In Minecraft, resources like string can be vital for a wide variety of tools, including bows, fishing rods, tripwires, and even wool crafting. Players who frequently need large amounts of string often look for ways to duplicate or farm it efficiently. One of the most practical and sustainable methods is building a ‘string duper’ or more accurately, a string farm. Though the term ‘duper’ implies duplication in some contexts, here we focus on automation techniques that allow players to collect string passively over time using mechanics within the game’s survival ruleset.
Understanding the Purpose of a String Duper
What Is a String Duper?
A string duper is an automated contraption that generates string over time, usually using spiders either cave spiders or standard ones as the core mechanic. It typically involves luring the spiders into a trap or kill zone, where they drop string upon death. These machines do not technically duplicate string from nothing, but they maximize efficiency so you can accumulate thousands of string with little manual input.
Why Build One?
There are many reasons you might want a large quantity of string, such as:
- Crafting bows, fishing rods, or crossbows
- Making wool for building or decoration
- Bartering with Piglins in the Nether
- Trading with fletcher villagers for emeralds
- Using string as part of redstone mechanisms or traps
Choosing the Right Location
Locate a Spider Spawner
The most common method for building a reliable string farm is by using a spider spawner. You can find these in dungeons or mineshafts. Cave spider spawners are more common in mineshafts and can produce string faster due to quicker spawn rates, though they are slightly more dangerous.
Ideal Environment
Choose a location that is easy to access but also underground enough to minimize interference from daylight or rain. The farm should ideally be built close to your base so it stays loaded as you perform other tasks, or you can use chunk loaders in modded environments.
Materials Required
Basic Blocks and Tools
To build a functional and efficient string duper or spider farm, you’ll need the following materials:
- Pickaxes (preferably iron or better)
- Plenty of building blocks (stone, cobblestone, etc.)
- Torches (for initial spawner deactivation)
- Hoppers
- Chests
- Water buckets
- Slabs or trapdoors
- Signs or soul sand (for bubble elevators, if vertical flow is used)
Optional Materials for Advanced Designs
- Observers
- Redstone dust
- Pistons
- Minecarts with hoppers (for collection)
Step-by-Step Guide to Build a String Duper
Step 1: Secure the Spawner
Once you’ve found a spider spawner, place torches around it to prevent any accidental spawning while you work. Clear the surrounding area to at least a 9x9x5 box, centered on the spawner. This ensures spiders can spawn and flow properly.
Step 2: Create the Kill Chamber
Build a funnel system using water currents to direct spiders toward a single kill chamber. You can do this by digging trenches or using signs and water source blocks to guide the mobs. The kill chamber should be at least two blocks tall and one block wide, ideally with slabs on top to prevent spiders from escaping while allowing you to deal damage safely.
Step 3: Collection System
Underneath the kill zone, place hoppers connected to chests. These hoppers will collect any dropped string once the spiders are defeated. You can add multiple hoppers if needed to cover a wider area, especially if you’re using cave spiders that might be harder to direct.
Step 4: Optional Auto-Kill System
If you want full automation, you can add an auto-kill system. This can be achieved with magma blocks (which deal damage over time) or piston crushers that periodically crush the spiders. Another option is using wolves or snow golems behind trapdoors, although that requires careful design.
Step 5: Activate and Test
Remove the torches on the spawner and watch the system in action. Check the string drop rates and make sure all items are flowing into the collection chest. If spiders are getting stuck or climbing walls, adjust the water or use slabs/trapdoors to limit movement.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Spiders Climbing Walls
Spiders can climb vertical surfaces, which makes them tricky. Use slabs, trapdoors, or cactus blocks along walls to push them downward or keep them confined to the water stream.
Spawner Not Active
Ensure you’re within 16 blocks horizontally and 4 blocks vertically of the spawner for it to remain active. If the farm stops working, it’s likely due to being out of range.
Too Few Spawns
Light level, entity cap, or poor spacing can reduce spawn rates. Clear out nearby caves to avoid other mobs taking the spawn cap, and double-check that your chamber is big enough for efficient spawning.
Efficiency Tips
AFK Platform
Place a small AFK platform 16 blocks above the spawner and stay within range to let the farm run continuously while you’re away from keyboard. Make sure it’s safe from hostile mobs.
Redstone Enhancements
Redstone clocks can be used to automate crushers. Timed pistons can suffocate spiders and reset every few seconds, which helps kill them without manual input.
Multi-Spawner Setup
If you’re lucky enough to find two spider spawners close together, combine them into one central kill chamber. This can double your string output.
Alternative String Sources
Bartering with Piglins
In the Nether, you can give gold ingots to Piglins in exchange for various items, including string. This method requires gold farming but is viable mid-to-late game.
Fishing
Fishing can also yield string as a junk item, but it’s far less reliable compared to a dedicated farm.
Killing Cats or Striders (Not Recommended)
Some passive mobs drop string, but this is inefficient and not encouraged from a gameplay perspective unless you’re desperate for materials.
Building a string duper in Minecraft is less about breaking the rules and more about leveraging in-game mechanics to automate resource collection. With the right setup, even a single spider spawner can become a reliable string factory. Whether you’re gearing up for battle, building complex traps, or trading with villagers, having a constant supply of string is an invaluable advantage. By following the steps above and refining your system over time, you’ll never run short on string again and you’ll do it all within the survival game’s framework, no actual duplication required.