This is probably close to my final design for expandable, efficient mining. Technically a spiral is more efficient, but is harder to return to the central hub, more difficult to do correctly, and quite frankly, not as cool. :) The benefits of this system are:
- Fully Expandable. With traditional branch mining, if you want initially make every branch 20 blocks deep, but later want to expand, you will spend more time walking to each branch end to continue mining. This system always gets you to the end of your mine in the shortest distance possible. And unlike my previous design, you don't have to decide how large your mine will be beforehand.
- Increasing Efficiency. The more you put into the mine, the more efficient it becomes. For example, by the time the return path(shown in green in the third image) becomes 150 meters long, you will have mined over 16000 blocks, and exposed over 64000 blocks.
This image shows the blind spots of the system. The further into each branch you get, the more sparse these blind spots become.
And finally, how to mine this method without needing to count. The green blocks are blocks you mine to keep the shortcut path going. After you mine the 2 meters for the shortcut path, turn 90 degrees right, and mine 6 meters. Then, turn 90 degrees left and mine 3 meters. Mine 2 more blocks at head level(not a tunnel, just a window, shown by the red blocks), this will be the marker for your next leg. Then, turn 90 degrees left, and mine until you join with your previous window, then mine 6 more. The image shows it better, but after every window you mine 6 more meters and turn, no need to count the legs.
I've also included this screenshot of the red-block 'windows', in case anyone is confused. Looking through the window is looking back to where I was standing when I dug it out. Now that I hit the window, I know I need to dig 6 more meters, then turn.
One common question is, what layer to mine at. Normally, the recommendation is to mine at layer 12. This is a solid recommendation, unless you are concerned with finding lapis lazuli. Lapis lazuli is actually between 2 and 3 times as common if you mine at layer 14 instead of layer 12, while diamond, gold, iron, and redstone are just as common at that level as they are at level 12. If you come across a lava lake, you will almost always be 2 blocks above it. Just dump water on the lava, and explore the cavern for exposed ore, before continuing.
For bonus points, build your base/mine in the SW direction from the (0,0) point on your map to take advantage of the higher mineral percentage there(however, I see this glitch being fixed before release, so it's not as important).
The last point is, what material pickaxe to use. This depends on what you are mining for.
If your goal is to find diamond, there are 2 options. Either mine with an iron pickaxe(if you don't mind losing approximately 3 iron for every diamond you find), or mine with a stone pickaxe. Mining for diamond with diamond is inefficient.
If your goal is to find iron, there are again, 2 option. You can mine with diamond, if you don't mind spending 1 diamond for every 10 iron you find, or mine with stone. Once again, mining for iron with iron is inefficient.
If your goal is to find as many materials as possible(iron, gold, redstone, lapis, diamond), then the best option is to mine with diamond. You will find more diamond than you spend on average, but you will gather the other resources at a tremendously higher rate than using iron or stone.
For bonus points, build your base/mine in the SW direction from the (0,0) point on your map to take advantage of the higher mineral percentage there(however, I see this glitch being fixed before release, so it's not as important).
The last point is, what material pickaxe to use. This depends on what you are mining for.
If your goal is to find diamond, there are 2 options. Either mine with an iron pickaxe(if you don't mind losing approximately 3 iron for every diamond you find), or mine with a stone pickaxe. Mining for diamond with diamond is inefficient.
If your goal is to find iron, there are again, 2 option. You can mine with diamond, if you don't mind spending 1 diamond for every 10 iron you find, or mine with stone. Once again, mining for iron with iron is inefficient.
If your goal is to find as many materials as possible(iron, gold, redstone, lapis, diamond), then the best option is to mine with diamond. You will find more diamond than you spend on average, but you will gather the other resources at a tremendously higher rate than using iron or stone.
"Once again, mining for iron with iron is inefficient."
ReplyDeleteI'm going to have to disagree with you there. iron mines much quicker stone, making it time efficient. Quoting a fellow Minecrafter, "The world is infinte, your time is not".
Besides, thanks to your system, I'm finding a minimum of 10 iron to the pick. So, iron is actually (at least in my experiences) efficient to use overall.
Here is a list of ore you get per hour with each type of pickaxe:
ReplyDeleteStone Pickaxe
180 Coal per Hour
110 Iron per Hour
24 Gold per Hour
53 Lapis per Hour
18 Diamond per Hour
480 Redstone per Hour
Iron Pickaxe
230 Coal per Hour
85 Iron per Hour
31 Gold per Hour
70 Lapis per Hour
23 Diamond per Hour
620 Redstone per Hour
Diamond Pickaxe
280 Coal per Hour
170 Iron per Hour
37 Gold per Hour
82 Lapis per Hour
17 Diamond per Hour
740 Redstone per Hour
Because you have to use iron to make iron picks to find iron, the net return is less than using stone pickaxes. Obviously, Diamond is a better choice, but using iron pickaxes primarily to get more iron isn't the best choice.
Is it possible to modify this to make sure there's 3 blocks between each shaft? The law of diminishing returns hits HARD when there's only a two block gap.
ReplyDeleteGreate,how could you find that,thanks for your sharing,ill recommended it to my freinds
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Your method is good for all finding single block ores like Emerald, but all other ore occur in veins that are typically 2 blocks wide. That means you don't need to see every block to know you hit most of the ores at a specific level. Again its a rule of diminishing returns.
ReplyDeleteAs the world is infinite, but basically uniform for a specific mining level. The best mining method thus devoles to... a straight line. So just dig straight, gather all the ores you can, use an ender chest and silk touch pick to help carry it, (in 1.6 use pack mules too!).
Of course if you want the stone, dirt gravel, well then you need to return to base often so other methods are needed.
The other technique that I use that needs less tunnels but still covers most of any specific level...
Just dig 2 high tunnels with 10 blocks separation. Then every 2 to 3 blocks along that tunnel, dig a 1 block wide 'test hole' to each side. If you see an ore you want, dig to it. From one 2 wide tunnel you will cover a swath 11 blocks wide through the ground (main tunnel plus 5 blocks to each side).
This method is fast and covers a lot more volume for less digging than anything else. Yes you may miss some ores, but the world is infinite, just go forward. It works well for simple straight line mining as well!
The only time you actually really do need to recover even scrap of ore is on a world where you have to restrict yourself to a specific plot size. For example on a shared server where people have a dim view of mining under someone else's assigned plot. In that case I suggest doing you mining ealsewhere, such as under an ocean instead where you don't infringe on someone else's turf. Just open nether portals until you end up in a deep cave. and there is you mine.
If you want gaps of 3 instead of 2 as shown, start with a 5x5 square instead of 4x4, & dig 4 then 8 instead of 3 then 6.
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what do you mean this blog about mining not house
Deletewhat do you mean this blog about mining not house
DeleteThank you for this page. This has been my favorite mining system for over a decade! (Though of course when 1.18 was released I switched to mining at different layers.)
ReplyDelete