Server Guide
Server Guide

Redstone Pistons

Redstone Pistons

Learn how to make Pistons with Redstone

Overview

Pistons are redstone mechanisms that have the ability to push blocks. An alternative version, the sticky piston, sticks to any block it pushes against, allowing it to both push and pull. These blocks enable you make redstone machines with moving parts and can enhance your builds in big ways.

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What Can You Do With Pistons?

Pistons unlock tons of great new possibilities, such as...

Hidden Doors

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If you're trying to keep the entrance to your base hidden, pistons are your new best friends. You can build a door made with regular blocks, and when a switch is flipped the pistons can activate and pull those blocks aside to open the way.

A Redstone Circuit Kill Switch

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Pistons can be used to break a redstone circuit in multiple ways. One way is to have the piston push into a path of redstone dust, removing the dust and breaking the circuit. Another is to have a block of redstone that's pushed or pulled by a piston, adding or removing the circuit's power source in the process.

Valves To Control The Flow Of Liquids

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It can be valuable to have a flow of water or lava on-demand, whether to push items towards a drain or to power an obsidian generator. Thanks to pistons, you can open or close a passage to control the ability of liquids to flow, giving you an easy and convenient way to start and stop the flow as needed.

How To Use A Piston

Place down your piston. The wooden piston head will try to point at you automatically, so use this to orient it whatever way you want.

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Lay out a path of redstone dust leading away from the piston.

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Add a power source, such as a button or lever. Activate the power source and the piston should extend.

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If you are using a sticky piston, place a block against the head of the piston and see if it gets pulled when the piston deactivates.

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Things To Know

Here are some basic rules to know about working with pistons.

1️⃣
Pistons stay extended for as long as they are receiving a redstone signal. The strength of the signal doesn't matter; even a weak redstone signal will activate the piston. If you want to require a minimum signal strength, you can use a redstone comparator to block signals that are too weak.
2️⃣
When you place a piston, the piston head will point towards you. If you are on the same level as the piston you are placing it will most likely point right towards you, but if you're too high or too low it might not point the way you want. Position yourself better and try again.
3️⃣
Pistons can push up to 12 blocks at once. If you have a long row of blocks lined up in front of the piston, the piston can push that entire row as long as there is nothing blocking the space the end block will be pushed into. Attempting to push 13 or more blocks will do nothing.
4️⃣
Sticky pistons can only pull a single block. They can still push up to 12 blocks at a time, but when retracting they'll only bring back the block directly in front of the piston head.
5️⃣
Blocks are only stuck to sticky pistons while they are being pulled. Once the movement is done, the piston no longer controls that block, so it can either be affected by gravity (i.e., sand and gravel) or pushed/pulled by another piston.

Examples

This normal piston pushes the entire sequence of blocks aside. The line is only 6 blocks long, so the piston is capable of pushing a line twice as long.
This normal piston pushes the entire sequence of blocks aside. The line is only 6 blocks long, so the piston is capable of pushing a line twice as long.
This sticky piston pushes the whole line of blocks as before, except this time it holds on to the oak planks directly in front of it.
This sticky piston pushes the whole line of blocks as before, except this time it holds on to the oak planks directly in front of it.
This sticky piston pulls a sand block towards it, but once the pull is done the block is no longer stuck and falls normally.
This sticky piston pulls a sand block towards it, but once the pull is done the block is no longer stuck and falls normally.
These two sticky pistons take turn pulling this block away from one-another, showing that the blocks don't stay stuck.
These two sticky pistons take turn pulling this block away from one-another, showing that the blocks don't stay stuck.