ok, how do i level up metalworking and welding now?

[nekochan AL]

i finally got my forge and furnace built after getting all the components, but now i dont exactly know how to get my levels up to actually use them. its not like b41 anymore where you can just disassemble anything metal anymore for metalworking XP. so whats some good grinding strategies to get my skills up?

[Nordil(Hun)]

Craft. That is it.
If possible use the skill books and the appropriate magazine to learn recipes. (Some tools and such can be "dismantled" to learn how the recipe to craft them. But it is basicly grindcrafting.)

[Armagenesis]

You need a forge for metalworking. And welding is strictly for metalworking that uses propane torches iirc. Basically a trash skill not worth using. It's even worse than first aid.

[[Censored]]

Originally posted by BONANGER1:

metalworking: craft stuff
welding: build stuff (metal bar windows and fences are op with stabby weapons, far from worse than first aid)

first aid is gonna be more for mp - how many ppl have you ever met that needed major medical attention have been concious enough to do it themselves

[BitterSwede]

Originally posted by Nordil(Hun):

Craft. That is it.
If possible use the skill books and the appropriate magazine to learn recipes. (Some tools and such can be "dismantled" to learn how the recipe to craft them. But it is basicly grindcrafting.)

But how?
The only recipes available at Welding 0 gives 0 XP, so how would you even get that first level of Welding if dismantling no longer gives XP? With barricades now requiring Welding 1 (or was it Metalworking 1?) we're completely locked out of levelling it up unless we magically get a level for free. Either that, or I've missed something obvious somewhere.

We can get Metalworking XP quite easily, but I have tried and not found any way to level up Welding from 0.

[Radical Randy]

Cut and weld metal sheets and bars, easiest way for me.
Not sure if you can do it at level 0 though

[Alucard †]

Dismantling car wrecks (the ones completely busted, car husks) gives Welding xp from what i recall - not 100% sure - but that action burns through propane like crazy tho.

[BitterSwede]

Originally posted by Alucard †:

Dismantling car wrecks (the ones completely busted, car husks) gives Welding xp from what i recall - not 100% sure - but that action burns through propane like crazy tho.

I'm OK with burning through propane, it's easy enough to find tanks in BBQs and basements and workshops and sheds. And full torches seem to be the most common tools in mechanics workshops, even more common than screwdrivers.

But does dismantling wrecks still give XP, even with "dismantle XP level" set to 0 (like it is by default in Apocalypse)? My game just crashed and it'll take me a hot second to re-open, but I'll slap on Debug Mode and check. Give me ~30-60 minutes and I'll let y'all know.

Even without Welding XP, it's still worth doing because it gives so much materials for both Metalworking and Blacksmithing. And it got almost all materials needed for late-game crafted weapons of almost(?) all kinds. Just remember to bring your van and/or trailer, you're not gonna fit all that in a tiny sedan :D

[BitterSwede]

Results are in: In Apocalypse you do get Welding XP from dismantling car wrecks.
5.25-5.75XP without book boost, depending on car size
19.5-21.5XP with book boost, depending on car size

So it will take 4-15 wrecks to get to level 1 Welding, meaning 4-15 full torches for the first level. After that you can do stuff like cutting all the bars you get from those wrecks to bring you up to Welding 2.

From there it gets a bit trickier, as you don't seem to get iron blocks for the Welding 1 recipe Cut Block into Chunks. I don't know if it is a bug or intended, but the recipe require specifically either an Iron Block, a Pierced Iron Block or a Pierced Steel Block, but what you get from wrecks is Steel Block.
So read another book and cut down 8-12 Iron Bars all the way (You can cut them in half, then cut the halves into quarters).

At Welding 3, it gets easier.
Now you just need a ton of welding rods, and a single metal sheet. Go up to a window and throw up a sheet metal barricade for some minor XP, then right click and remove the barricade. You get the sheet back, but not the welding rods. Throw it up again for the same amount of XP. Do this over and over until you either run out of rods or hit the level you want.