Print

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

[kingubu]

Kav was asking me about how I get through aquifers fast and without build cancellations.  So I finally decided to make a video of my method.

http://youtu.be/_ewHfJw9HCw

Sorry about all the breathing noises.  I really should have had push-to-talk on.

To summarize, I use a two wide pump stack.  Pumping out of the hole into another hole in the aquifer.  Dig up/down stairs below up/down stairs to drain the aquifers down.  And then use a floor hatch to get through the last layer of aquifer and dig a drain underneath.

In the video, I dig through 7 layers of aquifer in about 10 weeks with the starting 7 dwarfs.

EDIT: Replace the twitch video with the youtube video
And here's the one for the single layer
http://youtu.be/vOR8fG4fhX8

And thanks again to the people who did the wiki page and the breakdowns of the method.  Saved me a ton of work.

[tehMati]

He's a genius.

[Kav]

Thanks a lot man!

Wow they just plug the holes in the wall without cancelling anything. Looks like I'm getting my beard wet on the next embark.

[kingubu]

For mati, here's a single layer aquifer using the same technique.

http://youtu.be/vOR8fG4fhX8

EDIT: replace twitch video with youtube.

[Skullsploder]

This needs to go on the wiki. This technique is quicker than the double slit, and way neater too. Kingubu you are a genius.

[Kav]

I can't quite wrap my head around this. I see what looks like two traditional left right pump stacks next to each other somehow powered by a water wheel. I've watched the video several times and I'm not sure exactly how he gets to that point.

Could someone perhaps make a simplified step by instruction list with a rough accompanying diagram? I would be happy to doctor it up for posterity myself once I understand this better. This method is too good, we have to get the word out.

[Trouserman]

Could someone perhaps make a simplified step by instruction list with a rough accompanying diagram?

The diagrams below are a side view. A is the aquifer layer, R is non-aquifer. First you dig out (from above) the up-down stairs of the first layer:

AXXXXAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAA
RRRRRRRRRR

Then build pumps, and channel out a reservoir to the right and the closest stairs, so that you can pump water from those squares back into the aquifer.

     %%
AXXX AA  A
AAAAAAAAAA
RRRRRRRRRR

That keeps those nearest squares dry enough to dig down into the next layer, discovering in this case that it is another aquifer layer.

     %%
AXXX AA  A
AAAAXAAAAA
RRRRRRRRRR

This row of stairs provides drainage to dig the next row, and so on across the layer.

     %%
AXXX AA  A
AXXXXAAAAA
RRRRRRRRRR

Now there's near-instant drainage over the entire area you've dug out, allowing you to smooth the walls (or dig out and rebuild the walls, if it's a soil layer).

     %%
SXXX SA  A
AXXXXAAAAA
RRRRRRRRRR

Prepare for the next layer of pumps, constructing floors to support them, and channeling spaces for (A) pumping water up from the layer below, and (B) transmitting power down to the next lower layer of pumps, if necessary.

     %%
S .  SA  A
A X XAAAAA
RRRRRRRRRR

Build the pumps, transmitting power from the pumps above through a horizontal axle and gear assembly.

   *=%%
S %% SA  A
A X XAAAAA
RRRRRRRRRR

That will keep those spaces on the left side dry enough to dig down into the next layer, here finding that it is a non-aquifer layer. In order to drain it, you need to dig your drain to the edge. Build a hatch to ensure that water doesn't drop and flood your tunnel as you dig it, go down a couple of layers, and dig your drain.

   *=%%
S %% SA  A
A¢X XAAAAA
RXRRRRRRRR
RXRRRRRRRR

Once the drain is complete, remove the hatch. The drain lets you dig the stairs down row by row, as you had done above. (Take a little jog to the side and go down again, so that when the process is over you only have to wait for the water to drain out of the central area; the long drainage pipe can take as much time as necessary to finish draining.)

   *=%%
S %% SA  A
A X XAAAAA
RXXXXRRRRR
RXRRRRRRRR

Again having complete drainage of the area, you can smooth the walls over. After that, no more leaks. Let the drain drain away.

   *=%%
S %% SA  A
S X XSAAAA
RXXXXRRRRR
RXRRRRRRRR

Pretty neat. I had to play back some parts a couple of times to really get the details.

[Dunamisdeos]

Sorry about all the breathing noises.  I really should have had push-to-talk on.

Aquifer, hosted by Darth Vader.

[Euius]

Could someone perhaps make a simplified step by instruction list with a rough accompanying diagram?

I used a 3x5 here because it fits my ramp room design (instead of 3x3 stairs)   One dimension must be at least 4 in order to have enough rooms for the pump stack. If you're only digging 3x4, you can only use 2 pumps (or you lose access)



Two aquifer levels, both soil. 

• From the top, dry, level, dig out the 3x4 stairs and off the 3 block side after a 3 gap space (another modification I made) space, channel the 3 wide blocks.
• Build a gear in the middle of the channeled stream to hold the water wheel, then build the water wheel and then three pumps toward the water wheel.
• Channel out the source side of the pumps.  If the wheel didn't start powering on its own, manually power a pump long enough to start the infinite power.
• Designate 3 wide stairs in the second level at both ends of the pumps.  Use single step or the cancelling mining order as they mine to determine if the next level is another aquifer.  If the next level is another aquifer, just use dig the full 3x4 or 3x5 area of stairs you are using.
• Wall off the shaft on the aquifer level.  If there is a full 3x4 or 3x5 area of stairs beneath, it should be trivial and suspend free.  If its just slits, it is still fairly easy but will suspend some.
• Then build that levels pump stack.  Since the pumps are hanging off the gear above, they do not need to have floors beneath them and can sit directly on the pre-existing stairs - but there does need to be a channeled area in one of the blocks to transfer power between levels.

After hitting bottom, I used a modified dual-slit combined with the pump stack to carry off all the water and ended up with a dry shaft.  That probably will not work if there are more than 2 or 3 aquifer levels.

[kingubu]

I noticed someone made a wiki page for this, thanks for that.

I did transfer the videos to youtube before they expired.  Here they are:

Orginal
http://youtu.be/_ewHfJw9HCw

Single layer
http://youtu.be/vOR8fG4fhX8

I'm off to call my mom about my wiki page.

[kingubu]

---

[Tacomagic]

I noticed someone made a wiki page for this, thanks for that.

I did transfer the videos to youtube before they expired.  Here they are:

Orginal
http://youtu.be/_ewHfJw9HCw

Single layer
http://youtu.be/vOR8fG4fhX8

I'm off to call my mom about my wiki page.

Awesome, I'll add them to the tutorial.