hello I appreciate all the response I get, I have a cart to transport resources, when I found a copper ore veins I first dig the sides of it making a big deep trench in-circling the veins until i hit the water or I cant dig any lower, that's my queue that the bottom of the copper vein I am currently has been reached, then I started to mine the actual ores, I found it also a good strategy against trolls as they never try to cross it.

Doing that with only 1 pick axe is tough on my side, hence, I am seeking opinions if it is beneficial to bring atleast 2 pickaxes to do mining..

I just read about doing workbench and using antler pickaxe sounds great advice.

normal mobs like those grey something wont attack cart right? I am thinking of parking my cart near the veins but outside the trench