How to find copper ores in easy way

[Klaymeench 0]

Hi, i try to find some copper for make my first tools but i don't find any block in the surface and i don't have prospecting pick. Thanks for your answers. And sorry for my english school level ^^.

Sorry if another post like this one is on the forum, i don't see it.

[redram 290]

@Klaymeench  Your first copper can be found one of 3 ways:

1) in ORE loot vessels, found in ruins (not forage, food, etc vessels)

2) pan for copper nuggets using a pan.  You need to stand in water, and use the pan on sand/gravel blocks OUTSIDE the water.  If the blocks are touching water they'll vanish.

3) look for surface nuggets lying around on top of the ground.  NOTE that these nuggets indicate copper ore in the stone close underneath the surface (maybe 2-3 blocks below the top of the stone layer).  Make sure to WAYPOINT these locations before taking the nuggets (waypoint add color name).  "color" can be just a verbal like 'red', 'blue', 'grey' etc.   These waypoints only show up on the main map, and minimap, not in-world.

[Rhyagelle 25]

They used to be a lot easier to find, in my experience, where you could almost always run into tons of copper nuggets on the surface. Now though I agree with redram's suggestions, the easiest way I have found early on, even over finding surface nuggets (which seem to be very rare now) is panning. It takes a bit of time, but is faster and you get quite a bit of other things with it, too. Then just stand in water and start panning. In about 15 minutes I had 21 nuggets, enough to make 1 pickaxe, plus some other stuff. Before I decided to just go for the pan, I had traveled for 2 hours looking for caves and surface copper veins, as well as nuggets, and found only 3 nuggets and no caves with copper.

Hopefully this helps!

[redram 290]

Wow that sounds like some seriously bad luck Rhyagelle.  There's not a whole lot of point in looking for exposed copper before you have your first tools, since you can't mine it.  But that's one nice thing about looking for surface nuggets, you'll get a good idea of what's around you, you'll maybe find ruins with vessels, wild crops, etc.    One thing about looking for nuggets, I usually don't bother in areas with tall grass.  Tall grass makes it difficult.

[Klaymeench 0]

Thanks for helping me with this. I just have take all the nuggets around my first base for making anvil but the mold is half empty! and i did not know we can make waypoints on map. I think i will move out and try your advice.

[Rhyagelle 25]

15 hours ago, redram said:

Wow that sounds like some seriously bad luck Rhyagelle.  There's not a whole lot of point in looking for exposed copper before you have your first tools, since you can't mine it.  But that's one nice thing about looking for surface nuggets, you'll get a good idea of what's around you, you'll maybe find ruins with vessels, wild crops, etc.    One thing about looking for nuggets, I usually don't bother in areas with tall grass.  Tall grass makes it difficult.

Yes, I agree. Very bad luck indeed. I've generated so many worlds after 3-4  hours of searching each, after the last patch it has become difficult for sure. The panning has made it much easier at the start, so I was wondering if maybe the OP was experiencing the same thing as I was and suggested what I have done to get around it. And yea, not really a good idea to look for mines without a pickaxe, but I like to make waypoints to them for later and usually you can find copper nuggets around them if you find 'em (though I make my first pickaxe very fast).

Hopefully though OP has an easier time either way.