword that cannot be removed from its stone scabbard no matter how hard you pull, unless the sword is rattled gently for a couple of minutes beforehand. However, this solution is almost surely bound to undergo degradation along the years.



          Mechanical



          The simplest way to reproduce the effect would be with a friction lock. Basically, the Stone has a wide hollow "sleeve" inside, not so large as to perceivably alter the Stone's mass or balance; the sleeve is drilled from the bottom side of the Stone and stops a few inches from the surface of the top side, where it narrows to the exact width and thickness of the Sword's blade. So, from above, the Sword is set in the Stone. If this was the whole setup, the Sword would be very easy to extract.



          But inside the sleeve you have two steel prongs as long as the blade, covered with a layer of soft lead. Once pressed against the blade, the blade bites the lead and leaves its exact impression; if the rods are kept pressed hard against the blade, the friction is so high that you will never be able to extract the blade, not even using levers. You'd break the blade hilt first.



          Now the prongs are kept in place by a counterweight mechanism hosted in a small chamber beneath the stone. The mechanism can work in several ways: it can be "remote-controlled" from a nearby cloister through a wire or light chain pulled through a tube, or it can be released by placing weight on specific stones. One could even devise a "combination lock" so that you'd need to put your weight on stone A, then B, then A, then C, then B to achieve release. Of course anyone would feel the pavement stones wobble slightly, but if most of the flagstones were equally wobbly, nobody would think twice about it. If the mechanism were controlled by pulling a pin attached to an underground chain in a tube, even the wielder of the Sword would never know how the trick was done.



          Approximately:



          enter image description here






          share|improve this answer









          $endgroup$




          I am trying to recreate King Arthur's the Sword in the Stone using chemistry




          Chemical



          You could use thixotropism and come up with a sword that cannot be removed from its stone scabbard no matter how hard you pull, unless the sword is rattled gently for a couple of minutes beforehand. However, this solution is almost surely bound to undergo degradation along the years.



          Mechanical



          The simplest way to reproduce the effect would be with a friction lock. Basically, the Stone has a wide hollow "sleeve" inside, not so large as to perceivably alter the Stone's mass or balance; the sleeve is drilled from the bottom side of the Stone and stops a few inches from the surface of the top side, where it narrows to the exact width and thickness of the Sword's blade. So, from above, the Sword is set in the Stone. If this was the whole setup, the Sword would be very easy to extract.



          But inside the sleeve you have two steel prongs as long as the blade, covered with a layer of soft lead. Once pressed against the blade, the blade bites the lead and leaves its exact impression; if the rods are kept pressed hard against the blade, the friction is so high that you will never be able to extract the blade, not even using levers. You'd break the blade hilt first.



          Now the prongs are kept in place by a counterweight mechanism hosted in a small chamber beneath the stone. The mechanism can work in several ways: it can be "remote-controlled" from a nearby cloister through a wire or light chain pulled through a tube, or it can be released by placing weight on specific stones. One could even devise a "combination lock" so that you'd need to put your weight on stone A, then B, then A, then C, then B to achieve release. Of course anyone would feel the pavement stones wobble slightly, but if most of the flagstones were equally wobbly, nobody would think twice about it. If the mechanism were controlled by pulling a pin attached to an underground chain in a tube, even the wielder of the Sword would never know how the trick was done.



          Approximately:



          enter image description here







          share|improve this answer












          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer










          answered 5 hours ago









          LSerniLSerni

          32.2k2 gold badges60 silver badges104 bronze badges




          32.2k2 gold badges60 silver badges104 bronze badges























              3












              $begingroup$

              Gypsum. Also known as drywall. Gypsum plaster has been used for millennia.
              https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmbk8Pfau0I



              With a little artistry, you could easily cast it into the shape of a big rock around a sword. Throw in some darker sand/gravel and maybe some bigger stones, to give the appearance of natural occlusions.



              The big advantage gypsum has over concrete is that it's not all that strong. A big guy could possibly pull a sword out, whereas I'd think cement/concrete would be impossible. The sword in that case is basically rebar.






              share|improve this answer











              $endgroup$


















                3












                $begingroup$

                Gypsum. Also known as drywall. Gypsum plaster has been used for millennia.
                https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmbk8Pfau0I



                With a little artistry, you could easily cast it into the shape of a big rock around a sword. Throw in some darker sand/gravel and maybe some bigger stones, to give the appearance of natural occlusions.



                The big advantage gypsum has over concrete is that it's not all that strong. A big guy could possibly pull a sword out, whereas I'd think cement/concrete would be impossible. The sword in that case is basically rebar.






                share|improve this answer











                $endgroup$
















                  3












                  3








                  3





                  $begingroup$

                  Gypsum. Also known as drywall. Gypsum plaster has been used for millennia.
                  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmbk8Pfau0I



                  With a little artistry, you could easily cast it into the shape of a big rock around a sword. Throw in some darker sand/gravel and maybe some bigger stones, to give the appearance of natural occlusions.



                  The big advantage gypsum has over concrete is that it's not all that strong. A big guy could possibly pull a sword out, whereas I'd think cement/concrete would be impossible. The sword in that case is basically rebar.






                  share|improve this answer











                  $endgroup$



                  Gypsum. Also known as drywall. Gypsum plaster has been used for millennia.
                  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmbk8Pfau0I



                  With a little artistry, you could easily cast it into the shape of a big rock around a sword. Throw in some darker sand/gravel and maybe some bigger stones, to give the appearance of natural occlusions.



                  The big advantage gypsum has over concrete is that it's not all that strong. A big guy could possibly pull a sword out, whereas I'd think cement/concrete would be impossible. The sword in that case is basically rebar.







                  share|improve this answer














                  share|improve this answer



                  share|improve this answer








                  edited 4 hours ago

























                  answered 5 hours ago









                  Ryan_LRyan_L

                  6,18013 silver badges33 bronze badges




                  6,18013 silver badges33 bronze badges






























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