Is there a way to cut metal panels up into scrap metal?

[GMJoe]

It feels like I should be able to cut large metal sheets into smaller pieces of scrap metal somehow (I've got way too much of the former and and always running short of the latter), but I can't seem to figure out how. Is there something I'm overlooking, or is it just not possible?

[NalyKalZul]

just build the mechanical press for that, but you might find that metal plates are much harder to come by.
i suggest fishing for metal, and just cleaning the map in general will lead to excess scrap.

[Dk]

Originally posted by GMJoe:

It feels like I should be able to cut large metal sheets into smaller pieces of scrap metal somehow (I've got way too much of the former and and always running short of the latter), but I can't seem to figure out how. Is there something I'm overlooking, or is it just not possible?

Remember you can send your drone out to get basic materials as well. Each spot can be looted once a day. :)

[GMJoe]

Originally posted by NalyKalZul:

just build the mechanical press for that, but you might find that metal plates are much harder to come by.
i suggest fishing for metal, and just cleaning the map in general will lead to excess scrap.

The mechanical press can convert metal plates into scrap metal? How? I can only seem to get it to convert scrap metal into metal plates.

Originally posted by Famonly:

Remember you can send your drone out to get basic materials as well. Each spot can be looted once a day. :)

Yes, once per day - but that's not enough. There's only one spot on the map I've unlocked that gives scrap metal, and ~4 pieces of scrap a day is not a lot when it takes five to make the one cylinder of bug spray.

I need to step up production, and I have huge piles of metal sheets lying around - surely I could make a crude pair of sheers, or use my circular saw somehow?

[RAiN]

Your can fish for random scrap metal, dont use bait.

[Kaery]

That actually gives you quite decent returns, I spent about five minutes for a stack. And time doesn't pass while fishing, so you're not wasting daylight, either.

[Noxalys]

Hey,

I also have this problem of running out of scrap to move forward. The nails for the first bridge and the anti-slug product/pink puddle consumes a lot of them. So now I've tried to let the slugs roam my camp.

[magenta skull]

do fishing with no bait and quickly force it to fail any that show more than 1 bar, you'll be overflowing with scrap in a short time [and microchips too probs]

[svenmn]

I get 3-4 plastic for each scrap metal fished up. It would take forever to fish up a full stack of metal. Like an earlier posted said I'm going to just let the slugs win until I can find a more consistent source or build up a stockpile.

[Kyle]

I've always had too much metal, probably due to unlocking roofs, plastic on the other hand is kicking my ass.

If fishing, I'd recommend doing it on the rooftop across the bridge near spawn, the basic materials it gives are way too many rods & plastic bottles, which can be broken down via your workbench. (Plus lots of microwaves and sometimes TVs, lots of scrap.)

Later (When you unlock the Nanoforge), you can indirectly degrade Glass/Sheet Metal/Wooden Planks into their base material.

The Nanoforge is unlocked by going across the bridge and defusing the bomb, then it's relatively quick from the NPC up in the new area.

But the fastest way is to unlock a new area, whether that be an elevator or just a new rooftop. Personally wouldn't bother with proper defenses until you unlock the UV Tower or Contamination Pods , there's no farming automation so leeches only really attack when you decide. (Or if you build defensive walls for decor, like I did.)

You can also turn biomass (move bushes closer to your base with the nano thing) into scrap metal directly via the Synthesizer from Mari .

[GMJoe]

Thanks for the tips! I'll have to try them out when I next try playing this game.

[Nneu]

Eventually, you unlock a machine that can turn metal sheets into bars that you can recycle in scrap.