Minecraft – How to make a simple portable rapid piston toggler

minecraft-java-editionminecraft-redstone

I plan to bury an ocean monument under sand.

To do this, I'll need a simple mechanism of a piston toggling fast, as I drop new sand blocks as it pushes them away, that way I get up to 12 blocks long, full ocean depth strip filled with sand. Then move the piston and its mechanism, and fill another strip, and another…

The part I need is clocking the piston to keep moving. Doesn't need to be elaborate – just the opposite, should be as simple as possible, to reduce the work needed moving the mechanism, and milk consumption (due to "mining fatigue under which I'll likely work.)

So – what simplest redstone circuit will make the piston toggle pretty fast?

(extra requirement, at least early on: circuit doesn't extend downwards below the piston; there will be water beneath the initial surface isle, the "block under lillypad" trick used to create the first "stepping stone", and a bucket of lava to expand it rapidly into a small floating isle. So the circuit may be flat or go up or sideways, but not down).

Best Answer

I recommend a comparator clock. Simple to build. Faster then observer clock.

Comparator Clock

Make sure comparator is in subtraction mode. (Right click it to turn on front torch)

Edit: I just remembered, that clock is actually too fast for piston to cycle. Have to add a repeater to slow it one tick. Comparator Clock

You can also slow clock more by adjusting repeater.

With repeater, clock rate will now be the same as an observer clock so I would use whichever is easiest to acquire.