Minecrafters have been talking about automated crafting for ages, and Mojang has finally delivered version 1.21. I will explain what the new Crafter block is and also how to make and use it.
How to create the Crafter block
To make the Minecraft Crafter block, you will need the following materials:
- 5 iron ingots
- 2 Redstone Dust
- 1 Handmade Table
- 1 drop
On a Crafting Table, fill the top three boxes with one iron ingot each. In the middle row, place one iron ingot on the left, the Crafting Table in the center, and the last iron ingot on the right. To complete the recipe, place the Dropper in the bottom row below the Crafting Table and fill the last two boxes with one Redstone Dust.
Now you can take the Craftsman and place it wherever you want. When you place it, the front of the Craftsman will face you. This is where finished items will come out if a skip is not used.
How to use the Crafter block in Minecraft for beginners
Crafter block must be powered by Redstone to automatically craft anything. In particular, you will need to create a system that constantly supplies Redstone power to the Craftsman. For those unfamiliar with Redstone, I’ll show you how to build a simple looping circuit with Redstone to power the Crafter. This circuit will only power simpler recipes, like turning wood into boards or wheat into bread.
More complex recipes, such as books or bookshelves, would require a more complicated arrangement to ensure that each component goes to the correct slot. This even applies to crafting sticks as adding wooden planks into the Crafter one by one will simply produce a huge amount of buttons.
After the simple circuit tutorial, I will explain how items can be added and removed from the Crafter.
How to make a Repeating Redstone Circuit with the Artisan
To operate the Crafter, you will need the following items.
- 2 Redstone Repeaters
- 8 Redstone
- 1 Redstone Torch
To craft a single Redstone Repeater, you will need three Stone, 2 Redstone Torches, and 1 Redstone. In the top row, place one Redstone Torch followed by the Redstone, then the final Redstone Torch.
Next, place a single Stone block in each box in the middle row. Make sure to duplicate the recipe to create both Repeaters.
With the Redstone Repeaters in hand, start creating the Redstone Circuit. Start by using two Redstone to create a small path of Redstone Dust extending from the Artisan.
Walk to the end of that line and turn to face the Craftsman’s back. Place the first Redstone Repeater at the end of the Redstone Dust line. You must place the Redstone Repeater while facing this way so that it is in the correct configuration.
Next, place five of the remaining Redstone Dust exactly as in the image below. You basically create a rectangle with the Repeater acting as one of the sides. You will have one leftover Redstone that will be used later.
Now we will place the other Redstone Repeater. As with the previous one, the way you place this one is essential to making the circuit function. Stand next to the Artisan, then turn to face out towards the Redstone Circuit you were working on. Place the Redstone Repeater in the gap between the Redstone Dust as you face this path.
With the basic structure of the circuit complete, place the Redstone Torch next to the Redstone in front of the first Repeater. This will power the circuit.
With the circuit powered, break the Redstone Torch. The Redstone and Repeaters should remain bright red, indicating that they are still working. If they don’t, put the torch down and break it again.
This last piece is the hardest part, which is why we have the extra Redstone. Basically, you need to quickly break the Redstone Dust that the torch was used on and replace it immediately. This will turn off the power from one side of the circuit and then immediately connect it to the power side. Doing so will cause the Redstone Circuit to “pulse” its power continuously.
The pulses of the Redstone Circuit constantly apply power to the Craftsman. It will work as if you were constantly pressing a button to activate the Crafter manually.
If you need more visual proof, I recommend this TikTok from Good Villager. While he uses the Redstone Circuit on a Piston, the process is identical to that required to power a Crafter.
How to automatically add items to Crafter
Items can be automatically placed inside the Crafter using a hopper. Place the Artisan one block down and away from the chest. From there, attach the hopper to the Crafter, placing it on the block below the crate. The top of the hopper must be under the box while its pipe is connected to the Crafter.
The materials in the chest will begin to flow through the Hopper into the Artisan. They will fill the Craftsman from top to bottom and from left to right. Nothing will happen if the Crafter is not powered by Redstone pulses. When it is, the Artisan will automatically begin crafting the first recipe that fits its resources as they are placed.
If you want to prevent resources from entering certain slots, you can disable them in the Crafter. All you have to do is open the Crafter’s interface and click on the block you want to disable. The block will turn a light gray color that matches the creator’s interface. You can disable as many blocks as needed for the recipe you would like to make.
In the image below, I turned off all but two boxes because I wanted to create only sticks. While the setup in the picture below quickly let me make buttons, adding more boards to the bottom box before starting the Crafter might fix that. At the very least, it would increase the amount of sticks created before buttons started.
Similarly, you can use a Hopper to transfer crafted items from the Artisan into a chest to prevent them from floating around. For more complicated recipes, you can even connect an Artisan to another Artisan.
Want to explore more of the Tricky Trials update? Check out How to find and start Trial Chambers in Minecraft here on Pro Game Guides.
