Skip to main content
← All Guides
Explosives · Mining · 1.21

How to Make TNT

Five gunpowder, four sand, and a four-second fuse. TNT is the fastest way to move a lot of stone, as long as you are well clear when it goes off.

The recipe

Gunpowder and sand in a checkerboard, gunpowder in the corners and centre.

→

Grab the grid on Astroworld crafting or look up gunpowder and sand.

Ways to set it off

TNT is inert until something ignites it. Any of these will do it.

Flint & steel

Right-click the block. The classic manual fuse-lighter.

Redstone

Any redstone signal, a lever, button or pulse, primes it instantly.

🔥Fire or lava

Flames spreading onto it, or a flaming arrow, light it from range.

Another blast

A nearby explosion sets it off, so chains and cannons cascade.

Know the blast

The fuse runs about four seconds, then the blast damages both terrain and anything nearby. It only drops roughly a third of the blocks it breaks.

The trick: detonate it underwater. Water cancels the block damage so terrain stays intact, but the explosion still clears mobs, handy for safe mining once you understand the area.

What it is used for

Fast mining

Blast through stone and dig tunnels far quicker than a pickaxe, at the cost of some drops.

TNT cannons

Water + pistons launch primed TNT across the map. A classic redstone build.

Traps

A pressure plate or tripwire wired to TNT guards a base or a vault, for those who like risk.

Boss fights

Stacks of TNT are one way to soften up the Wither in an enclosed arena.

Quick answers

What is the recipe?
Five gunpowder and four sand in a checkerboard: gunpowder in the four corners and centre, sand in the edges. Red sand works too.
How do I set it off?
It will not blow on its own. Light it with flint and steel, a redstone signal, fire, a flaming arrow, or another explosion.
How long is the fuse?
About four seconds, eighty game ticks, once primed. The block flashes white the whole time, so back away fast.
Why did my TNT destroy the loot?
A blast only drops about a third of the blocks it breaks. Mine over water, which cancels block damage, to keep every drop.
Is TNT good for mining?
Yes, for fast tunnelling and clearing, though it eats some of the yield. Underwater blasts keep the drops while still clearing stone.
Can I move primed TNT?
Yes, the primed entity drifts and can be pushed by pistons or water, which is the basis of TNT cannons and flying machines.

Light it with flint and steel, look up TNT, gunpowder and sand in the items database, or open the crafting recipes for the exact grid.