Crafting

Crafting is one method by which blocks, tools, and other resources are created in Minecraft. It is currently only available in Minecraft Alpha survival mode.

Crafting
Players may craft basic items by using the 2x2 crafting grid found in their inventory. Using the inventory crafting grid, players may craft a workbench that will allow them to create additional blocks, tools, and other resources by placing specific materials into the grid in a specific pattern, known as a "recipe".

Smelting
Using a furnace, certain blocks, such as cobblestone, iron ore, and gold ore may be converted into refined elements.

Durability
When crafting items with limited uses (tools, armor, and weapons), each improvement in building material roughly doubles the number of times the item may be used prior to breaking and exactly doubles the number of successful uses, as well as increasing its speed or power. Once an item breaks, it is removed from the inventory.


 * Wood - 33 uses
 * Gold - 33 uses
 * Stone - 65 uses
 * Iron - 129 uses
 * Diamond - 1025 uses

The formula for the number of uses is [2^(5+n)]+1, where n is the level of durability of the ore used (wood->n=0, stone->n=1, etc,) with the exception being diamond which is now four times as durable.

It should be noted that upon the final use of the tool, the deconstruction of the block acts as if it has been destroyed using a non-tool (hands or holding an item). For example, an axe breaking on wood (log or lumber) or a shovel breaking on soil/gravel/sand will still result in a drop of that block as you are able to obtain the block without a tool. As something like ore requires a pickaxe to mine, the final use of a tool will not result in an ore pickup as you are not able to obtain it mining it by hand.

Regardless of what item is being used, a use counts as either the complete deconstruction of a block or a single strike at an enemy, but incomplete attempts (stopping in the middle) to deconstruct a block do not qualify as a use.