How to Smelt Copper Ore and Build with Deepslate

Mining and Smelting Copper

Copper ore generates underground alongside standard mineral veins, giving you a plentiful metal to collect early on. Mine any Copper ore you spot with a pickaxe; exploring open cavern walls with torches is usually the fastest way to gather large amounts at once. Back at your base, place your mined Copper into a furnace with coal or another fuel source to smelt it down.

Crafting Deepslate Stairs and Slabs

If you want darker stonework for your builds, dig below Y-coordinate zero where normal stone gives way to dark Deepslate blocks. Carve out a quarry tunnel at negative coordinates to collect several stacks of Deepslate while searching for deep ores at the same time. Return to a crafting table and arrange your Deepslate blocks in standard stair and slab patterns to make Deepslate stairs and slabs. Combining these dark stairs and slabs with lighter overworld materials gives base roofs, walls, and mine entrances clean contrast without requiring a trip to another dimension.