Concrete Moulds (for stone panels/moulding/corners)

[Oofnish]

Hello all, I'm relatively new to this magnificent mod, which has totally revitalized my singleplayer Minecraft enjoyment! (and hopefully Multiplayer eventually)

I noticed that the method for creating stone panels was subject to change, pending a better manufacturing option, and I thought I'd suggest an idea I had along those lines. I did a search and didn't come across anything like this, but I apologize if its been seen before.

My idea involves a new tool block (eg, "Mold Block") that allows crafting concrete (i.e., stone) panels, moulding, and corners by making a mold shape around a bucket of concrete. The tool block is perhaps unnecessary, as the recipe ideas I have could simply be added to the workbench, but a specialized block might lead to more options (and fewer crafting recipe conflicts).

Mold Block
The recipe for the tool block could be pretty basic, since it doesn't have to be much more than a flat surface. Two alternatives types come to mind.

Simple version: a smooth stone table, with clamps mounted on top and raised from the floor on legs. This version would involve buckets of concrete in each recipe.

Complex version: similar, but instead of wooden risers, the table sits atop a pump mechanism (two gears surrounding a belt in the recipe?). In order to operate, the block would need to be placed adjacent to or on top of a liquid concrete source block. Of course this means that the concrete would have to be freshly poured, or maintained in liquid form by redstone. The source block would be consumed in the process. Mechanical energy would be supplied to a side of the block to activate the pump. (Note, this raises the issue of persistent inventory for a crafting item, esp. if hand cranks are a valid option for pump operation...)

Operation
To use the mold block, activation brings up a relatively standard crafting window. Wooden moulding is placed in a pattern indicating the shape of the desired stone shape. One of these would be the currently existing stone panel, but stone moulding, stone corners, stone stairs, and other shapes could be built.

In the simple model, a bucket of concrete is placed in an open square (bottom left corner in my examples), and wooden moulding describes the shape. The result is the appropriate block type. Wooden moulding can optionally be not consumed.

In the more complex model, the bucket of concrete is omitted in the recipe, and the desired block is generated (and spat out as an item) when mechanical energy activates the pump. With dispensers/hoppers/waterwheel, this could be part of a manufacturing chain, as long as the wooden moulding is not consumed in the process.

Future expansion
This block could be used in future expansion for creating more advanced components, such as cast-iron shafts, gears, wheels, etc. Likely using stone moulding in place of the wood moulding. It could also be used to create similar blocks of other substances (Obsidian = lava instead of concrete, stone molding. Sandstone = water + sand instead of concrete, Diamond = hopes + dreams, etc.)

For the wooden moulding, I'm on the fence whether or not it should be consumed in the process. Perhaps an alternative moulding item (non-placable in the world) would be a good idea for a non-consumed variant. Maybe Combine wood moulding and fish oil in a cauldron to 'season' it, making it non-stick for the purposes of using them in the mold?

Anyway, Thanks for reading, feel free to let me know what you think. And to FlowerChild, thanks for the great mod!

*Edit: removed the crafting recipes as per the rules post... somehow I initially missed that part.*

[Camerinthus]

That's actually a really cool idea. I'm a fan of this. Then we could make things like stone gears, like you mentioned, and a bunch of other things out of stone.

[magikeh]

This makes a lot of sense and it makes the 'much wanted' stone moulding a possibility. Also it solves the... 'problem' of using a saw to cut stone to make panels (much controversy on that topic)

I wish this suggestion luck in its path to BTW!!

[walker_boh_65]

i think this is a good solution to the much wanted stone panels and corners and such, to expand on your "on the fence" about the wood part, if the wood could be keep..perhaps it can be so only the blank spots get filled,
ex: if you wanted a panel you would fill all but a 2x2 square, for a molding all but a 1x2 spot, or something like that which allows you to keep the wood of "filler product"

[Oofnish]

Yep, I had originally posted some recipe examples that worked like you suggested (3 peices of wood moulding would be sufficient to create panels, moulding, corners, and steps). Whether or not the wood is kept would be a balance concern mostly. It also presents some "Arghh, gotta go fill the machine with bits!" tedium in the case of an automated process. The latter is helped by simply stacking the wood bits of course:)

[Conscript Gary]

I assume the bucket of concrete would be consumed like a bucket of lava is in a furnace?
Would make sense

[mikello324]

Because using a bucket of concrete for each panel/moulding/corner could be expensive and annoying, each panel you make could "damage" the bucket a little. The idea is that your emptying a little bit of the bucket everytime, and the information works the same way that damage does so that you see a little green bar below your bucket of cement.

[Stormweaver]

Because using a bucket of concrete for each panel/moulding/corner could be expensive and annoying, each panel you make could "damage" the bucket a little. The idea is that your emptying a little bit of the bucket everytime, and the information works the same way that damage does so that you see a little green bar below your bucket of cement.

or the cement in the bucket can be 'consumed' (like fuel in a furnace), and a small gauge goes down with each use (also like fuel in a furnace. no going down when not making things though), but leaving the bucket for re-use.

[Conscript Gary]

Because using a bucket of concrete for each panel/moulding/corner could be expensive and annoying, each panel you make could "damage" the bucket a little. The idea is that your emptying a little bit of the bucket everytime, and the information works the same way that damage does so that you see a little green bar below your bucket of cement.

or the cement in the bucket can be 'consumed' (like fuel in a furnace), and a small gauge goes down with each use (also like fuel in a furnace. no going down when not making things though), but leaving the bucket for re-use.

That's what I was thinking, exactly like fire in a furnace. Each bucket should provide enough 'cement bar' to crank out some arbitrary number of pieces, leaving the empty bucket behind.