# TA1: Iron Age

TA1 is about mining sufficient ores and producing charcoal with simple tools and equipment, so that TA2 machines can be manufactured and operated.

Of course, for an iron age there must also be iron and not just steel, as in "Minetest Game". As a result, some recipes have been changed so that iron has to be produced first and then steel later.

The durability of the tools is based on the ages and therefore does not correspond to the original Minetest game.
The durability / hardness for an axe, for example:

* Bronze: 20
* Steel: 30

[techage_ta1|image]


## Charcoal Pile (charcoal burner)

You need the Charcoal Pile to make charcoal. Charcoal is required for the melting furnace, but also, for example, in TA2 for the steam engine.

For the charcoal burner you need:

- a lighter block (`techage:lighter`)
- 26 wooden blocks that are stacked into a pile of wood. The type of wood is irrelevant
- Dirt to cover the pile of wood
- Flint and Iron (technical name: `fire:flint_and_steel`) to light the lighter block



Building instructions (see also plan):

- Build a 5x5 area of dirt
- Place 7 wood around the lighter but leave a hole to the lighter
- Build another 2 layers of wood on top, making a 3x3x3 wooden cube
- Cover everything with a layer of dirt into a 5x5x5 cube, but keep the hole to the lighter open
- Light the lighter and immediately close the hole with a block of wood and dirt
- If you have done everything correctly, the coal burner will start smoking after a few seconds
- Only open the charcoal burner when the smoke has disappeared (approx. 20 min)

Then you can remove the 9 charcoal blocks and refill the Charcoal Pile.

[coalpile|plan]


## Melting Furnace

You need the melting furnace, for example, to melt iron and other ores in the melting pot. There are different recipes that require different temperatures. The higher the melting tower, the hotter the flame. A height of 11 blocks above the base plate is for all recipes, but a burner with this height also requires more charcoal.

Building instructions (see also plan):

* Build a stone tower (cobble) with a 3x3 base (7-11 blocks high)
* Leave a hole open on one side at the bottom
* Put a lighter in it
* Fill the tower to the brim with charcoal by dropping the charcoal into the hole from above
* Light the lighter through the hole
* Place the melting pot in the flame over the tower
  (one block above the flame)
* To stop the burner, temporarily close the hole with an dirt block, for example.

The melting pot has its own menu of recipes and an inventory where you have to put the ores in.

[coalburner|plan]



## Watermill

The watermill can be used to grind wheat and other grains into flour and then bake them in the furnace to make bread. 
The mill is powered by water power. To do this, a millrace must be led to the mill wheel via a canal.
The water flow and thus the mill wheel can be controlled via a sluice. The sluice consists of the sluice lock and sluice handle.

The picture on the right (click on "Plan") shows the structure of the watermill. 

[watermill1|plan]


### TA1 mill

The watermill can be used to grind wheat and other grains into flour and then bake them in the oven to make bread. The mill must be connected to the mill wheel with a TA1 axle. The power of the mill wheel is only enough for one mill.

The mill can be automated with the help of a Minecart Hopper, so that the flour, for example, is transported directly from the mill into an furnace in order to bake bread from it.

[watermill2|plan]

### TA1 sluice gate

The sluice gate valve must be placed directly next to a pond or in a stream at the same height as the water surface.
When the gate is opened, water flows through the slide. This water then has to be fed to the mill wheel, where it drives the mill.

[ta1_sluice|image]

### TA1 sluice handle

The TA1 sluice handle must be placed on the sluice gate. The gate can be opened with the aid of the sluice handle (right click).

[ta1_sluice_handle|image]

### TA1 Apple Wood Board

Block in different types of wood for building the millrace canal. However, any other material can also be used.

[ta1_board1|image]

### TA1 Apple Millrace Board

Block in different types of wood for building the millrace canal. This block is especially suitable in connection
with posts of the wooden fence to build a support of the canal.

[ta1_board2|image]



## Ores and Tools

TA1 has its own tools such as hammer and gravel sieve, but the Minecart Hopper can also be used.

[ta1_gravelsieve|image]


### Hammer

The TA1 hammer can be used to knock/dig stone in a mine, but also to smash cobble to gravel. The hammer is available in different versions and therefore different properties: bronze, steel, brass and diamond.

[hammer|image]


### Gravel Sieve

Ores can be sifted from the gravel with the gravel sieve. To do this, click on the sieve with the gravel. The sifted gravel and ores fall out below.

In order not to stand at the sieve for hours, sieving can be automated with the hopper.

[ta1_gravelsieve|image]


### Hopper

The hopper from the "Minecart" mod is primarily used for loading and unloading Minecarts. He sucks in items from above and passes them on to the right. Therefore, when placing the hopper, pay attention to the direction of dispensing.

The hopper can also pull items from boxes (chest), provided the box is next to or on the hopper.

The hopper can also put items in boxes if the box is next to the hopper.

[ta1_hopper|image]


### Gravel seven with the hopper

With the help of two boxes, two hoppers and a gravel sieve, the sieving process can be automated. The plan on the right shows the structure.

Make sure that the boxes are "chest_locked", otherwise someone will steal the valuable ores from the box below.

[hoppersieve|plan]


### Meridium

TA1 has its own metal alloy meridium. Meridium ingots can be made with the coal burner from steel and mesecons crystals. Meridium glows in the dark. Tools made of Meridium also light up and are therefore very helpful in underground mining.

[meridium|image]
