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Cobblestone farming is the technique of using a cobblestone generator to produce cobblestone without damaging the terrain. Cobblestone generators work on the principle that when a lava stream comes into contact with water, the lava is turned into cobblestone. Please note that this isn't possible in the Nether, due to water evaporating upon placement. This fresh cobblestone then prevents the two streams from touching. When this fresh cobblestone is removed, the two fluids produce another piece of cobblestone. Variants of the generator can also produce stone, but this is generally trickier, because for stone, the lava must enter the water from above.
Many generator designs exist, but the simplest way is to make a five block long trench with a one block gap in the middle. Then, place water in it at the end closest to the hole and lava at the other end. This creates cobblestone where the fluids meet.
When producing cobblestone, one must be careful not to let the flowing water touch the lava source block. Doing so destroys the lava source, converting it into obsidian. A basic understanding of fluids is helpful to prevent this. If you place a stair into the water source (flat side to the lava), this prevents the water from flowing over the lava source, but the cobblestone still forms where flowing lava touches the waterlogged block. Placing a non-flammable block over the lava helps prevent the cobblestone item from being destroyed by the lava when you mine it, as well as keep you from falling into it.
Adding pistons can let a generator extrude a whole line of blocks, safely away from the lava and easily mined as a batch. Subtle variations of these designs can produce "plain" stone as described below. The pistons and other arrangements for these generators can also be repurposed for a basalt generator. Basalt generators don't need the water streams at all, just the lava, blue ice, and soul soil (not soul sand). You can convert soul sand to soul soil by making and breaking soul campfires.
While the popularity of building any form of cobblestone generator varies, there are many reasons why a player should build a cobblestone generator. Here are a few.
Pistonless generators have been around for quite a while. However, their usefulness is limited because cobblestone is so readily available. These generators require the player to mine and collect the fresh cobblestone in close proximity with lava. This both presents risks to the player and reduces efficiency if the dropped cobblestone is destroyed by the lava. These drawbacks can be mitigated by design choices, for example by removing the block under the cobblestone, allowing the loot to fall in a safe place, or collecting drops using a hopper.
Notes about the schematics here: Gold blocks indicate any fireproof block. Water and lava source blocks may be marked with "s" when there is possible confusion. Cobblestone or normal stone appear only where they form. An "x" indicates a place to stand while mining the cobblestone.
A lava stream touching a water stream is the simplest type of generator. In a 10-block long trench with sources at either end, the cobblestone forms next to the lava. With a little more digging, you can manage this more compactly, and even get a current to wash the mined cobblestone away from the lava. This and the next design are easily expandable for multiplayer use.
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Schematics for Basic CSGs
A fountain-style generator offers more convenient mining, but takes more work to construct than the basic version. This one also uses two lava streams for faster production.
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Schematics for Fountain CSG
The "From Below" generator is a small building with the generator on the roof. Putting the generator on the roof means very little cobblestone is lost to the lava, but it is a lot more work. This one also uses two lava streams.
Schematics for "From Below" CSG
Pistons can be used to automate cobblestone generation and reduce the amount of cobblestone lost. Piston cobblestone generators work on the same principle as standard generators, but rather than mining, a piston pushes the fresh stone out of the way, allowing the streams to touch once again. Piston cobblestone generators can be used both to create a large supply of cobblestone that the player can mine later, or to supply a self-repairing structure with blocks. The piston can be driven by a clock, or by a circuit to detect when a cobblestone block has appeared. The cobblestone extends in a long line or pillar; if you don't want it to extend out to the full 12 blocks, you can "cap" it with any unpushable block. Furnaces work well, and you have plenty of cobblestone handy to make them.
There are three basic components to consider in a piston cobblestone generator:
The first design uses a redstone clock drives a piston which pushes out the generated cobblestone from a basic core. The second uses a block-detection circuit, and pushes the cobblestone upward.
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Basic Piston Generator Schematics
These advanced generator designs consistently produce four cobblestone blocks on every fourth piston cycle. The blocks are pushed upward, negating any chance of the cobblestone burning from touching lava.
Cobblestone Quad-piston "Factory":
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Factory Piston Generator (Version 3) Schematics
This build can easily be converted to a basalt generator:
Examples of Secondary Piston Usage:
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Lava flowing into water from above creates stone. Stone can be mined slightly faster than cobblestone, and it can also be collected as stone using a pickaxe with the Silk Touch enchantment. Using stone also gives self-repairing structures a different, more natural look.
Stone generators are rarely designed without pistons, as lava needs to be directly above the stone generated. Lava must flow down into flowing water in front of the piston. As with cobblestone generators, a single-piston design can only make a row of stone up to 13 blocks long.
Stone generator examples:
Basic Stone Generator Schematics
Smooth Stone Generator A can be built in a 4×5×2 hole, with two blocks dug out of the bottom (level 0), and the clock extending two blocks out from one corner.
The upward facing piston is on level 0. The hole east of it contains redstone and is covered by any transparent block (glass shown for visibility). The redstone torch in the main section is temporary; once you've built the clock, place a lever on either input block (green wool), and flip the lever, then replace the torch with redstone dust. (This lever is turning the clock, and generator, off, so turning the lever on stops the generator.) After building, flipping the lever again runs the generator, or do a bit of tidying-up: The rest of level 2 can be filled with any block, and you may want to cover the lava (and even the exposed repeater), with a slab.
Variation: Since the clock is already protruding, you might substitute a longer one to cut down on the piston noise. Experiment carefully with the delays, as some clock cycles can stop production entirely. (With this 5-clock, the generator is moving the pistons three times for every block.) Earliest Known Publication: May 29, 2012, Minecraft Smooth Stone Generator Tutorial by DJ&Riggaz.
Smooth Stone Generator B is a clockless build driven by a BUD switch.
Earliest Known Publication: May 1, 2014, Simplest Automatic Stone Generator - KollinsPlays Minecraft Vanilla Tutorial.
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Fastest Largest Continuous Mining Stone Generator
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AFK design which allows you to put something heavy on your mouse and go away from your keyboard. After your pickaxe breaks, a new one is dispensed.
Redstone is not required in the short version. Hoppers can be mostly replaced with water transport. The water source is protected as it comes from a waterlogged block.
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This creates 24 blocks of stone at the press of a button. And because it runs by lava flowing over water, (not the other way around) you do not need to worry about the lava source block becoming obsidian.
Start by creating the structure where the stone is formed.
You also need a redstone circuit to make the dispenser place the lava and then retrieve it. To create it, you must be above the future stone farm. The following steps explain how make a repeat circuit.
Now your stone farm is complete. To make stone, simply press the button.
This design is a very efficient cobble generator, doesn't lag your game, is very small, and fairly easy to build. Unlike others, this version has a built-in failsafe, so it never breaks.
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This uses a four sided repeater clock, but with uneven delay. The piston is retracted 5th or 6th cycle.
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