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Stone Shifting

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GordonP G
GordonP Aug 23, 2003 09:05:45
Replying to nigelswift

Right Nigel, raising the uprights.
I have only ever had one go at this but from what I learnt I think it is possible to drop one on a sixpence time after time. Note the word think.

The method works like this, Dig an hole with the same profile as the originals at Stonehenge. working from inside the circle move the stone base first so that it lies with the base just about one foot past the far side of the hole. Raise the stone to an height of about 12 ft supporting on two seperate towers. position the collapsable "A" Frame on the far side of the hole and lever up the stone a few inches so that the stone now rests on one tower and the "A" frame. Remove the redundent tower and then collapse the "A" frame. Providing the stone is positioned right at the start it should drop on the same spot every time. It should be possible to ensure that the tenons are the right disance apart when the stones are vertical. (The BBC put the second upright in with a crane by the way) I do not propose we cheat an any way whatsoever.

S Steve Gray
Steve Gray Aug 23, 2003 15:32:03
Replying to GordonP

It all sounds plausible. I guess that if the holes taper (slightly) from top to bottom they would guide the base of the stone to the exact position. Wedges could be used to plumb up the uprights and then removed as needed to allow a small amount of lateral adjustment when the lintel is being fitted. I can't see any reason why a large stone should not behave in the same way as a scale model, so we ought to be able to evaluate the exact height/offset needed to hit the hole every time using a small block of stone/concrete (e.g. a kerb stone). Do you know what the dimensions of the trilithon uprights are and how deep will the holes need to be?