You can build a crude semi-auto mining system for digging ores. You build a tower out of light armor blocks, in the shape of "Г" letter, then you attach a big line of pistons downwards, what end with a huge block of drills, with line of conveyors going from the slot of the most upper piston to base.

You turn drills on, expand the pistons, and see how the thing mines. No need for stone ejector - the whole construction is pretty much made to mine stone; placing it on an ore deposit is recommended, but optional.

You should place a lot of containers at base - this thing mines a lot, so make sure you have space to place it all.

The thing is pretty simple to make - more simple than some kind of thing with rotors - just don't extend it too fast, as in that case mining machine may break or your containers may run out of space.

When it's completely extended, and doesn't reach further, you can either fold it back and place additional drills, or rebuild thing - with more folded pistons between ground and the top of tower.

What is even more convenient if what both pistons, drills and conveyors only require materials what can be digged out of rock. Containers, however, require metal grids made of cobalt; so you should connect every block with inventory on your base with conveyor system, cockpit for controlling this thing more comfortably, and perhaps build connectors for storage space if you can't build the real containers (connecting small grid with containers to connector is unstable).

You could also add Advanced Rotors to the thing, but it'll be a little bit harder to automate without command blocks. You may control the rotor thing, manually - like an excavator. But in that case you can move it from one place of ground to another - just turn it and send it drilling.

Keep in mind what Survival Kit, in terms of refining stone, has greater efficiency than Basic Refinery - and same stone efficiency as full-size Refinery. You should put Survival Kit to refining stone non-stop. Get productivity modules for full-size refinery as soon as possible, or at least speed modules.

You could also add Advanced Rotors to the thing, but it'll be a little bit harder to automate without command blocks. You may control the rotor thing, manually - like an excavator. But in that case you can move it from one place of ground to another - just turn it and send it drilling.

Keep in mind what Survival Kit, in terms of refining stone, has greater efficiency than Basic Refinery - and same stone efficiency as full-size Refinery. You should put Survival Kit to refining stone non-stop. Get productivity modules for full-size refinery as soon as possible, or at least speed modules.

You could add Advanced Rotor(s) to move the drills block horizontally, and add horizontal piston to move the drills block closer or further from the base. And a lot of pistons to move drill block downwards - ideally, when the construction is folded, it would reach the ground.

Something like this. But - you can tune it to move really fast - like, 1 full speed of 1 piston (that was a variant without rotating down piston).

When i was making a similar thing (and i came up with that idea before i saw that video), my variant lacked down piston. Instead, it had a wide array of pistons - but otherwise it was similar. Such "wide" variant is more stable, but more expensive. Also, my variant had about 5+ pistons - or even more. The more - the merrier.

The faster it moves downwards and rotates, the faster it works. But faster speeds may result in crash. My super-fast version crashed 1 time in about 1-3 hours, so that's not a big deal.

Some use Hinges instead. They save somewhat more drills, dig more materials, and dig square holes. So, hinge is better than rotor.

You can combine rotor and hinge for maximum results - it mines the most, though collides with walls and makes jagged walls. So, Hinge+Rotor is the best variant of moving the drill block.

Also, if we are using Rotor or Hinge+Rotor variant, stacking all drills to one side (like on upper video) is most efficient variant. So, all drills to one side+Rotor+Hinge is good choice.

More over - in the Rotor+Hinge system, Hinge should be at the base! Meaning, actually, Rotor+Hinge+Piston is better!

You can mixt those three systems into one. Basically, it's a piston, then a turning tube, rotor, tall U-shape made of conveyors, lots of downwards-facing pistons, another rotor, a hinge, and a line of drills. For even more optimality, all those drills are facing in "stick" in one side (as seen on upper video), as opposed to two sides (seen on bottom video).

Clang be praised - as otherwise, he's likely won't be pleased by such contraption. It may break, but it'll mine a lot - and it will definitely mine enough to pay for itself.

Perhaps, you could add another hinge to the very first horizontal-facing rotor. Basically, you would have 2 rotors and 2 hinges total - a crazy construction for even more ground coverage.

So, it should look like this: hinge, piston, then a turning tube, rotor, tall ∩-shape made of conveyors, lots of downwards-facing pistons, another rotor, another hinge, and a line of drills sticking to one side.

It should look like this ultimately:

hinge, rotor, piston, a turning tube, rotor, tall ∩-shape made of conveyors, lots of downwards-facing pistons, another rotor, another hinge, and a line of drills sticking to one side.