How to build an iron farm in Minecraft 1.18

A surplus of iron ingots (Image via Minecraft)
A surplus of iron ingots (Image via Minecraft)

While mining is one of the best pastimes that Minecraft players engage in, it can be a pain and quite time-consuming to constantly farm for more ores as the game progresses. Resource farms are a great way to collect these resources quickly, effortlessly, and efficiently. They do require some work to set up, but can eventually save players a ton of time and resources.

Minecraft has a ton of different resources in the game. Among these resources, ores, metals, and minerals are some of the most important ones. This is because players use ores like gold, diamond, and iron to make important items like armor, tools, weapons, and more, and lapis lazuli for the process of enchanting.

Iron is one of the most important resources and one of the few that stays relevant from the early to late game in Minecraft. It is used to make a ton of essential items like gear, buckets, anvils, smithing tables, flint, steel, and loads more. Iron even has some pretty unique uses like repairing iron golems. This article will guide players on how to build an iron farm in Minecraft 1.18.

Click here for the complete information on Minecraft Java Edition


How to construct an iron farm in Minecraft 1.18

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The following iron farm is by Minecraft YouTuber Shulkercraft, and the original design for the farm comes from another Minecraft YouTuber, named K1 Inc. The farm makes around 300 iron ingots per hour.

The following materials are required for the build:

  • 42 blocks (any building blocks will do)
  • 41 Glass
  • 26 Walls
  • 8 Ladders
  • 9 Trapdoors
  • 8 Signs
  • 5 Hoppers
  • 4 Repeaters
  • 3 Composters
  • 2 Redstone dust
  • 3 Beds
  • 2 Water Buckets
  • 1 Lava Bucket
  • 1 Redstone Torch
  • 1 Piston
  • 1 chest
  • 1 Name Tag
  • A stack (64) of any temporary block aside from the primary building block

The details on Minecraft Education Edition ,are available here.


An alternative iron farm setup (Image via Reddit/u/Hyronnn)
An alternative iron farm setup (Image via Reddit/u/Hyronnn)

The steps to build the farm are as follows:

  • Use five temporary blocks to make a column.
  • Add a building block at the top of the column, and place a piston over it.
  • Place three building blocks diagonally to the primary building block, and then two more on the opposite side, making a design like an incomplete nether portal, but horizontally.
  • Place two repeaters and make them point towards the piston. Set them both to 4 ticks, and do the same on the opposite side. This time placing the repeaters in the direction opposite to the piston.
  • Add two redstone dust to the remaining building blocks.
  • Place two building blocks on either side of the further redstone rust block, and one connecting the piston and the other repeater.
  • Build a 2x3 platform above the repeaters and place three beds on it.
  • Place three composters, one at the foot of each bed.
  • Place three trapdoors on the Composters.
  • Add a temporary block on the middle composter, facing away from the piston, and place three vertical trapdoors on it, opening them.
  • Place three building blocks on both sides of the temporary block with the trapdoors, and remove the block.
  • Build a 3-block high glass wall around the beds and add three trapdoors above the already placed three.
  • Build a temporary staircase and transport three villagers into the structure.
  • Place a chest on the corner of the structure with the vertical trapdoors, and place five hoppers going into the chest.
  • Cover the ceiling by making a roof, while only leaving a one-block hole near the vertical trapdoors for zombies to enter.
  • Build another temporary staircase to let zombies into the structure, leading them to the hole. Add a nametag to the zombie to prevent it from despawning and place a building block above it.
  • Place walls around the 2x3 platform and two on the middle hopper. Place 4 signs around the latter, and then 4 more on top of them.
  • Place lava between the four upper signs, and place two buckets of water into both corners opposite the lava.
  • Build up eight blocks from directly under the chest, leaving one block of space in between. Place ladders that go up to the chest.
  • Finally, add a Redstone torch next to the piston. This completes the iron farm build.

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