Medieval airlocks, would they be possible?











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In terms of context, this airlock would be used on airships which fly at a height in which oxygen levels are too low for humans to live. Within the hull of the airship, stored oxygen would be pumped inside and kept within through insulated walls. However, many still need to go out on to the deck. This would need to be done without the oxygen inside being lost and the inside of the ship being depressurized, and thus, an airlock is needed.



However, as this takes place in a semi-medieval world, would something like this be possible to construct given the technology and knowledge available?



Note that the people creating this would have advanced knowledge of chemicals and gasses as a whole, as well as mechanical technology that consists of levers and pullies.










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  • 9




    They have no advanced knowledge of chemicals and gasses, yet they manage to build huge airships capable of rising up 8000+ meters, as well as storing and pumping oxygen..? How?
    – dot_Sp0T
    Nov 24 at 6:24






  • 8




    If they can separate, pump and store oxygen, an airlock should be a cinch. Just scale up the evacuation chamber of the pump
    – nzaman
    Nov 24 at 6:43










  • Are these magical mideival airships also at equal pressure to the air outside (just with a richer O2 content to keep people conscious)? It's much easier to keep o2 in when it's not actively trying to escape!
    – Cort Ammon
    Nov 24 at 18:27















up vote
4
down vote

favorite












In terms of context, this airlock would be used on airships which fly at a height in which oxygen levels are too low for humans to live. Within the hull of the airship, stored oxygen would be pumped inside and kept within through insulated walls. However, many still need to go out on to the deck. This would need to be done without the oxygen inside being lost and the inside of the ship being depressurized, and thus, an airlock is needed.



However, as this takes place in a semi-medieval world, would something like this be possible to construct given the technology and knowledge available?



Note that the people creating this would have advanced knowledge of chemicals and gasses as a whole, as well as mechanical technology that consists of levers and pullies.










share|improve this question




















  • 9




    They have no advanced knowledge of chemicals and gasses, yet they manage to build huge airships capable of rising up 8000+ meters, as well as storing and pumping oxygen..? How?
    – dot_Sp0T
    Nov 24 at 6:24






  • 8




    If they can separate, pump and store oxygen, an airlock should be a cinch. Just scale up the evacuation chamber of the pump
    – nzaman
    Nov 24 at 6:43










  • Are these magical mideival airships also at equal pressure to the air outside (just with a richer O2 content to keep people conscious)? It's much easier to keep o2 in when it's not actively trying to escape!
    – Cort Ammon
    Nov 24 at 18:27













up vote
4
down vote

favorite









up vote
4
down vote

favorite











In terms of context, this airlock would be used on airships which fly at a height in which oxygen levels are too low for humans to live. Within the hull of the airship, stored oxygen would be pumped inside and kept within through insulated walls. However, many still need to go out on to the deck. This would need to be done without the oxygen inside being lost and the inside of the ship being depressurized, and thus, an airlock is needed.



However, as this takes place in a semi-medieval world, would something like this be possible to construct given the technology and knowledge available?



Note that the people creating this would have advanced knowledge of chemicals and gasses as a whole, as well as mechanical technology that consists of levers and pullies.










share|improve this question















In terms of context, this airlock would be used on airships which fly at a height in which oxygen levels are too low for humans to live. Within the hull of the airship, stored oxygen would be pumped inside and kept within through insulated walls. However, many still need to go out on to the deck. This would need to be done without the oxygen inside being lost and the inside of the ship being depressurized, and thus, an airlock is needed.



However, as this takes place in a semi-medieval world, would something like this be possible to construct given the technology and knowledge available?



Note that the people creating this would have advanced knowledge of chemicals and gasses as a whole, as well as mechanical technology that consists of levers and pullies.







magic technology medieval






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share|improve this question













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edited Nov 24 at 4:42









L.Dutch

74.7k24180362




74.7k24180362










asked Nov 24 at 4:36









Unhappymarshmellow

787520




787520








  • 9




    They have no advanced knowledge of chemicals and gasses, yet they manage to build huge airships capable of rising up 8000+ meters, as well as storing and pumping oxygen..? How?
    – dot_Sp0T
    Nov 24 at 6:24






  • 8




    If they can separate, pump and store oxygen, an airlock should be a cinch. Just scale up the evacuation chamber of the pump
    – nzaman
    Nov 24 at 6:43










  • Are these magical mideival airships also at equal pressure to the air outside (just with a richer O2 content to keep people conscious)? It's much easier to keep o2 in when it's not actively trying to escape!
    – Cort Ammon
    Nov 24 at 18:27














  • 9




    They have no advanced knowledge of chemicals and gasses, yet they manage to build huge airships capable of rising up 8000+ meters, as well as storing and pumping oxygen..? How?
    – dot_Sp0T
    Nov 24 at 6:24






  • 8




    If they can separate, pump and store oxygen, an airlock should be a cinch. Just scale up the evacuation chamber of the pump
    – nzaman
    Nov 24 at 6:43










  • Are these magical mideival airships also at equal pressure to the air outside (just with a richer O2 content to keep people conscious)? It's much easier to keep o2 in when it's not actively trying to escape!
    – Cort Ammon
    Nov 24 at 18:27








9




9




They have no advanced knowledge of chemicals and gasses, yet they manage to build huge airships capable of rising up 8000+ meters, as well as storing and pumping oxygen..? How?
– dot_Sp0T
Nov 24 at 6:24




They have no advanced knowledge of chemicals and gasses, yet they manage to build huge airships capable of rising up 8000+ meters, as well as storing and pumping oxygen..? How?
– dot_Sp0T
Nov 24 at 6:24




8




8




If they can separate, pump and store oxygen, an airlock should be a cinch. Just scale up the evacuation chamber of the pump
– nzaman
Nov 24 at 6:43




If they can separate, pump and store oxygen, an airlock should be a cinch. Just scale up the evacuation chamber of the pump
– nzaman
Nov 24 at 6:43












Are these magical mideival airships also at equal pressure to the air outside (just with a richer O2 content to keep people conscious)? It's much easier to keep o2 in when it's not actively trying to escape!
– Cort Ammon
Nov 24 at 18:27




Are these magical mideival airships also at equal pressure to the air outside (just with a richer O2 content to keep people conscious)? It's much easier to keep o2 in when it's not actively trying to escape!
– Cort Ammon
Nov 24 at 18:27










7 Answers
7






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up vote
9
down vote













Leather and grease



Let's forget about the impossibility of flying and concentrate on the question of 'can you build an airlock?



These huge leather bellows show that it is possible to make airtight structures with leather.



enter image description here



This sort of bellows has to contain flap valves that allow passage of air in only one direction.



enter image description here



Airlocks would simply consist of an arrangement of flap valves. Small valves would be used to equalise pressure slowly. Large flap valves supported by wooden panels would act as doors. Of course, every time the outer door was opened some air would be lost to the outside but that's true of high-tech space airlocks anyway.



The flaps would need to be kept supple and airtight by the application of a suitable grease. Goose grease would be ideal.






share|improve this answer






























    up vote
    8
    down vote













    Yes, it is possible to use medieval technology to make an airlock.



    Goldbeating is an ancient technology. It can be used to make thin, continuous sheets of metal, including cheaper metals like copper or brass. The interior of the airlock can be "gilded" with this "imitation leaf" to minimize air loss through the walls. Ideally, the leaf would be protected from damage on both sides by sturdier materials.



    Large pieces of leaf can be attached to adjacent pieces of leaf by multiple-layer crimps. A practical modern-day example is use of two side-by-side sheets of crimped-together aluminum foil to protect the bottom of a roasting pan from drippings. This makes it much easier to clean the roasting pan after the meal is cooked.



    The gilding is not a structural material. Instead, it is a thin layer over structural materials that are porous, leaky, or outgas too much. Tongue-in-groove plywood or the materials suggested by Hippeus_Lancer could be used as backing layers. Studs or other structural framing could back-up the sheet goods. The hardest part of the design would by allowing for expansion and contraction of the backing layers, without tearing holes in the gilding. Fortunately, laminated wood is an ancient technology that mitigates expansion and contraction.



    The gilding would be applied the main surfaces of the doorways, but would not be used to seal around the edges of the doorways. The seals around the edges of the doorways would be air-tight gaskets.



    Vacuum-tight gaskets can be made using metal. In fact, the "hardest" vacuums are retained by metal gaskets, not rubber gaskets. The fundamental technologies for making a "knife-edge" gasket are knife making, vises or clamps, and copper billets. Medieval metal workers should be capable of making such gaskets.






    share|improve this answer



















    • 1




      I don’t want to imagine how heavy a gilded airship must be.
      – Joe Bloggs
      Nov 24 at 8:47










    • @JoeBloggs Your lack of imagination is not a grounds for objecting to this answer. With some quick math using this source (gildedplanet.com/gildingbasics.html), I found that gold leafing a ~40 sq ft area only adds 10 grams of weight, and that is with a particularly heavy metal.
      – Pink Sweetener
      Nov 24 at 18:48










    • Metal leaves, especially gold leaves, can hardly withstand being inflated. Plus there is still the problem of welding one to another, and having a door to access the environment.
      – L.Dutch
      Nov 24 at 19:46






    • 1




      @PinkSweetener : Good to know, though I’m curious as to why you thought my comment was an objection. The concept of entirely golden airships is cool enough that I dont care how much weight holding it adds.
      – Joe Bloggs
      Nov 24 at 20:34






    • 2




      @JoeBloggs well, I don't know about gold airships... but I can show you a real-life working lead balloon. Now all we have to do is wait until someone tries it with gold leaf... bring on the solid gold airships ;)
      – Samwise
      Nov 24 at 21:57




















    up vote
    5
    down vote













    No, you can't build something like that with medieval technologies.



    First of all, a medieval ship is made of wood. Assembling wood to make it airtight can hardly work, for a series of reasons:




    • large manufacturing tolerances

    • deformation over time

    • deformation under stress (a pressurized vessel acts like a balloon)


    Same holds for doors and windows. Moreover, while you could use pitch for sealing the gaps between fixed parts, you would have no way to seal the gaps with a movable part (like the door and its frame).



    Then we come to the other problem: lacking any electronic you could only pump Oxygen with no control on the flow.



    Pumping Oxygen in an environment made of wood with no control is a really poor idea, as the slightest ignition source can cause a huge fire. And guess what they used in medieval time for lighting applications? Flames!



    Last problem: how would you separate Oxygen from the air? You have just elementary pumps and loose tolerances for metal crafting, and storing liquid gases requires way more than that.






    share|improve this answer





















    • What do you think of Jasper's idea?
      – Pink Sweetener
      Nov 24 at 18:50


















    up vote
    4
    down vote













    Modern airlock uses rubber seals.



    Your people can use leather with some padding inside, or same material as the airship envelope, inflated using the same means.



    Couple questions for you: once out of airlock, how will the person breathe? Oxygen tanks are way beyond medieval technology. Maybe they can trail an air hose, but that requires better materials than door seal



    Also, if air is too thin to breathe, it might be too thin to support an airship. You would need to carry composed gas and realise it into the envelope when going up, and when going down, you would waste it into outside air, or try to pump it back into the tanks. And compressing air is beyond medieval technology.



    Finally, how well you move around without an engine? Pedal power?






    share|improve this answer






























      up vote
      2
      down vote













      Since your airship is still in atmosphere a perfect seal isnt neccesary unless your pressurized ship plans to stay up that high for days at a time. Using medieval materials like tar, pitch, cork, and rubber can give you a reasonable, but not perfect seal. You’ll be leaking atmosphere, but thats not a huge problem unless you plan to stay up indefinitely.



      If your people have mastered airship technology then perhaps they have pressure vessels as well? Several canisters of pressurized air could help extend the length of time you can spend up so high.






      share|improve this answer




























        up vote
        1
        down vote













        A small pool of water between inside and outside where the hull touches down to the surface of the water. You could also build it as a water-filled, U-shaped tunnel where one end is on the inside and the other on the outside. Crew members have to dive through it to enter and exit the ship.



        Of course this adds quite some mass (water is heavy) and as others have pointed out in the comments, if you can build an airship and store oxygen you can also build an airlock.






        share|improve this answer




























          up vote
          0
          down vote













          It might be possible to create an airlock using pitch. Pitch is the black, tarry substance used by Egyptians in 3000 BC to make the bottom of their boats water-tight. Assuming some alien technology already built the hull of the spaceship, the medieval humans could make a large air lock door out of plate armor pieces, with the edges sealed using pitch. Cam levers (like bicycle quick-release latches) can apply pressure to the door. Hollow reeds can be used to carry air into the airlock. Blacksmith bellows can be used to pump that air.






          share|improve this answer

















          • 1




            At room temperature (or even colder in the upper atmosphere), pitch is somewhat brittle. It could be used to permanently seal a door by pouring it around the edges while hot, but it would be likely to shatter when the door was opened, and wouldn't reseal cleanly.
            – duskwuff
            Nov 24 at 22:12













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          7 Answers
          7






          active

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          7 Answers
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          active

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          up vote
          9
          down vote













          Leather and grease



          Let's forget about the impossibility of flying and concentrate on the question of 'can you build an airlock?



          These huge leather bellows show that it is possible to make airtight structures with leather.



          enter image description here



          This sort of bellows has to contain flap valves that allow passage of air in only one direction.



          enter image description here



          Airlocks would simply consist of an arrangement of flap valves. Small valves would be used to equalise pressure slowly. Large flap valves supported by wooden panels would act as doors. Of course, every time the outer door was opened some air would be lost to the outside but that's true of high-tech space airlocks anyway.



          The flaps would need to be kept supple and airtight by the application of a suitable grease. Goose grease would be ideal.






          share|improve this answer



























            up vote
            9
            down vote













            Leather and grease



            Let's forget about the impossibility of flying and concentrate on the question of 'can you build an airlock?



            These huge leather bellows show that it is possible to make airtight structures with leather.



            enter image description here



            This sort of bellows has to contain flap valves that allow passage of air in only one direction.



            enter image description here



            Airlocks would simply consist of an arrangement of flap valves. Small valves would be used to equalise pressure slowly. Large flap valves supported by wooden panels would act as doors. Of course, every time the outer door was opened some air would be lost to the outside but that's true of high-tech space airlocks anyway.



            The flaps would need to be kept supple and airtight by the application of a suitable grease. Goose grease would be ideal.






            share|improve this answer

























              up vote
              9
              down vote










              up vote
              9
              down vote









              Leather and grease



              Let's forget about the impossibility of flying and concentrate on the question of 'can you build an airlock?



              These huge leather bellows show that it is possible to make airtight structures with leather.



              enter image description here



              This sort of bellows has to contain flap valves that allow passage of air in only one direction.



              enter image description here



              Airlocks would simply consist of an arrangement of flap valves. Small valves would be used to equalise pressure slowly. Large flap valves supported by wooden panels would act as doors. Of course, every time the outer door was opened some air would be lost to the outside but that's true of high-tech space airlocks anyway.



              The flaps would need to be kept supple and airtight by the application of a suitable grease. Goose grease would be ideal.






              share|improve this answer














              Leather and grease



              Let's forget about the impossibility of flying and concentrate on the question of 'can you build an airlock?



              These huge leather bellows show that it is possible to make airtight structures with leather.



              enter image description here



              This sort of bellows has to contain flap valves that allow passage of air in only one direction.



              enter image description here



              Airlocks would simply consist of an arrangement of flap valves. Small valves would be used to equalise pressure slowly. Large flap valves supported by wooden panels would act as doors. Of course, every time the outer door was opened some air would be lost to the outside but that's true of high-tech space airlocks anyway.



              The flaps would need to be kept supple and airtight by the application of a suitable grease. Goose grease would be ideal.







              share|improve this answer














              share|improve this answer



              share|improve this answer








              edited Nov 24 at 13:19

























              answered Nov 24 at 12:26









              chasly from UK

              11.6k351105




              11.6k351105






















                  up vote
                  8
                  down vote













                  Yes, it is possible to use medieval technology to make an airlock.



                  Goldbeating is an ancient technology. It can be used to make thin, continuous sheets of metal, including cheaper metals like copper or brass. The interior of the airlock can be "gilded" with this "imitation leaf" to minimize air loss through the walls. Ideally, the leaf would be protected from damage on both sides by sturdier materials.



                  Large pieces of leaf can be attached to adjacent pieces of leaf by multiple-layer crimps. A practical modern-day example is use of two side-by-side sheets of crimped-together aluminum foil to protect the bottom of a roasting pan from drippings. This makes it much easier to clean the roasting pan after the meal is cooked.



                  The gilding is not a structural material. Instead, it is a thin layer over structural materials that are porous, leaky, or outgas too much. Tongue-in-groove plywood or the materials suggested by Hippeus_Lancer could be used as backing layers. Studs or other structural framing could back-up the sheet goods. The hardest part of the design would by allowing for expansion and contraction of the backing layers, without tearing holes in the gilding. Fortunately, laminated wood is an ancient technology that mitigates expansion and contraction.



                  The gilding would be applied the main surfaces of the doorways, but would not be used to seal around the edges of the doorways. The seals around the edges of the doorways would be air-tight gaskets.



                  Vacuum-tight gaskets can be made using metal. In fact, the "hardest" vacuums are retained by metal gaskets, not rubber gaskets. The fundamental technologies for making a "knife-edge" gasket are knife making, vises or clamps, and copper billets. Medieval metal workers should be capable of making such gaskets.






                  share|improve this answer



















                  • 1




                    I don’t want to imagine how heavy a gilded airship must be.
                    – Joe Bloggs
                    Nov 24 at 8:47










                  • @JoeBloggs Your lack of imagination is not a grounds for objecting to this answer. With some quick math using this source (gildedplanet.com/gildingbasics.html), I found that gold leafing a ~40 sq ft area only adds 10 grams of weight, and that is with a particularly heavy metal.
                    – Pink Sweetener
                    Nov 24 at 18:48










                  • Metal leaves, especially gold leaves, can hardly withstand being inflated. Plus there is still the problem of welding one to another, and having a door to access the environment.
                    – L.Dutch
                    Nov 24 at 19:46






                  • 1




                    @PinkSweetener : Good to know, though I’m curious as to why you thought my comment was an objection. The concept of entirely golden airships is cool enough that I dont care how much weight holding it adds.
                    – Joe Bloggs
                    Nov 24 at 20:34






                  • 2




                    @JoeBloggs well, I don't know about gold airships... but I can show you a real-life working lead balloon. Now all we have to do is wait until someone tries it with gold leaf... bring on the solid gold airships ;)
                    – Samwise
                    Nov 24 at 21:57

















                  up vote
                  8
                  down vote













                  Yes, it is possible to use medieval technology to make an airlock.



                  Goldbeating is an ancient technology. It can be used to make thin, continuous sheets of metal, including cheaper metals like copper or brass. The interior of the airlock can be "gilded" with this "imitation leaf" to minimize air loss through the walls. Ideally, the leaf would be protected from damage on both sides by sturdier materials.



                  Large pieces of leaf can be attached to adjacent pieces of leaf by multiple-layer crimps. A practical modern-day example is use of two side-by-side sheets of crimped-together aluminum foil to protect the bottom of a roasting pan from drippings. This makes it much easier to clean the roasting pan after the meal is cooked.



                  The gilding is not a structural material. Instead, it is a thin layer over structural materials that are porous, leaky, or outgas too much. Tongue-in-groove plywood or the materials suggested by Hippeus_Lancer could be used as backing layers. Studs or other structural framing could back-up the sheet goods. The hardest part of the design would by allowing for expansion and contraction of the backing layers, without tearing holes in the gilding. Fortunately, laminated wood is an ancient technology that mitigates expansion and contraction.



                  The gilding would be applied the main surfaces of the doorways, but would not be used to seal around the edges of the doorways. The seals around the edges of the doorways would be air-tight gaskets.



                  Vacuum-tight gaskets can be made using metal. In fact, the "hardest" vacuums are retained by metal gaskets, not rubber gaskets. The fundamental technologies for making a "knife-edge" gasket are knife making, vises or clamps, and copper billets. Medieval metal workers should be capable of making such gaskets.






                  share|improve this answer



















                  • 1




                    I don’t want to imagine how heavy a gilded airship must be.
                    – Joe Bloggs
                    Nov 24 at 8:47










                  • @JoeBloggs Your lack of imagination is not a grounds for objecting to this answer. With some quick math using this source (gildedplanet.com/gildingbasics.html), I found that gold leafing a ~40 sq ft area only adds 10 grams of weight, and that is with a particularly heavy metal.
                    – Pink Sweetener
                    Nov 24 at 18:48










                  • Metal leaves, especially gold leaves, can hardly withstand being inflated. Plus there is still the problem of welding one to another, and having a door to access the environment.
                    – L.Dutch
                    Nov 24 at 19:46






                  • 1




                    @PinkSweetener : Good to know, though I’m curious as to why you thought my comment was an objection. The concept of entirely golden airships is cool enough that I dont care how much weight holding it adds.
                    – Joe Bloggs
                    Nov 24 at 20:34






                  • 2




                    @JoeBloggs well, I don't know about gold airships... but I can show you a real-life working lead balloon. Now all we have to do is wait until someone tries it with gold leaf... bring on the solid gold airships ;)
                    – Samwise
                    Nov 24 at 21:57















                  up vote
                  8
                  down vote










                  up vote
                  8
                  down vote









                  Yes, it is possible to use medieval technology to make an airlock.



                  Goldbeating is an ancient technology. It can be used to make thin, continuous sheets of metal, including cheaper metals like copper or brass. The interior of the airlock can be "gilded" with this "imitation leaf" to minimize air loss through the walls. Ideally, the leaf would be protected from damage on both sides by sturdier materials.



                  Large pieces of leaf can be attached to adjacent pieces of leaf by multiple-layer crimps. A practical modern-day example is use of two side-by-side sheets of crimped-together aluminum foil to protect the bottom of a roasting pan from drippings. This makes it much easier to clean the roasting pan after the meal is cooked.



                  The gilding is not a structural material. Instead, it is a thin layer over structural materials that are porous, leaky, or outgas too much. Tongue-in-groove plywood or the materials suggested by Hippeus_Lancer could be used as backing layers. Studs or other structural framing could back-up the sheet goods. The hardest part of the design would by allowing for expansion and contraction of the backing layers, without tearing holes in the gilding. Fortunately, laminated wood is an ancient technology that mitigates expansion and contraction.



                  The gilding would be applied the main surfaces of the doorways, but would not be used to seal around the edges of the doorways. The seals around the edges of the doorways would be air-tight gaskets.



                  Vacuum-tight gaskets can be made using metal. In fact, the "hardest" vacuums are retained by metal gaskets, not rubber gaskets. The fundamental technologies for making a "knife-edge" gasket are knife making, vises or clamps, and copper billets. Medieval metal workers should be capable of making such gaskets.






                  share|improve this answer














                  Yes, it is possible to use medieval technology to make an airlock.



                  Goldbeating is an ancient technology. It can be used to make thin, continuous sheets of metal, including cheaper metals like copper or brass. The interior of the airlock can be "gilded" with this "imitation leaf" to minimize air loss through the walls. Ideally, the leaf would be protected from damage on both sides by sturdier materials.



                  Large pieces of leaf can be attached to adjacent pieces of leaf by multiple-layer crimps. A practical modern-day example is use of two side-by-side sheets of crimped-together aluminum foil to protect the bottom of a roasting pan from drippings. This makes it much easier to clean the roasting pan after the meal is cooked.



                  The gilding is not a structural material. Instead, it is a thin layer over structural materials that are porous, leaky, or outgas too much. Tongue-in-groove plywood or the materials suggested by Hippeus_Lancer could be used as backing layers. Studs or other structural framing could back-up the sheet goods. The hardest part of the design would by allowing for expansion and contraction of the backing layers, without tearing holes in the gilding. Fortunately, laminated wood is an ancient technology that mitigates expansion and contraction.



                  The gilding would be applied the main surfaces of the doorways, but would not be used to seal around the edges of the doorways. The seals around the edges of the doorways would be air-tight gaskets.



                  Vacuum-tight gaskets can be made using metal. In fact, the "hardest" vacuums are retained by metal gaskets, not rubber gaskets. The fundamental technologies for making a "knife-edge" gasket are knife making, vises or clamps, and copper billets. Medieval metal workers should be capable of making such gaskets.







                  share|improve this answer














                  share|improve this answer



                  share|improve this answer








                  edited Nov 24 at 20:33

























                  answered Nov 24 at 6:50









                  Jasper

                  2,9071024




                  2,9071024








                  • 1




                    I don’t want to imagine how heavy a gilded airship must be.
                    – Joe Bloggs
                    Nov 24 at 8:47










                  • @JoeBloggs Your lack of imagination is not a grounds for objecting to this answer. With some quick math using this source (gildedplanet.com/gildingbasics.html), I found that gold leafing a ~40 sq ft area only adds 10 grams of weight, and that is with a particularly heavy metal.
                    – Pink Sweetener
                    Nov 24 at 18:48










                  • Metal leaves, especially gold leaves, can hardly withstand being inflated. Plus there is still the problem of welding one to another, and having a door to access the environment.
                    – L.Dutch
                    Nov 24 at 19:46






                  • 1




                    @PinkSweetener : Good to know, though I’m curious as to why you thought my comment was an objection. The concept of entirely golden airships is cool enough that I dont care how much weight holding it adds.
                    – Joe Bloggs
                    Nov 24 at 20:34






                  • 2




                    @JoeBloggs well, I don't know about gold airships... but I can show you a real-life working lead balloon. Now all we have to do is wait until someone tries it with gold leaf... bring on the solid gold airships ;)
                    – Samwise
                    Nov 24 at 21:57
















                  • 1




                    I don’t want to imagine how heavy a gilded airship must be.
                    – Joe Bloggs
                    Nov 24 at 8:47










                  • @JoeBloggs Your lack of imagination is not a grounds for objecting to this answer. With some quick math using this source (gildedplanet.com/gildingbasics.html), I found that gold leafing a ~40 sq ft area only adds 10 grams of weight, and that is with a particularly heavy metal.
                    – Pink Sweetener
                    Nov 24 at 18:48










                  • Metal leaves, especially gold leaves, can hardly withstand being inflated. Plus there is still the problem of welding one to another, and having a door to access the environment.
                    – L.Dutch
                    Nov 24 at 19:46






                  • 1




                    @PinkSweetener : Good to know, though I’m curious as to why you thought my comment was an objection. The concept of entirely golden airships is cool enough that I dont care how much weight holding it adds.
                    – Joe Bloggs
                    Nov 24 at 20:34






                  • 2




                    @JoeBloggs well, I don't know about gold airships... but I can show you a real-life working lead balloon. Now all we have to do is wait until someone tries it with gold leaf... bring on the solid gold airships ;)
                    – Samwise
                    Nov 24 at 21:57










                  1




                  1




                  I don’t want to imagine how heavy a gilded airship must be.
                  – Joe Bloggs
                  Nov 24 at 8:47




                  I don’t want to imagine how heavy a gilded airship must be.
                  – Joe Bloggs
                  Nov 24 at 8:47












                  @JoeBloggs Your lack of imagination is not a grounds for objecting to this answer. With some quick math using this source (gildedplanet.com/gildingbasics.html), I found that gold leafing a ~40 sq ft area only adds 10 grams of weight, and that is with a particularly heavy metal.
                  – Pink Sweetener
                  Nov 24 at 18:48




                  @JoeBloggs Your lack of imagination is not a grounds for objecting to this answer. With some quick math using this source (gildedplanet.com/gildingbasics.html), I found that gold leafing a ~40 sq ft area only adds 10 grams of weight, and that is with a particularly heavy metal.
                  – Pink Sweetener
                  Nov 24 at 18:48












                  Metal leaves, especially gold leaves, can hardly withstand being inflated. Plus there is still the problem of welding one to another, and having a door to access the environment.
                  – L.Dutch
                  Nov 24 at 19:46




                  Metal leaves, especially gold leaves, can hardly withstand being inflated. Plus there is still the problem of welding one to another, and having a door to access the environment.
                  – L.Dutch
                  Nov 24 at 19:46




                  1




                  1




                  @PinkSweetener : Good to know, though I’m curious as to why you thought my comment was an objection. The concept of entirely golden airships is cool enough that I dont care how much weight holding it adds.
                  – Joe Bloggs
                  Nov 24 at 20:34




                  @PinkSweetener : Good to know, though I’m curious as to why you thought my comment was an objection. The concept of entirely golden airships is cool enough that I dont care how much weight holding it adds.
                  – Joe Bloggs
                  Nov 24 at 20:34




                  2




                  2




                  @JoeBloggs well, I don't know about gold airships... but I can show you a real-life working lead balloon. Now all we have to do is wait until someone tries it with gold leaf... bring on the solid gold airships ;)
                  – Samwise
                  Nov 24 at 21:57






                  @JoeBloggs well, I don't know about gold airships... but I can show you a real-life working lead balloon. Now all we have to do is wait until someone tries it with gold leaf... bring on the solid gold airships ;)
                  – Samwise
                  Nov 24 at 21:57












                  up vote
                  5
                  down vote













                  No, you can't build something like that with medieval technologies.



                  First of all, a medieval ship is made of wood. Assembling wood to make it airtight can hardly work, for a series of reasons:




                  • large manufacturing tolerances

                  • deformation over time

                  • deformation under stress (a pressurized vessel acts like a balloon)


                  Same holds for doors and windows. Moreover, while you could use pitch for sealing the gaps between fixed parts, you would have no way to seal the gaps with a movable part (like the door and its frame).



                  Then we come to the other problem: lacking any electronic you could only pump Oxygen with no control on the flow.



                  Pumping Oxygen in an environment made of wood with no control is a really poor idea, as the slightest ignition source can cause a huge fire. And guess what they used in medieval time for lighting applications? Flames!



                  Last problem: how would you separate Oxygen from the air? You have just elementary pumps and loose tolerances for metal crafting, and storing liquid gases requires way more than that.






                  share|improve this answer





















                  • What do you think of Jasper's idea?
                    – Pink Sweetener
                    Nov 24 at 18:50















                  up vote
                  5
                  down vote













                  No, you can't build something like that with medieval technologies.



                  First of all, a medieval ship is made of wood. Assembling wood to make it airtight can hardly work, for a series of reasons:




                  • large manufacturing tolerances

                  • deformation over time

                  • deformation under stress (a pressurized vessel acts like a balloon)


                  Same holds for doors and windows. Moreover, while you could use pitch for sealing the gaps between fixed parts, you would have no way to seal the gaps with a movable part (like the door and its frame).



                  Then we come to the other problem: lacking any electronic you could only pump Oxygen with no control on the flow.



                  Pumping Oxygen in an environment made of wood with no control is a really poor idea, as the slightest ignition source can cause a huge fire. And guess what they used in medieval time for lighting applications? Flames!



                  Last problem: how would you separate Oxygen from the air? You have just elementary pumps and loose tolerances for metal crafting, and storing liquid gases requires way more than that.






                  share|improve this answer





















                  • What do you think of Jasper's idea?
                    – Pink Sweetener
                    Nov 24 at 18:50













                  up vote
                  5
                  down vote










                  up vote
                  5
                  down vote









                  No, you can't build something like that with medieval technologies.



                  First of all, a medieval ship is made of wood. Assembling wood to make it airtight can hardly work, for a series of reasons:




                  • large manufacturing tolerances

                  • deformation over time

                  • deformation under stress (a pressurized vessel acts like a balloon)


                  Same holds for doors and windows. Moreover, while you could use pitch for sealing the gaps between fixed parts, you would have no way to seal the gaps with a movable part (like the door and its frame).



                  Then we come to the other problem: lacking any electronic you could only pump Oxygen with no control on the flow.



                  Pumping Oxygen in an environment made of wood with no control is a really poor idea, as the slightest ignition source can cause a huge fire. And guess what they used in medieval time for lighting applications? Flames!



                  Last problem: how would you separate Oxygen from the air? You have just elementary pumps and loose tolerances for metal crafting, and storing liquid gases requires way more than that.






                  share|improve this answer












                  No, you can't build something like that with medieval technologies.



                  First of all, a medieval ship is made of wood. Assembling wood to make it airtight can hardly work, for a series of reasons:




                  • large manufacturing tolerances

                  • deformation over time

                  • deformation under stress (a pressurized vessel acts like a balloon)


                  Same holds for doors and windows. Moreover, while you could use pitch for sealing the gaps between fixed parts, you would have no way to seal the gaps with a movable part (like the door and its frame).



                  Then we come to the other problem: lacking any electronic you could only pump Oxygen with no control on the flow.



                  Pumping Oxygen in an environment made of wood with no control is a really poor idea, as the slightest ignition source can cause a huge fire. And guess what they used in medieval time for lighting applications? Flames!



                  Last problem: how would you separate Oxygen from the air? You have just elementary pumps and loose tolerances for metal crafting, and storing liquid gases requires way more than that.







                  share|improve this answer












                  share|improve this answer



                  share|improve this answer










                  answered Nov 24 at 5:04









                  L.Dutch

                  74.7k24180362




                  74.7k24180362












                  • What do you think of Jasper's idea?
                    – Pink Sweetener
                    Nov 24 at 18:50


















                  • What do you think of Jasper's idea?
                    – Pink Sweetener
                    Nov 24 at 18:50
















                  What do you think of Jasper's idea?
                  – Pink Sweetener
                  Nov 24 at 18:50




                  What do you think of Jasper's idea?
                  – Pink Sweetener
                  Nov 24 at 18:50










                  up vote
                  4
                  down vote













                  Modern airlock uses rubber seals.



                  Your people can use leather with some padding inside, or same material as the airship envelope, inflated using the same means.



                  Couple questions for you: once out of airlock, how will the person breathe? Oxygen tanks are way beyond medieval technology. Maybe they can trail an air hose, but that requires better materials than door seal



                  Also, if air is too thin to breathe, it might be too thin to support an airship. You would need to carry composed gas and realise it into the envelope when going up, and when going down, you would waste it into outside air, or try to pump it back into the tanks. And compressing air is beyond medieval technology.



                  Finally, how well you move around without an engine? Pedal power?






                  share|improve this answer



























                    up vote
                    4
                    down vote













                    Modern airlock uses rubber seals.



                    Your people can use leather with some padding inside, or same material as the airship envelope, inflated using the same means.



                    Couple questions for you: once out of airlock, how will the person breathe? Oxygen tanks are way beyond medieval technology. Maybe they can trail an air hose, but that requires better materials than door seal



                    Also, if air is too thin to breathe, it might be too thin to support an airship. You would need to carry composed gas and realise it into the envelope when going up, and when going down, you would waste it into outside air, or try to pump it back into the tanks. And compressing air is beyond medieval technology.



                    Finally, how well you move around without an engine? Pedal power?






                    share|improve this answer

























                      up vote
                      4
                      down vote










                      up vote
                      4
                      down vote









                      Modern airlock uses rubber seals.



                      Your people can use leather with some padding inside, or same material as the airship envelope, inflated using the same means.



                      Couple questions for you: once out of airlock, how will the person breathe? Oxygen tanks are way beyond medieval technology. Maybe they can trail an air hose, but that requires better materials than door seal



                      Also, if air is too thin to breathe, it might be too thin to support an airship. You would need to carry composed gas and realise it into the envelope when going up, and when going down, you would waste it into outside air, or try to pump it back into the tanks. And compressing air is beyond medieval technology.



                      Finally, how well you move around without an engine? Pedal power?






                      share|improve this answer














                      Modern airlock uses rubber seals.



                      Your people can use leather with some padding inside, or same material as the airship envelope, inflated using the same means.



                      Couple questions for you: once out of airlock, how will the person breathe? Oxygen tanks are way beyond medieval technology. Maybe they can trail an air hose, but that requires better materials than door seal



                      Also, if air is too thin to breathe, it might be too thin to support an airship. You would need to carry composed gas and realise it into the envelope when going up, and when going down, you would waste it into outside air, or try to pump it back into the tanks. And compressing air is beyond medieval technology.



                      Finally, how well you move around without an engine? Pedal power?







                      share|improve this answer














                      share|improve this answer



                      share|improve this answer








                      edited Nov 24 at 5:22

























                      answered Nov 24 at 5:17









                      Bald Bear

                      7,2971127




                      7,2971127






















                          up vote
                          2
                          down vote













                          Since your airship is still in atmosphere a perfect seal isnt neccesary unless your pressurized ship plans to stay up that high for days at a time. Using medieval materials like tar, pitch, cork, and rubber can give you a reasonable, but not perfect seal. You’ll be leaking atmosphere, but thats not a huge problem unless you plan to stay up indefinitely.



                          If your people have mastered airship technology then perhaps they have pressure vessels as well? Several canisters of pressurized air could help extend the length of time you can spend up so high.






                          share|improve this answer

























                            up vote
                            2
                            down vote













                            Since your airship is still in atmosphere a perfect seal isnt neccesary unless your pressurized ship plans to stay up that high for days at a time. Using medieval materials like tar, pitch, cork, and rubber can give you a reasonable, but not perfect seal. You’ll be leaking atmosphere, but thats not a huge problem unless you plan to stay up indefinitely.



                            If your people have mastered airship technology then perhaps they have pressure vessels as well? Several canisters of pressurized air could help extend the length of time you can spend up so high.






                            share|improve this answer























                              up vote
                              2
                              down vote










                              up vote
                              2
                              down vote









                              Since your airship is still in atmosphere a perfect seal isnt neccesary unless your pressurized ship plans to stay up that high for days at a time. Using medieval materials like tar, pitch, cork, and rubber can give you a reasonable, but not perfect seal. You’ll be leaking atmosphere, but thats not a huge problem unless you plan to stay up indefinitely.



                              If your people have mastered airship technology then perhaps they have pressure vessels as well? Several canisters of pressurized air could help extend the length of time you can spend up so high.






                              share|improve this answer












                              Since your airship is still in atmosphere a perfect seal isnt neccesary unless your pressurized ship plans to stay up that high for days at a time. Using medieval materials like tar, pitch, cork, and rubber can give you a reasonable, but not perfect seal. You’ll be leaking atmosphere, but thats not a huge problem unless you plan to stay up indefinitely.



                              If your people have mastered airship technology then perhaps they have pressure vessels as well? Several canisters of pressurized air could help extend the length of time you can spend up so high.







                              share|improve this answer












                              share|improve this answer



                              share|improve this answer










                              answered Nov 24 at 6:11









                              Hippeus_Lancer

                              1527




                              1527






















                                  up vote
                                  1
                                  down vote













                                  A small pool of water between inside and outside where the hull touches down to the surface of the water. You could also build it as a water-filled, U-shaped tunnel where one end is on the inside and the other on the outside. Crew members have to dive through it to enter and exit the ship.



                                  Of course this adds quite some mass (water is heavy) and as others have pointed out in the comments, if you can build an airship and store oxygen you can also build an airlock.






                                  share|improve this answer

























                                    up vote
                                    1
                                    down vote













                                    A small pool of water between inside and outside where the hull touches down to the surface of the water. You could also build it as a water-filled, U-shaped tunnel where one end is on the inside and the other on the outside. Crew members have to dive through it to enter and exit the ship.



                                    Of course this adds quite some mass (water is heavy) and as others have pointed out in the comments, if you can build an airship and store oxygen you can also build an airlock.






                                    share|improve this answer























                                      up vote
                                      1
                                      down vote










                                      up vote
                                      1
                                      down vote









                                      A small pool of water between inside and outside where the hull touches down to the surface of the water. You could also build it as a water-filled, U-shaped tunnel where one end is on the inside and the other on the outside. Crew members have to dive through it to enter and exit the ship.



                                      Of course this adds quite some mass (water is heavy) and as others have pointed out in the comments, if you can build an airship and store oxygen you can also build an airlock.






                                      share|improve this answer












                                      A small pool of water between inside and outside where the hull touches down to the surface of the water. You could also build it as a water-filled, U-shaped tunnel where one end is on the inside and the other on the outside. Crew members have to dive through it to enter and exit the ship.



                                      Of course this adds quite some mass (water is heavy) and as others have pointed out in the comments, if you can build an airship and store oxygen you can also build an airlock.







                                      share|improve this answer












                                      share|improve this answer



                                      share|improve this answer










                                      answered Nov 24 at 8:42









                                      Michael

                                      28537




                                      28537






















                                          up vote
                                          0
                                          down vote













                                          It might be possible to create an airlock using pitch. Pitch is the black, tarry substance used by Egyptians in 3000 BC to make the bottom of their boats water-tight. Assuming some alien technology already built the hull of the spaceship, the medieval humans could make a large air lock door out of plate armor pieces, with the edges sealed using pitch. Cam levers (like bicycle quick-release latches) can apply pressure to the door. Hollow reeds can be used to carry air into the airlock. Blacksmith bellows can be used to pump that air.






                                          share|improve this answer

















                                          • 1




                                            At room temperature (or even colder in the upper atmosphere), pitch is somewhat brittle. It could be used to permanently seal a door by pouring it around the edges while hot, but it would be likely to shatter when the door was opened, and wouldn't reseal cleanly.
                                            – duskwuff
                                            Nov 24 at 22:12

















                                          up vote
                                          0
                                          down vote













                                          It might be possible to create an airlock using pitch. Pitch is the black, tarry substance used by Egyptians in 3000 BC to make the bottom of their boats water-tight. Assuming some alien technology already built the hull of the spaceship, the medieval humans could make a large air lock door out of plate armor pieces, with the edges sealed using pitch. Cam levers (like bicycle quick-release latches) can apply pressure to the door. Hollow reeds can be used to carry air into the airlock. Blacksmith bellows can be used to pump that air.






                                          share|improve this answer

















                                          • 1




                                            At room temperature (or even colder in the upper atmosphere), pitch is somewhat brittle. It could be used to permanently seal a door by pouring it around the edges while hot, but it would be likely to shatter when the door was opened, and wouldn't reseal cleanly.
                                            – duskwuff
                                            Nov 24 at 22:12















                                          up vote
                                          0
                                          down vote










                                          up vote
                                          0
                                          down vote









                                          It might be possible to create an airlock using pitch. Pitch is the black, tarry substance used by Egyptians in 3000 BC to make the bottom of their boats water-tight. Assuming some alien technology already built the hull of the spaceship, the medieval humans could make a large air lock door out of plate armor pieces, with the edges sealed using pitch. Cam levers (like bicycle quick-release latches) can apply pressure to the door. Hollow reeds can be used to carry air into the airlock. Blacksmith bellows can be used to pump that air.






                                          share|improve this answer












                                          It might be possible to create an airlock using pitch. Pitch is the black, tarry substance used by Egyptians in 3000 BC to make the bottom of their boats water-tight. Assuming some alien technology already built the hull of the spaceship, the medieval humans could make a large air lock door out of plate armor pieces, with the edges sealed using pitch. Cam levers (like bicycle quick-release latches) can apply pressure to the door. Hollow reeds can be used to carry air into the airlock. Blacksmith bellows can be used to pump that air.







                                          share|improve this answer












                                          share|improve this answer



                                          share|improve this answer










                                          answered Nov 24 at 6:20









                                          hyperion4

                                          6345




                                          6345








                                          • 1




                                            At room temperature (or even colder in the upper atmosphere), pitch is somewhat brittle. It could be used to permanently seal a door by pouring it around the edges while hot, but it would be likely to shatter when the door was opened, and wouldn't reseal cleanly.
                                            – duskwuff
                                            Nov 24 at 22:12
















                                          • 1




                                            At room temperature (or even colder in the upper atmosphere), pitch is somewhat brittle. It could be used to permanently seal a door by pouring it around the edges while hot, but it would be likely to shatter when the door was opened, and wouldn't reseal cleanly.
                                            – duskwuff
                                            Nov 24 at 22:12










                                          1




                                          1




                                          At room temperature (or even colder in the upper atmosphere), pitch is somewhat brittle. It could be used to permanently seal a door by pouring it around the edges while hot, but it would be likely to shatter when the door was opened, and wouldn't reseal cleanly.
                                          – duskwuff
                                          Nov 24 at 22:12






                                          At room temperature (or even colder in the upper atmosphere), pitch is somewhat brittle. It could be used to permanently seal a door by pouring it around the edges while hot, but it would be likely to shatter when the door was opened, and wouldn't reseal cleanly.
                                          – duskwuff
                                          Nov 24 at 22:12




















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