code:2D View
##''''''''## Open level.
##________## Floor Level
##~~~~~~~~~~ Channel Level
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General procedure to safely harness Magma is to scroll down the vent to a level where the vent walls extend further into the vent than the floor below. That way you can designate a channel and the area will be pre filled with magma. Then channel it across to your Smelters/Kilns/Furnaces/Forges.
Magma also contains various firey critters, Fire Imps, Magma men etc. Most can throw fire that causes damage but is ignored by Dwarves, leading to mass scorched deaths... Answer, Traps - and try to expose the magma as little as possible too, maybe mine two sets of tunnels one above the other, then channel out the last piece of the lower level to expose it to the Magma, that way theres an indestructable floor blocking most of the passageway that the magma can flow under.
Now I just take my lest skilled miner and have him bust the wall down. I lose the dwarf, save the fortress.
A fire imp came through the access tunnel before I could close it up, though.
And somehow, he went through three stonefall traps and a weapon trap without triggering any of them.
Is that bad luck or do fire imps just not trip traps?
so I took my calculator and tried to figure out how much magma would have to be dealt with
then how much magma would be dealt with by the channel to the new furnaces
then how much spare magma was left to overflow
then I simply dug out a big atrifical magma lake
not a single unit of magma was flowing over
also, now I have something where I can drop my enemies into
quote:
Is that bad luck or do fire imps just not trip traps?
I've seen that too. My imp snuck through at least 4 stone fall traps and seriously wounded a peasant before he messed with my war dogs. Fortunately, nothing caught on fire.
ie
code:
Start: Side View
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████████MMMCome in the side, but stop short - this is your magma channel, with workshops on the level above
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█MMMM
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████████MMMStair up(some distance from the future breach, 10-20 tiles away) and dig access tunnel on above level
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▲ █MMMM
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████████MMMChannel out the block
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█____☺_███M
▲ ▒MMMM
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████████MMMDesignate somewhere far away for mining to insure the miner gets out of there
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☺▲ mmMMMMM
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To insure safety, you can mine out the upper part directly from the fort.
To keep magma critters from melting the face off your smith, just make the corridor long and twisty - it'll take a long while to fill, but I've never had anything come down it. You may also want to build a steel grate in the corridor befor flooding it.
When you want to build magma workshops/furnaces, dig a channel in the room above to provide access to the magma below.
Here's my setup: http://mkv25.net/dfma/poi-1903-magmaworkshops
quote:
Originally posted by Krash:
<STRONG>I've seen that too. My imp snuck through at least 4 stone fall traps and seriously wounded a peasant before he messed with my war dogs. Fortunately, nothing caught on fire.</STRONG>
I find it easiest to set up a couple of c-bow traps and assign a war dog to any of my dwarves who are going to go work by the lava.
Can magma force its way up through a channel? I tapped the surface vent and drew it down about 5 Z-levels into a nice tight channel. So far when I've cracked the ceiling to site a workshop there haven't been any problems.
quote:
Originally posted by AlanL:
<STRONG>Magma doesn't use pressure code, it won't overflow like water does unless you breach your own tunnel.</STRONG>
I don't "Channel" my magma, I mine out it's path and then break into it with a channel from the floor above. Before opening it I put some Vertical iron bars in the path and no creatures have gotten through in the 2 plus years my magma industries have been in business.
And no, Magma can't flow up. That is why I am able to have all my industries 3 Z levels below the top of the magma and dig my magma channel right below that.
quote:
Originally posted by Shooer:
<STRONG>You all are going through such lengths for such a simple answer, Iron Bars.I don't "Channel" my magma, I mine out it's path and then break into it with a channel from the floor above. Before opening it I put some Vertical iron bars in the path and no creatures have gotten through in the 2 plus years my magma industries have been in business.
</STRONG>
Second this. Always worked for me. But say, don't iron melt?? I've always splurged on steel bars instead, as I thought only steel stays solid in magma.
But as an added precaution, the entire magma chamber is carefully planned so that the "open" square is directly below an impassible tile in the workshop (east and west tiles for magma forge, north tile for other smelters and kiln). So, unless magma creatures get passed the steel bars, and have building destroying capabilities, I don't think they can get in....
But I *AM* thinking of creating a little theme park with a magma ride for my dwarves... perhaps open up another channel to some fortification sealed area so that my archers can have something alive to shoot at once in a while when they practice archery???
quote:
Originally posted by Shooer:
<STRONG>Y
I don't "Channel" my magma, I mine out it's path and then break into it with a channel from the floor above.</STRONG>
You only channel to: A) provide workshop's access to the corridor below, and B) remove the last tile and break into the magma such that your miner isn't insta-killed by molten rock.
Other than that, a steel grate or a twisty tunnel(if you don't have steel/iron) keeps the critters out.
quote:
Originally posted by sphr:
<STRONG>
But say, don't iron melt?? I've always splurged on steel bars instead, as I thought only steel stays solid in magma.</STRONG>
I'm not too sure that the melt code works as advertised, currently. I has a felsite forge with an iron anvil for two years, didn't affect it at all. My andersite fortification barriers likewise were still solid despite being soaked in 7/7 magma for that same length of time. I have temperature on, so either things take a very long time to melt or the melt code doesn't work.
I replaced the 3 forges when I got a delivery of steel from a human caravan. Now I have 3 steel-block forges with steel anvils. :D
Eek...
quote:
Originally posted by Skanky:
I replaced the 3 forges when I got a delivery of steel from a human caravan. Now I have 3 steel-block forges with steel anvils. :D[/QB]
AFAIK, Steel !> Iron. What type of anvil/forge you have doesn't seem to make any difference, so there's no real point in having a steel anvil/forge. Unless you're just doing it for the sake of aesthetics, but I personally can think of better things to use good steel on..
;)