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[Bartok]

I can't seem to figure out linking up screw pumps.

I built the bottom pump, then I built a gear in the channeled spot where the impassible part of the next pump will be built above the first pump, and it won't let me build the second pump because the gear is in the way...

I have all the digging and channeling in the right spots according to the magma wiki page, but I need more idiot-proof details on how to get power transfer between the pumps

Could someone have mercy on this idiot please? 

[Girlinhat]

There are no gear assemblies, there are just conveniently placed stacks and missing floor pieces.  Mechanical devices can use the "hanging" state, where they are not supported by solid ground but ARE supported by another machine under them.

[Bartok]

So how do you get it to work?  Switch on the top one, or the bottom one?

[Girlinhat]

Usually the top one is easiest.  Machines transfer power to any adjacent machine, so the pumps will transfer power up and down the stack due to the holes in the floor.  You can apply anywhere, you just have to apply 10 units per pump.  A stack of 20 pumps will need 200 units of power, so 3 waterwheels should cover the stack and the gears and axles, if it's not a long way off.

[Flare]

Notice that the all the pump stacks aren't resting on two squares of floor even though each pump is two squares wide. The power goes through them all if one of them has access to power.

It is important to note however, that you make sure you separate the pump stack from your generator. If the generator is turned off to save frame rate and you have the generators connected to the pump stack without a breaker, then the generator won't have enough power to start up due to the fact that not only does it have to power the other pumps in the generator it also has to power up the entire pump stack.

The power source can come from anywhere. I've once had the power coming from beneath the stack because the entire pump stack was designed to be submerged in lava to create a giant magma tube. The power can come from the top too, or anywhere for that matter.

[Girlinhat]

It is important to note however, that you make sure you separate the pump stack from your generator. If the generator is turned off to save frame rate and you have the generators connected to the pump stack without a breaker, then the generator won't have enough power to start up due to the fact that not only does it have to power the other pumps in the generator it also has to power up the entire pump stack.

Took me a moment to realize you were talking about the perpetual motion generator.  If you're using a river+waterwheels or simple windmills, then powering a generator isn't a concern at all.

[Frogwarrior]

I don't use a generator, I just made 40 waterwheels on my river.

Anyway, note that the walkable part of the pump MUST be on solid ground; the nonwalkable part does not have to be. Also you have to build the pumps from the bottom up. If someone tries to build one of the middle pumps when it isn't connected to a machine with a stable base, it will disassemble. It's a mess. If you build the axle connecting the top pump to the power source, then you can also build from the top down and meet in the middle.

My preferred method is to use Dwarf Therapist to turn off masonry for everyone, then order all of the pumps to be built at once. Then after the architects are done, suspend all the pumps, turn on masonry for my laborer caste, and unsuspend the pumps when I want them built.

[Bartok]

So I can't have them pumped manually, and have the power transfer between all the various screw pumps?  I don't have a river on my map...

I am building two pump stacks, I'm not sure how big the biggest one is, but there are 97 screw pumps total.

[Frogwarrior]

Manual power is not transmitted to nearby machines. You could put a dwarf at each pump, though, although then you'll have to worry about an access shaft. I do it like this:

Code: [Select]

OOOOOO
OOXXOO
OO OOO
OO O O
O_=> O
OOOO O
OOOOOO
and on the next level:

Code: [Select]

OOOOOO
OOXXOO
OOO OO
O O OO
O <=_O
O OOOO
OOOOOO
_ is channel to the reservoir beneath, the arrow points in the direction of flow.
So you have a 2-wide up-down stair (the X's) and on each level, make a path to the walkable part of the pump. If you put a hole next to the unwalkable side, it will leak.

Also the 1x3 reservoir is good for a magma pump stack because of temperature considerations; it has been shown to keep FPS from being sad.

[Bartok]

Crud.  Well that was a collosal waste of time then   I guess I need to bump up my population cap to get enough dwarfs to man the pumps

Thanks everyone.

[zakkeh]

Remember you can use windmills. They're half-decent for generating power

[Frogwarrior]

Depending on how much you want to pump, population may not be an issue. If all you need is just enough to power forges and furnaces, say, then all you need is a couple dwarves. Just turn on the bottom pumps, then slowly move it up.

If you want to fill a reservoir, though, yeah, gonna need power.

[Girlinhat]

There's designs and screenshots elsewhere about stacking windmills.  Someone made it into a science, seeing how tightly a windmill stack could be made, and I think got like 8 windmills feeding down a 3x3 tube of power.  It's glorious.  If you've got the wood for axles and windmills, you can build one of these monstrocities, just do a search for "windmill farm" or somesuch.

[Powder Miner]

I thought this thread was about flails that have brains on the ends of the chains, on first sight. Darn.

[acetech09]

I thought this thread was about flails that have brains on the ends of the chains, on first sight. Darn.

Code: [Select]

You bash the goblin bowman in the head with your *alpaca brain flail*, but the brains splatter off of the <<copper helm>>!