Pistons are redstone devices commonly used in Minecraft. They can be used in many different ways, from traps to doors. This guide explains how to build one, before using it to express your creativity.
Steps
Step 1. Obtain the resources for the piston
You will need the following materials:
- 12 blocks of crushed stone - extract the gray stone blocks with a wooden pickaxe or better.
- 1 iron ore - dig a block of iron with a stone pickaxe or better. Iron blocks have orange spots and are usually found in stone.
- 2 wooden blocks - cut two blocks of wood from a tree.
- 1 redstone - mine a block of redstone with an iron or better quality pickaxe. This material is represented by a block with red spots and is most commonly found deep in the earth.
- 1 ball of slime (optional) - if you want to build a sticky piston, capable of pushing and pulling blocks, take out a slime to get a slime ball.
Step 2. Make wooden planks
Press the E key, click on the wooden blocks, then on the "Crafting" section, then move the planks in the inventory by clicking on their icon while holding down Shift.
- In Minecraft PE, press ⋯ in the lower right corner of the screen, press the workbench icon in the lower left corner, press the "Wooden Planks" button, then twice up 4x on the right side of the screen.
- In the console edition, press X (Xbox) or square (PS), then press twice TO (Xbox) or X (PS).
Step 3. Exit the creation menu
Press Esc on the computer, X on Minecraft PE or B./circle on console.
Step 4. Open the workbench
Right-click on this item (if using PC), press on it (PE) or press the left trigger on the controller while facing the workbench (if using a console). This will open the creation window.
Step 5. Create a furnace
Put the crushed stone in all the grid boxes except the middle one, then click on the furnace icon in the right part of the window and move it to the item bar at the bottom of the screen.
- In Minecraft PE, tap on the furnace icon that looks like a block of stone with a black hole in the center, then tap on 1 x.
- In the console edition, swipe to select the workbench icon, step down one position and press TO or X.
Step 6. Place the furnace on the ground
Select it from the item bar, then click on the ground with the right mouse button.
- In Minecraft PE, press on the space on the ground where you want to place the furnace.
- In the console edition, point your character towards a spot on the ground and pull the left trigger.
Step 7. Open the furnace
The window of this tool contains three boxes: one at the top for minerals, one at the bottom for fuel and one on the right for the finished product.
Step 8. Make an iron block
Put it in the top box, then add a plank of wood to the bottom one. Wait for the iron ingot to appear in the space on the right, then move it to your inventory.
- In Minecraft PE, click on the iron block icon, then on the "Fuel" icon and select the wooden plank icon. Press on the bar in the "Result" box to transfer it to the inventory.
- In the console edition, select the iron block and press Y or triangle, select the wooden plank and press again Y or triangle, finally choose the iron ingot and press for the last time Y or triangle.
Step 9. Close the furnace and open the workbench
You now have everything you need to make a piston.
Step 10. Create the piston
Place a plank of wood in all the boxes on the top row of the crafting grid, place the iron ingot in the center, the redstone under it, and fill the remaining spaces with the rubble. This way, you will get a piston.
- In Minecraft PE, tap on the piston icon that looks like a stone block with a wooden top, then tap on 1 x to create the piston and add it to inventory.
- In the console edition, press RB or R1 four times, then scroll to the piston icon on the right side and press TO or X.
- In the console and PE versions, you can also select the sticky plunger, which has a plunger with a green slime as an icon, if you have a slime ball.
Step 11. If desired, make a sticky piston
If you have previously collected a slime ball, you can create a sticky plunger by opening the workbench, placing the slime in the center and the regular plunger underneath it.
This step only works for the computer version of Minecraft
Advice
- You can power a piston by placing it next to a torch or redstone powder.
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Some projects you can make with pistons include:
- Build a piston drawbridge;
- Building an automatic door with pistons.
- The pistons cannot push a series greater than 12 blocks.
- Some blocks cannot be pushed (or pulled) by the pistons. For example, anvils are too heavy, as are obsidian, bedrock, and end portals.
- Pistons can't push lava or water, but they can hold both types of blocks.
- Some objects are transformed after being pushed. For example, cacti, pumpkins, dragon eggs, sugar canes, and jack-o-lanterns can be collected by approaching their icon on the ground once pushed. The melons will turn into slices, which your character can consume (on the contrary, it is not possible to eat whole melons). Spider webs become threads, which you can use to make fishing rods or bows.
