Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Danjen]

I've never really set this up myself. I'm wondering the best method to cast obsidian in terms of layout. Would something like

water
retractable bridge
magma
floor

work?

[Sarvesh Mossbeard]

Try a bowl formation.

=\_/=

[Danjen]

So the magma and water are pumped in from opposite ends, or...?

[opsneakie]

I end up building ludicrously complex molds for obsidian casting, since the last time I did it I needed a specific, somewhat detailed shape. I usually do something like this (apologies for lack of images, I'm mad at the asci schematic thing)

Build a big rectangle of constructed walls somewhere.

Drop water in from above, making sure it doesn't overflow more than 1 z-level.

Drop lava above it (slowly!), and watch carefully as it flows and makes your delicious obsidian. If you're making it multiple z-levels tall, let the magma flow until the second level (one above your newly-made obsidian) is full of magma.

Drop water on top of your magma, and let it evaporate. Deconstruct your mold, or just dig it out from above if you just want the stone.

Hope that's helpful to you.

- Ops

[Danjen]

Would a 3 level cube shape with a bridge in the middle work like in the first post? Ie, pump two separate layers full of water/magma, then remove a divider, allowing them to combine?

[Beren]

Ops, if you don't mind my asking, what was the specific shape mold for? I'm just really curious.

[Skorpion]

My suggestion is to dig it out and channel the area you want cast from above, or make it from constructed walls. Either way, it has to be open-topped.
Then, you pour magma/lava in. My preferred method in D40 was to siphon it in from the pipe directly, but you can pump it if you want. When it fills up to 2/3 or so all around, you can stop. DON'T LET IT OVERFLOW.

Above this, you need a lot of water. Ideally an infinite supply, via channel from brook or pump stack. Don't bother with precise, measured amounts of it or anything, just pour it on over until the cast is complete, then stop the pumps.
Then wait for it all to evaporate, or set up temporary pumps to remove excess.

Then you remove the cast, and voila. Cast obsidian.

_{Results may vary. Not responsible for roasted/drowned dwarves, falls off structures caused by water flow, flooding, fires, tantrum spirals, giant eagle attacks, cave-ins, pressure-related disasters, or poorly-placed switch gears.}

[opsneakie]

@Beren I was building an inverted hammer shape to drop into the water, for a submarine, actually. It was a little finicky to get it shaped right, so the mold ended up being quite complex, but it did work in the end.