Volume 3.8 · Issue 1.20.1
Tinkers Construct, the tool-forging mod for Minecraft
Tinkers Construct replaces vanilla Minecraft crafting for tools and weapons with a modular forge. Melt ores in a Smeltery, cast custom pickaxe heads, bindings and rods from any supported material, and assemble tools you keep for a hundred hours. Supported on Forge and NeoForge across every Minecraft version from 1.12.2 through 1.20.1.
Java Edition only. Bedrock (Windows 10, mobile, console) is not supported, no official port exists.
Quick facts
- Mod loader
- Forge 1.12.2 – 1.19.x, Forge & NeoForge on 1.20.1+
- Minecraft edition
- Java only, no Bedrock port exists
- Multiplayer
- Yes, install on server and every client
- Dependency
- Mantle library (bundled in most modpacks)
- License
- MIT, free for modpacks with credit
- Authors
- mDiyo, KnightMiner, boni
Article I
What is the Tinkers Construct mod?
Tinkers Construct is a Minecraft mod that replaces the vanilla crafting system for tools and weapons with a modular forge. Instead of crafting a diamond pickaxe on a workbench, you cast a pickaxe head from molten iron in a Smeltery, pick a binding, add a tool rod, and assemble the three parts on a Tool Station. Every part carries the traits of the material it is cast from, a Cobalt head mines faster, a Slime tool rod adds durability, a Paper binding gives you an extra modifier slot.
The result is a tool you keep. Tinkers Construct tools do not break, they hit 0 durability, become unusable, and repair from raw material at a Tool Forge. Once assembled you slot modifiers: Redstone speeds it up, Lapis boosts luck, Quartz raises damage, Diamond adds one full tier of durability. A well-built Tinkers pickaxe outperforms Netherite for the entire mid- and late-game, which is why Tinkers Construct has been in the top ten Minecraft mods of all time on CurseForge since 2014.
Article II
Tinkers Construct version compatibility
Tinkers Construct is one of the very few Minecraft mods that is still actively maintained across five major Minecraft versions. Below is the version matrix, pick the row that matches your Minecraft install. Each row shows which mod version is compatible with which Minecraft release and which mod loader (Forge or NeoForge) it needs.
| Minecraft | Mod version | Loader | Released |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.20.1 ✦ | 3.8.1 | Forge / NeoForge | Aug 2024 |
| 1.19.2 | 3.6.3 | Forge | Feb 2023 |
| 1.18.2 | 3.5.0 | Forge | Jul 2022 |
| 1.16.5 | 2.16.6 | Forge | Aug 2021 |
| 1.12.2 | 2.13.0.183 | Forge | Feb 2019 |
Version matrix. Match your Minecraft version to the correct Tinkers Construct release.
Plates
Tinkers Construct gallery
Screenshots from Tinkers Construct 3.x, Smeltery, Casting Basin, Plate Armor and Ender Slime Geodes.
Article III
How to install Tinkers Construct
- 01
Install Forge (or NeoForge on 1.20.1+) for the Minecraft version you want to play. The official Forge installer creates a new profile in the Minecraft launcher.
- 02
Open the launcher, select the Forge profile, click Play once so the mods folder is created. Close Minecraft.
- 03
Open %appdata%\.minecraft\mods on Windows, ~/Library/Application Support/minecraft/mods on macOS, or ~/.minecraft/mods on Linux.
- 04
Drop the Tinkers Construct .jar (from CurseForge or Modrinth) into the mods folder. Also drop Mantle.jar, it is a required dependency.
- 05
Launch Minecraft with the Forge profile. In the mods list you should see Tinkers Construct and Mantle. Start a new world and craft a Blank Pattern to begin.
Article IV
Tinkers Construct materials list
Every material in Tinkers Construct has three stats, durability, mining speed and attack, plus traits that trigger during use. Below is the short list of materials worth building tools from, grouped by tier.
Tier 1, early game
- Wood (starter tool rods)
- Stone (starter pickaxe head)
- Flint (cheap sword blade)
- Bone (durable rod)
Tier 2, smeltable
- Iron (all-round baseline)
- Copper (extra modifier from oxidation)
- Slime (durability bonus)
- Paper (adds a modifier slot)
Tier 3, Nether
- Cobalt (mining speed 12)
- Ardite (Lava Wood trait, self-repair in Nether)
- Manyullyn (Cobalt + Ardite alloy, end-game combat)
Tier 4, end-game
- Netherite (top durability once alloyed)
- End Stone (Insatiable trait)
- Queens Slime (mob-drop trait)
Article V
Smeltery guide
The Smeltery is the multi-block furnace at the heart of the mod. Build a 3x3x3 base with Seared Bricks (four Grout smelted in a Furnace, then combined into Seared Brick). Place a Smeltery Controller on the side, a Seared Tank on top, and a Seared Faucet + Casting Table underneath the drain.
Once lit with lava the Smeltery melts iron, copper, gold, cobalt, and any other supported ore at double efficiency, one ore block yields two ingots worth of molten metal. Pour molten metal onto a Casting Table with a pickaxe-head pattern to cast the head, then combine head + binding + rod at the Tool Station.
Correspondence
Tinkers Construct FAQ
Is Tinkers Construct on Bedrock?
No. Tinkers Construct is a Java Edition Forge/NeoForge mod. Bedrock (Windows 10, mobile, console) does not run Java mods and there is no official port.
Does Tinkers Construct work with OptiFine?
On 1.16.5 and 1.12.2 the two run together with no known conflicts. On 1.18.2+ prefer Embeddium or Rubidium, OptiFine breaks Tinkers rendering on newer versions.
What is the best pickaxe in Tinkers Construct?
For mining speed: Cobalt head + Paper binding + Bone rod with Redstone modifiers. For durability: Manyullyn head + Slime binding + Bone rod with Diamond and Emerald modifiers. Both outperform Netherite in the biomes they were built for.
Which version of Tinkers Construct is best?
1.16.5 is the "classic" build, mDiyo era feature set, the biggest modpack library, full Nether tier progression. 1.20.1 is the most polished, NeoForge support, cleaner UI, and it is still receiving updates.
Can I use Tinkers Construct in modpacks?
Yes. It is MIT-licensed, so you can bundle it into any modpack as long as you credit the authors and link back to the CurseForge or Modrinth page.
Where do I download Tinkers Construct?
From the official CurseForge or Modrinth listings only. Avoid mirrors or third-party download sites, they often bundle adware or outdated jars.