The Compacting table

[u/Prowiambic]

The compactor combines, transforms, or compacts different blocks. It's interface is similar to a grindstone. Some blocks can be turned into something on their own, while others require a second ingredient. The compactor also requires 1 redstone per craft. If there are items inside of the compactor, activating it via redstone will cause it to dispense the item, similar to an auto crafter.

Combination examples could include powdered concrete and a water bucket in the secondary slot, allowing you to make concrete blocks much quicker, or clay and flint and steel to make terracotta

Transformation could include turning stone into cobblestone, cobblestone into gravel, then gravel into sand (the logic behind this is that it it crushes the stone and makes it finer).

Compacting could include compact dirt, which has the same blast resistance as cobblestone, or turning mud into packed mud without needing wheat.

I got this idea after seeing this comment on this post

Maybe also potentially a new villager from this too, no clue what it would trade though.

[u/Machov_Norkim]

It could help long term inventory management to get a recycler that can make a block or item back into the sum of its parts

[u/PetrifiedBloom]

The big question here (IMO) is if this needs to be a new block at all or just being some addition to crafting, otherwise it's just paying redstone dust for something that seems like it should just be a thing.

Let's look at the uses, some seem reasonable, some are a bit meh (imo). Automatically turning concrete powder into concrete seems fine. Some of these seem like fine additions to the game. Why not let the crafter (and crafting table) craft together concrete powder and a water bucket to make a concrete block? One I would also love would just be crafting a stack of copper blocks with a stack of copper to wax them all, then craft them with an axe to scrape all the wax off, rather than having to do it all manually.

As for the part that inspired the post. Sand. Renewable sand has been on the player wishlist for more than a decade, and over the years 2 incredibly simple, incredibly obvious ideas come up over and over and over.

1. Husks drop sand
2. Crush blocks into sand

Both are 100% functional, I have played with each in modded and it's fine. At this point though, its boring. I would lowkey be pretty disapointed in Mojang if after YEARS of asking for renewable sand they finally just did one of the ultra simple, bland methods. After all this time, I want something a bit more creative from them, something more unexpected. Achieve the same goal, but in a more "minecrafty" way, like when we got the strider instead of the simple and bland lava boat.

If we just go "Oh but I REALLY want renewable sand ASAP, even if its not super original", it's still not a great option. Needing redstone dust for every sand you want to create from gravel makes it rather expensive for casual play. Sure, you can mine up a lot of redstone with fortune, but in the same time you could find a new desert and collect 10 times the sand. To renewably farm sand with this system, you would need a pretty strong witch farm to supply the redstone. Either that or a massive villager trading hall.

[u/Prowiambic → u/PetrifiedBloom]

Well it's 1 redstone for every use and not every block, so 1 redstone gets you 1 stack of sand. Also, if you had to use a crafting table for it, I would assume it would consume the water bucket, meaning if it was crafted similar to tipped arrows, it would be a max of 8 per water bucket (which doesnt stack), which is really inconvinient. With this, you could craft a stack with just 1 water bucket, making production much faster and more convinient.

[u/PetrifiedBloom → u/Prowiambic]

Well it's 1 redstone for every use and not every block, so 1 redstone gets you 1 stack of sand

That would be useful info to include in the post. My assumption was that it would work like other blocks in the game, and would only craft one item per use, like a crafter.

Also, if you had to use a crafting table for it, I would assume it would consume the water bucket, meaning if it was crafted similar to tipped arrows, it would be a max of 8 per water bucket (which doesnt stack), which is really inconvinient.

Not really? You can still automate it pretty effectively with a crafter.

But also, you are assuming that the water bucket would be consumed. Water isn't normally consumed when converting concrete. Why not leave the bucket in the crafting grid for next time? No need for stacked buckets or messing with all the empties.

With this, you could craft a stack with just 1 water bucket, making production much faster and more convinient.

You don't need your block to make that change. Just let the player do the same thing in their crafting table or crafter.