This is a collection of mining techniques to enhance Terrarian mining.
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Grapple Shaft Mining
Required Items:
Grappling Hook (or Ivy Whip)
Any type of pickaxe
A high amount of wood or wood platforms
Just dig a three-block wide hole going down, placing three wood platforms every time the last one placed is gone.
Most useful for discovering caves and the Underground Jungle. Also usable to quickly access The Underworld.
I have a video on Youtube, it demonstrates the technique!
Creating a Drop Mineshaft
Required Items:
Fall damage negating item, this includes water, cobwebs, any form of grappling hook, or the ability to use a Lucky Horseshoe
Any type of pickaxe
Sand (Not necessary, but extremely helpful. Can be replaced by any building material if sand is a problem)
Depth Meter (Optional)
Obsidian Skull (Optional, recommended for when you reach the underworld)
Mining Helmet (Optional, but it's much easier to see with, Orb of Light is an acceptable replacement)
Magic Mirror (Optional, but it's going to be a long walk back to your spawn without it)
The goal of this form of mining is not to maximize your ore output. It is a method of getting you from point A. above-ground to point B. below-ground. Many keep chutes like this to their mushroom farm/jungle farms. It also allows quick access to the underworld. If at any point you need to stop to explore a cavern or mine for ores, feel free to do so.
To dig correctly, find a location where you will be able to easily access near your spawn. In the case of making an underground corruption farm, the opposite holds true. In case you need to return to the surface to drop off materials or withdraw items, a magic mirror is suggested. Start mining straight down. You should have no problems. At a point where you want a temporary stop, you can use wood platforms. If you have reached your destination then place down a few blocks worth of water, or a spiderweb to stop the fall damage for you.
How to avoid the obstacles you will encounter in your path to the end of the shaft:
Monsters - Sadly to say, the only real way you can take them out is to get to their level, kill them, and get back on the shaft ASAP. If you have a vilethorn and mana, you CAN use it to kill them without getting near them.
Air pockets, large and small - This is why you brought sand. Before you fall, place sand to the area left and right of your shaft, as to continue the shaft walls. The sand will fall to the bottom of the floor, and eventually will build itself back up to right next to you. Then remove the blocks beneath you and fall down to where you can continue.
Water/Lava - Sand works great here too. Drop some beneath you before you land in the liquid. Afterwords you can just dig it out and be on your merry way.
Ways to improve your mining efficiency:
1. Upgrade your equipment regularly. Better pickaxes mean faster mining. If you carry a Nightmare Pickaxe as well as a Molten Pickaxe then you have the ability to dig through dirt and mud extremely quickly.
2. Mining with a friend makes it go by extremely quickly. You can increase your speed about 300% in multiplayer. One player can aim at blocks on one side and the other can focus on blocks on the other side. Since there's no mouse movement, you move downwards at an extremely fast pace.