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[BoogieMan]

I used to use Fastdwarf for a moment to avoid my miner being toasted, but since DFHack isn't ready I'm going to have to do it the old fashion way.

Last time I played with a volcano, I tried digging a shaft below and immediately next to the section of the volcano set to carve a fortification with a grate over it, the logic being the dwarf could stand on the grate and maybe the lava would flow down the tube below and give him time to run away, but he died the *instant* the fortification was carved, then filled the tube below before draining off into my tunnels under the forges. It worked, but I'd rather not have to have someone get incinerated in my current embark. I thought about doing the same, but just an open top tube and having the miner only be able to carve from a tile at an angle instead of right in front of it. Would that work?

If not, what is the simplest and safest way of tapping in to a volcano from the side that you are aware of?

[Levi]

I usually just send someone expendable to dig into the side.      Always great fun to see if he can get out of the way fast enough. 

[FoiledFencer]

I usually dig a tunnel where I want lava flow 1 level below the lava surface. Restrict the area, wall off the original opening and then channel out the last tile from above. Then you channel out whatever openings you need for forges and you have a Magma Crab-proof set of forges.

[klefenz]

I dig my magma reservoir on the same level as the magma surface, and a connection to the source leaving one tile without excavating.
Then on the level right above I channel the last tile out. Nobody dies.
Finally I wall the hole back to prevent magma creatures from invading.
Also, installing a magma safe floodgate is recommended.

[AMTiger]

Generally, a diagonal opening to the magma gives your miner enough time to run away. If that doesn't work, try having a hole (1x4 channel where you plan to dig) beside her, then she can ran away while the magma is filling up the hole before it starts filling up the level you want it on.

[flameaway]

You can quite easily breach a volcano with zero risk, and at any level you want.  Use a portable drain... A trackstop with a magma safe mine cart on it set to dump into a wall will accept any volume of fluids..
Into one tile.   
Set up your pump like this
xX = pump pumping east
M = magma
O = obsidian wall of a volcano shaft.
PD = trackstop with iron cart set to dump north into a wall.

MOxXPD

So that last line is the setup you use to safely breach volcano, at any depth.  Must use a powered pump... Once you have the pump powered, you CHANNEL out the O and the volcano will drain into the PD through the pump.  The pump will not allow lava to flow past the O, unless it is being pumped safely into PD.

I just did a furum post about this called "How to tame a volcano".  Check it out for a more detailed description of the PD, and some applications.  I'm working on a Wiki article because the PD vastly simplifies working with fluids.

[Naryar]

just channel into the obsidian casing of the  of the volcano instead of digging normally and make sure to make other mining designations so the dwarf doesn't wait for a tick next to the magma.

Maybe even channel close tiles beforehand so the magma fills them first if you want extra safety.

like this


MMMMMMMM
OOOOCOOOO
       CDC
         D
         D

as in d = digging designation, c = channel, o is the obsidian border of the volcano, and m is magma. Of course, you should channel the volcano border last.




tl;dr channel is your friend.

[PatrikLundell]

Channeling and draining down stairs USUALLY works, but it's not completely safe. The portable drain method is interesting, and there is also a method I haven't tried yet (haven't had any reasons to breach anywhere but the top of the magma) to channel from beneath a bridge which is considered completely safe.

[Bakaridjan]

I find that 9 out of 10 times digging straight into the side of the volcano, the miner escapes. A few influencing factors seem to be that he/she has a straight path away from the magma and that there is something else to do so they don't wait around. I've been using the bridge method recently for bigger breaches, when I want more flow for traps and such. It works well and is certainly less intensive than something like the portable drain method. The bridge doesn't need to be linked to anything so it's a pretty simple process with just a little more digging.

[Tryble]

If a dorf has other tiles to dig after digging into the volcano, he won't stand around considering what task to do next.  That usually works fine for me, magma doesn't flow quickly and the dwarf typically manages to escape without harm.  That's all it takes, really...but use someone expendable just in case.

[gentgeen]

The one time I breached a volcano, I used the dig from under the magma-safe bridge method. I was able to get a six-tile wide corridor of magma to my forges etc. with no casualties.

[arbarbonif]

I usually dig in just above the magma and pump it out into a dwarf-made reservoir, which is then pumped from there to where I need it.  I've noticed that if just dig into the side the likely hood of the miner frying is proportional to the number of levels of magma above the hole; once you get 5+ down he always fries, 1 or 2 and he usually survives.

[FrankMcFuzz]

I usually just build an 'above ground' fortress town suspended above the magma. BECAUSE THAT IS HOW A REAL DWARF WOULD DO IT

Bonus points for relying on destructible/lever-linkable things (bridges/supports) as support for it!