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How to Create a Hidden Piston Door in Minecraft

Dec 15, 2011 04:27 PM

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A Minecraft house can have little else cooler than a hidden door. Indeed nothing quite screams accomplished potion master like a hidden lab behind a retractable bookcase. With the advent of pistons many hidden things are possible, like the hidden staircase we did a few weeks ago. Some piston doors are overly complex and and built with miles of redstone running amok, but this isn't necessary. With a bit of redstone ingenuity a hidden redstone door can be a thing of convenience and ease!

Place and Activate the Pistons

Minecraft game scene featuring two vertical stone pillars surrounded by grass.

To begin, decide where you want your hidden door. The final aparatus will only take up about a 6 by 12 space. Place three sticky pistons spaced four blocks apart.

A stone monument surrounded by two rows of stone columns in a grassy landscape.

Place your desired hidden door material in a two by four pillar between the pistons with a space between the hidden door and pistons.

Minecraft game scene featuring two vertical stone pillars surrounded by grass.

To begin, decide where you want your hidden door. The final aparatus will only take up about a 6 by 12 space. Place three sticky pistons spaced four blocks apart.

A stone monument surrounded by two rows of stone columns in a grassy landscape.

Place your desired hidden door material in a two by four pillar between the pistons with a space between the hidden door and pistons.

A Minecraft redstone mechanism with stone blocks and a lever.

To fashion the piston activators, place a redstone torch next to the bottom piston on either side. Then place a block above it, activating the second highest piston as seen above.

Minecraft redstone contraption with a piston and block mechanism.

To finish it up, place a piece of redstone dust on top the block you just placed, activating the final piston. Be sure to do this for both sides.

A Minecraft redstone mechanism with stone blocks and a lever.

To fashion the piston activators, place a redstone torch next to the bottom piston on either side. Then place a block above it, activating the second highest piston as seen above.

Minecraft redstone contraption with a piston and block mechanism.

To finish it up, place a piece of redstone dust on top the block you just placed, activating the final piston. Be sure to do this for both sides.

Connect the Piston Activators with Redstone

Minecraft redstone mechanism with a piston setup.

Dig a two deep trench connecting the redstone torches on each side of your piston set up.

Minecraft tunnel with a torch on the surface.

Remove a block underneath the block that your redstone torches sit on. Do this on either side.

Underground view of a dirt tunnel with a glowing red torch.

Place a redstone torch. You will see that the top redstone torch deactivates.

How to Create a Hidden Piston Door in Minecraft

Dig three blocks out from the torch you just placed and run redstone wire to a third torch.

How to Create a Hidden Piston Door in Minecraft

Connect these third torches with redstone wire as seen above. This will ensure the piston arrays communicate with each other when activated.

Minecraft redstone mechanism with a piston setup.

Dig a two deep trench connecting the redstone torches on each side of your piston set up.

Minecraft tunnel with a torch on the surface.

Remove a block underneath the block that your redstone torches sit on. Do this on either side.

Underground view of a dirt tunnel with a glowing red torch.

Place a redstone torch. You will see that the top redstone torch deactivates.

How to Create a Hidden Piston Door in Minecraft

Dig three blocks out from the torch you just placed and run redstone wire to a third torch.

How to Create a Hidden Piston Door in Minecraft

Connect these third torches with redstone wire as seen above. This will ensure the piston arrays communicate with each other when activated.

Connect Redstone to the Opposite Side of the Hidden Door

Redstone mechanism in a Minecraft landscape.

Dig a trench two wide from the front of the hidden door to the back connecting to the first trench. Fill the trench with redstone connecting it to the redstone in the front as seen above.

How to Create a Hidden Piston Door in Minecraft

Run the two wide trench two blocks out from behind the door.

Redstone mechanism in a Minecraft landscape.

Dig a trench two wide from the front of the hidden door to the back connecting to the first trench. Fill the trench with redstone connecting it to the redstone in the front as seen above.

How to Create a Hidden Piston Door in Minecraft

Run the two wide trench two blocks out from behind the door.

Cover Up the Door and Place Pressure Plates

Stone gate with wooden mechanisms in a grassy landscape.

Cover up all the redstone in the trenches below your door level with the floor. Now place two pressure plates one block in front of your hidden door. Do this on either side.

Stone blocks placed on grass in a virtual environment.

Here is the hidden door completey covered.

A narrow pathway between two stone walls in a grassy area.

And here is the hidden door activated.

Bookshelf and wooden floor in a Minecraft-style interior.

Your hidden door is now complete, ready for you to customize it however you feel. Here's a hidden door inside a home wherein the door is made from bookcases and the presuure plates are wooden.

Entrance to a Minecraft structure with wooden shelves and a view of the landscape beyond.
Stone gate with wooden mechanisms in a grassy landscape.

Cover up all the redstone in the trenches below your door level with the floor. Now place two pressure plates one block in front of your hidden door. Do this on either side.

Stone blocks placed on grass in a virtual environment.

Here is the hidden door completey covered.

A narrow pathway between two stone walls in a grassy area.

And here is the hidden door activated.

Bookshelf and wooden floor in a Minecraft-style interior.

Your hidden door is now complete, ready for you to customize it however you feel. Here's a hidden door inside a home wherein the door is made from bookcases and the presuure plates are wooden.

Entrance to a Minecraft structure with wooden shelves and a view of the landscape beyond.

There's no need to place miles of redstone to create an excellent hidden door. As you can see, this type of piston door can be easily integrated into your home, hidden temple, potions lair, modern building, or whatever you can dream up. 

Do you have questions, or a request for a future how-to? Let us know in the comments section below!

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