Is a pickaxe necessary to mine ? ( Updated )

[SanityK]

Alright guys I did everything necessary to get into mining . But right now I have this huge problem :
http://imgur.com/y5Qn9OW,x5samTb
http://imgur.com/y5Qn9OW,x5samTb#1

How the heck do supports work ? I placed two next to the tiles I started mining . The whole thing collapsed . The following time I waited until the white dust appeared and THEN placed the support . It collapsed again . What am I supposed to do ?

[Procne]

Alright guys I did everything necessary to get into mining . But right now I have this huge problem :
http://imgur.com/y5Qn9OW,x5samTb
http://imgur.com/y5Qn9OW,x5samTb#1

How the heck do supports work ? I placed two next to the tiles I started mining . The whole thing collapsed . The following time I waited until the white dust appeared and THEN placed the support . It collapsed again . What am I supposed to do ?

You don't place supports NEAR the falling dust. You have to place them exactly at the tile with the falling dust to stop the cavedown. But if you place the supports beforehand then you will be able to completely avoid falling dust.

So the supports serve 2 purposes:
1. They prevent "falling dust" within their range
2. They stop cavedowns when built at the tile with falling dust

[SanityK]

But in the pics I posted above the dust started falling AFTER this support had been placed .

[HolyLight]

Wish JC would make it so building in mines, most of all smelters and kilns would produce Carbon dioxide and kill the player.

Its so wrong

[Tammer]

But in the pics I posted above the dust started falling AFTER this support had been placed .

I think that JC posted once that you need each mined tile covered by 2 mine supports to 100% prevent the dust. Most people don't use double mine supports though; getting a cave in on a protected tile like that is quite rare.

[SanityK]

But in the pics I posted above the dust started falling AFTER this support had been placed .

I think that JC posted once that you need each mined tile covered by 2 mine supports to 100% prevent the dust. Most people don't use double mine supports though; getting a cave in on a protected tile like that is quite rare.

Ah that would explain it . Thanks .