With a stack of ladders you can dig straight down. Just crouch on the ladders as you dig and place more ladders. It's a little slow with stone tools in the beginning but once you get some enchantments on iron or diamond tools it's really quick. No more falling in lava or breaking through a ravine ceiling or dropping in on a mob spawner unexpectedly.
With a stack of ladders you can dig straight down. Just crouch on the ladders as you dig and place more ladders. It's a little slow with stone tools in the beginning but once you get some enchantments on iron or diamond tools it's really quick. No more falling in lava or breaking through a ravine ceiling or dropping in on a mob spawner unexpectedly.
Or you could just do what i do and take some stone tools, make enough ladders to get back up the entire way, pick a spot, and save the game. Once saved i dig straight down to bedrock, stopping every short time to place a torch in the tunnel. Then just place the ladders once you are done mining down. It literally takes like two minutes at the most to mine to bedrock, and I have never fallen into lava doing this funny enough.
With a stack of ladders you can dig straight down. Just crouch on the ladders as you dig and place more ladders. It's a little slow with stone tools in the beginning but once you get some enchantments on iron or diamond tools it's really quick. No more falling in lava or breaking through a ravine ceiling or dropping in on a mob spawner unexpectedly.
You can also go into creative and turn on Flying. No ladders needed. Take some cobblestone with you and block off any lava or water you run into. You can get to the bottom (and back) in nothing flat, lava or not.
I still don't get why 'digging straight down' is being made out to be so special.
(Circles finger in the air).
How about digging out your first block, emptying a bucket of water into it and then keep on digging? Water will seal off any lava, if you open into a ravine you can ride the flow down, and you can always swim back up. Aqua Affinity & Respiration will help.
Of course, I know you already know this. Just posting this for others. That old post about things to do with a bucket of water is still a classic.
To be honest, if I ever have to dig straight down, I just do what Killin said -- save first, then dig. Safety first!
1) I will just dig straight down from surface to about level Y30. It is very rare that you will die by encountering lava or from a fall itself. The biggest hazard is dropping in on a mob-filled cave or mob spawner in the dark... and that sort of event is quite survivable if you don't just panic.
2) Below level 30, I tend to revert to alternately digging out the block next to me, moving onto it and then digging out the block I was just standing on and the one below it... making a hole two wide instead of just a single (as in #1 above). That way, if I do encounter lava, I have a second to get out my trusty bucket of water.
3) I don't tend to use ladders below ground very often... preferring instead to just pillar up on blocks whenever going up is necessary - which also conveniently blocks up the hole. If I'm making a more permanent mine access, I'll usually invest a bit more time and do a staircase of some kind.
If I'm making a more permanent mine access, I'll usually invest a bit more time and do a staircase of some kind.
U R A sillyhead. I like many cave escape points cause I get lost chasing stuff then I can not find my exit. And with a full inventory I no like digging more because I lose stuff.
U R A sillyhead. I like many cave escape points cause I get lost chasing stuff then I can not find my exit. And with a full inventory I no like digging more because I lose stuff.
I'm talking about when I'm intending to actually build a decent looking mine/railway or an underground base. If I'm just mining for minerals, I don't worry about even looking for my exit if I've lost track of where it was anymore. Digging my way out is far quicker; so instead, I'll just pillar up to the roof of the cave and start digging a 2-wide tunnel straight up (pillaring beneath my feet as I make room above my head). Why two wide you ask? so I can get out of the way if I trigger a fall of gravel above me. Also, I don't tend to get lost that often... I just carry my map and make note of key coordinates. (Oh, and if I do die and lose my map - 4 iron, 1 redstone, and 8 paper gets me a new one).
If I'm going to dig straight down, I dig a 4 block square hole downward and dig each block one at a time. This is a little more time consuming than a 2 block wide hole or 1 block, but it gives me enough room to watch for and avoid hazards. I also take about 70 ladder pieces with me so that I can get back up to Y 64.
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ladders prevent lava from getting you and you can get back up quickly without closing your hole.
Or you could just do what i do and take some stone tools, make enough ladders to get back up the entire way, pick a spot, and save the game. Once saved i dig straight down to bedrock, stopping every short time to place a torch in the tunnel. Then just place the ladders once you are done mining down. It literally takes like two minutes at the most to mine to bedrock, and I have never fallen into lava doing this funny enough.
This method also allows you to put ladders *and* torches for your climb back.
What a waste of time lol
If by 'waste of time' you mean awesome then I agree.
I still don't get why 'digging straight down' is being made out to be so special.
(Circles finger in the air).
Of course, I know you already know this. Just posting this for others. That old post about things to do with a bucket of water is still a classic.
To be honest, if I ever have to dig straight down, I just do what Killin said -- save first, then dig. Safety first!
No i think it's a waste of time....
2) Below level 30, I tend to revert to alternately digging out the block next to me, moving onto it and then digging out the block I was just standing on and the one below it... making a hole two wide instead of just a single (as in #1 above). That way, if I do encounter lava, I have a second to get out my trusty bucket of water.
3) I don't tend to use ladders below ground very often... preferring instead to just pillar up on blocks whenever going up is necessary - which also conveniently blocks up the hole. If I'm making a more permanent mine access, I'll usually invest a bit more time and do a staircase of some kind.
U R A sillyhead. I like many cave escape points cause I get lost chasing stuff then I can not find my exit. And with a full inventory I no like digging more because I lose stuff.
I'm talking about when I'm intending to actually build a decent looking mine/railway or an underground base. If I'm just mining for minerals, I don't worry about even looking for my exit if I've lost track of where it was anymore. Digging my way out is far quicker; so instead, I'll just pillar up to the roof of the cave and start digging a 2-wide tunnel straight up (pillaring beneath my feet as I make room above my head). Why two wide you ask? so I can get out of the way if I trigger a fall of gravel above me. Also, I don't tend to get lost that often... I just carry my map and make note of key coordinates. (Oh, and if I do die and lose my map - 4 iron, 1 redstone, and 8 paper gets me a new one).
Y R still a sillyhead. my ladders stop gravel... case WON!
OK.