Never thought about this one... my biggest worry would be RL getting in the way of staying on a ladder and never tried standing on a sign.
I prefer to have a 3x3 as I can always use more cobble for a sky walk or no-jump walkways.
Do you feel it is worth the wood/time expense to work that way?
Staying on the ladder isn't really all that difficult, so long as you only rotate and don't try to move in any particular direction while standing on the ladder.
This method is useful if you specifically only want to disturb a 1x1 column, and don't want to fill in something larger. For instance, if you want to keep the natural appearance of the shaft as much as possible. It is a bit slower than the 1x2 shaft method, but once you get used to doing it, it isn't too terrible. From a material point of view, you only temporarily need one or two ladder segments, so there isn't really any wood waste.
A sign or ladder can be used in a similar fashion to dig straight up without the risk of sand/gravel/water flooding.
The disadvantage of digging straight down isn't just occasional plunges into lava or caves. It's that you can't get back up easily. If you dig straight down need to:
A - Build a ladder up, costing you wood
B - Pillar back up, costing you blocks and preventing easy return access back down
C - Dig a stair up, costing you time and forcing you to dig a stair anyway
Digging a stair down allows you to return upwards in the most resource and time efficient way. It takes slightly longer, but it's free.
The number one rule of minecraft is not to dig down. so i tested that and this is what i got.
#1:a lot of coal tons of iron 3 DIAMONDS 2 cave systems
#2:tons and tons of coal some redstone
#3:some coal some redstone
#4:a lot of redstone
#5:some iron some redstone very little coal
also i did not dig around the hole i flew around to different places.also i found the diamonds at the bottom of a mountain
quick tip dig with iron and below
i
Just make 2 holes for diging down dig down 2 then dig on the other side i i.
i
The Meaning of Life, the Universe, and Everything.
Join Date:
9/6/2011
Posts:
42
Member Details
digging straight down isn't always bad because if u have either protection 4 armor then ur practically invincible. Also a tip is that lava lakes typically occur at lvl 12 (y:12 when u press f3) so just stop at like lvl 15 or 16 and there shouldn't be any risk of lava (hopefully)
It's a gamble (unless you use map viewer beforehand), as there is a possibility that you'll end up in lava or break your neck falling into a massive cave. Some people like to gamble though.
Digging straight down is actually fairly efficient in terms of mining. But risky. You might get tons and tons of diamonds, then you fall down and land in lava. Yay! But actually, digging straight down is safe if you're equipped. Fire resistance armor?
It really varies. I usually have no luck at all with mining downwards, and very occasionally hit lava, iron or coal. I'll post my results from some creative digging now:
1) Hit coal and nothing else.
2) Hit iron, coal, but then lava (I stopped there because I'd technically die)
3) Hit coal, restone.
4) Hit coal, uncovered cave, iron, cave with zombie, redstone
5) uncovered cave, uncovered cave, hit redstone, then lava
6) Hit iron, hit ravine (12 block fall).
From this data, you uncover coal two thirds of the time, iron one third of the time, redstone on third of the time, ravines one sixth of the time,caves one third of the time BUT lava one third of the time.
This shows that it really varies crazily. The reason it's considered dangerous is because, if you do hit lava, it's VERY difficult to escape. So you're right in some way.
I did this 10 times once i fell in lava once i fell into a ravine twice i found absolutely nothing. i found only the following materials: iron coal redstone. personally i would recommend digging down in stairs to the bottom and going in a straight line until i hit lave. then get above that lava and hope its connected to a cave system there i did this in a hardcore world and found an abandoned mineshaft, almost a full stack of diamonds, 2 dungeons, a ravine, TONS of iron and coal, more lapis and redstone than i could ever use, 3 full stacks of gold, and umm... I can't seem to explore it all. yep there's just more and more
Digging straight down is actually fairly efficient in terms of mining. But risky. You might get tons and tons of diamonds, then you fall down and land in lava. Yay! But actually, digging straight down is safe if you're equipped. Fire resistance armor?
It takes less than 8 minutes to dig straight down 128 blocks.
CoughCough
Not ALL of us have fire resitance potions or armor though. Ever wonder WHY we need diamonds? :smile.gif:
1. Coal, gold I got REALLY lucky here. There was lava litterally 2 blocks away from my 1*1. (I could hear the lava, and dug for it)
2. Iron, Iron, Redstone
3. Iron, Redstone
4. Coal, ravine(30 block drop)
5. Iron, Redstone
6. Massive cave system full of creepers, zombies, skeletons, iron and coal. No ores in the shaft.
7. Coal, Iron, went right next to a cave that had 6 diamonds in it. I lived, but was it still a good idea? No.
8. Hit a cave full of redstone, and iron. BARELY missed some lava again.
9. Hit the same cave twice. 3 diamonds, tonnes of iron, tonnes of coal, redstone and lapis.
More creepers, more skeletons, more zombies, more spiders. Long drop into caves. (20 blocks) You'd most likely die.
10. Coal, iron.
Now, I would have died twice. On the ones that I actually got NICE things. I also missed 7 diamonds using this method.
Is it safe? Usually, is it smart? No. Is it effective? No.
Staying on the ladder isn't really all that difficult, so long as you only rotate and don't try to move in any particular direction while standing on the ladder.
This method is useful if you specifically only want to disturb a 1x1 column, and don't want to fill in something larger. For instance, if you want to keep the natural appearance of the shaft as much as possible. It is a bit slower than the 1x2 shaft method, but once you get used to doing it, it isn't too terrible. From a material point of view, you only temporarily need one or two ladder segments, so there isn't really any wood waste.
A sign or ladder can be used in a similar fashion to dig straight up without the risk of sand/gravel/water flooding.
Interesting thoughts for sure. I'm gonna give it a try on my next time down to center.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Building a straw made of stone and ladders since: March 2011. I is before E except after C unless it is weird.
Never thought about this one... my biggest worry would be RL getting in the way of staying on a ladder and never tried standing on a sign.
I prefer to have a 3x3 as I can always use more cobble for a sky walk or no-jump walkways.
Do you feel it is worth the wood/time expense to work that way?
Building a straw made of stone and ladders since: March 2011. I is before E except after C unless it is weird.
Staying on the ladder isn't really all that difficult, so long as you only rotate and don't try to move in any particular direction while standing on the ladder.
This method is useful if you specifically only want to disturb a 1x1 column, and don't want to fill in something larger. For instance, if you want to keep the natural appearance of the shaft as much as possible. It is a bit slower than the 1x2 shaft method, but once you get used to doing it, it isn't too terrible. From a material point of view, you only temporarily need one or two ladder segments, so there isn't really any wood waste.
A sign or ladder can be used in a similar fashion to dig straight up without the risk of sand/gravel/water flooding.
- sunperp
A - Build a ladder up, costing you wood
B - Pillar back up, costing you blocks and preventing easy return access back down
C - Dig a stair up, costing you time and forcing you to dig a stair anyway
Digging a stair down allows you to return upwards in the most resource and time efficient way. It takes slightly longer, but it's free.
Just make 2 holes for diging down dig down 2 then dig on the other side i i.
i
Then use a ladder instead of a sign, problem solved.
- sunperp
Like this post? Click the button below! But don't click this link.
Always willing to help. Message me.
1) Hit coal and nothing else.
2) Hit iron, coal, but then lava (I stopped there because I'd technically die)
3) Hit coal, restone.
4) Hit coal, uncovered cave, iron, cave with zombie, redstone
5) uncovered cave, uncovered cave, hit redstone, then lava
6) Hit iron, hit ravine (12 block fall).
From this data, you uncover coal two thirds of the time, iron one third of the time, redstone on third of the time, ravines one sixth of the time,caves one third of the time BUT lava one third of the time.
This shows that it really varies crazily. The reason it's considered dangerous is because, if you do hit lava, it's VERY difficult to escape. So you're right in some way.
It takes less than 8 minutes to dig straight down 128 blocks.
CoughCough
Not ALL of us have fire resitance potions or armor though. Ever wonder WHY we need diamonds? :smile.gif:
2. Iron, Iron, Redstone
3. Iron, Redstone
4. Coal, ravine(30 block drop)
5. Iron, Redstone
6. Massive cave system full of creepers, zombies, skeletons, iron and coal. No ores in the shaft.
7. Coal, Iron, went right next to a cave that had 6 diamonds in it. I lived, but was it still a good idea? No.
8. Hit a cave full of redstone, and iron. BARELY missed some lava again.
9. Hit the same cave twice. 3 diamonds, tonnes of iron, tonnes of coal, redstone and lapis.
More creepers, more skeletons, more zombies, more spiders. Long drop into caves. (20 blocks) You'd most likely die.
10. Coal, iron.
Now, I would have died twice. On the ones that I actually got NICE things. I also missed 7 diamonds using this method.
Is it safe? Usually, is it smart? No. Is it effective? No.
Interesting thoughts for sure. I'm gonna give it a try on my next time down to center.
Building a straw made of stone and ladders since: March 2011. I is before E except after C unless it is weird.