Tutorials/Vertical Mine Shaft With Water Drop
A vertical mine shaft can be built quickly and allows safe, fast access to the deepest regions of the earth.
This guide describes the construction of a vertical mine shaft with the following properties:
- Provides quick access to the lowest mining levels
- Fast construction
- Requires a decent amount of wood
Drawbacks:
- Unsuitable for minecarts
Contents |
[edit] Usage
To descend to the bottom, simply walk into the shaft. You will pass over the ascent shaft, fall into the descent shaft, and land in the water pit.
To ascend, climb the ladder and hop out.
[edit] Materials
Gather all materials and construct ladders before beginning construction! During construction, you will be deep in the earth before the ascending ladder is constructed. It will be most convenient to have your ladders ready.
The following tools and materials will be needed:
The wood requirements amount to approximately 60 blocks of wood.
[edit] Construction
[edit] Synopsis
- Gather all materials
- Dig 3-wide pit to bedrock
- Dig utility room
- Dig and fill water pit
- Place ladders in ascent shaft
- Fill in center of shaft
[edit] Detail
First, gather and manufacture the materials. Be sure to fill the buckets with water.
The shaft will be constructed to the side of an existing room. Start by excavating a 3-block deep alcove. If the top of the shaft is above ground, it should be surrounded by fences or walls with only one entrance on a narrow side. Place one torch in the end of the alcove as illustrated.
Next, a 3-block wide pit will be dug all the way down to the bedrock. Do not dig out the block you are standing on. Dig out a 3-high by 2-wide section, then hop down into it and dig out the 3-high column that you were standing on.
Place torches on both sides (ascent and descent) at regular intervals, excavating 1 block to place them in. In the ascent shaft, torches should be placed in the wide sides so they don't interfere with the ladder. In the descent shaft, torches should be place in the narrow side, primarily so that you can keep track of which side is ascent and which is descent.
Be on your guard when digging out any blocks beside you! Lateral breaches into lava pools or monster caves can be hazardous. Be ready to plug the hole, or hop up and throw blocks down so you can escape upwards. Also, be sure that the 3x2 section hasn't opened into a cavern before you hop down. Keep the pit well-lit.
When you reach the bedrock, make a 3-deep pit on the descent side. Fill in the middle and ascent sides as needed, as in the screenshot.
In the middle of the shaft, cut a side shaft. Due to the fact that the landing pit must be 3 deep, you may want to stairstep downward a few blocks in this shaft. Next, dig out a utility room. Cut a 3x1 horizontal trough in this room for water. Empty each bucket into the end of this trough. The water should fill it in and become still.
Fill the buckets again from the center of the water trough. Use the water to fill the pit at the bottom of the descent shaft. Be sure that the pit is 3 deep, and each block is filled with water.
Now it's time to place the ladders and to fill in the center of the shaft. Stand in the ascent shaft and face away from the descent shaft. Place ladders on the wall in front of you and climb. Build the ladder all the way to the top.
Descend to the bottom again using the ladder. Be careful, because the center of the shaft is not filled in yet, and it's possible to fall to your death. Once at the bottom, stand in the middle of the shaft and fill it with blocks. Hop upward and place blocks beneath yourself. When you reach the top, leave the central pillar 1 block below the surface (see screenshot). Leaving it 1 block lower allows you to enter the descent shaft simply by walking in.
