Scrap Lead, Brass and Iron

[Fruts]

Hi.... I have been playing this game for hundreds of hours and got a question for my fellow zombie companions...

Usually when I scavenge in new areas I just scrap everything I find. From weaponparts, too cans, from radiators to trophy's etc etc

Stuff i usually don't scrap are Bullet casings, Engines, Batteries and a few more.

I do this only to keep as much space in my inventory available for other useful stuff so that I can put the scrap lead, brass or iron in the Forge later on.

But I really haven't looked if that's clever.

Do you guys scrap everything or do you simply keep some items cause they deliver more iron, lead or brass when u put them in the forge right away without scrapping them first?

[BOYCOTT S-T-E-A-M!]

Scrapping items lowers their forge value.

When I play I scrap cans along with weapon parts, tools, and other metal objects that don't stack.

Unless a situtation deems it necessary that I free up room for something else I try to not scrap any brass or lead objects I find so that I can get the maximum forge value from them.

[Fruts]

Originally posted by BOYCOTT S-T-E-A-M!:

Scrapping items lowers their forge value.

When I play I scrap cans along with weapon parts, tools, and other metal objects that don't stack.

Unless a situtation deems it necessary that I free up room for something else I try to not scrap any brass or lead objects I find so that I can get the maximum forge value from them.

I know it lowers the value, (probably candle/radiator give most brass? ) but they take up so much space looting early in the game. Is the difference between scrapping and no scrapping that big? Never really looked into that but I can't remember ever to had a problem with finding/crafting bullet casings/tips... In Alpha 14.5 gunpowder is the real issue for me... not brass or lead.

[BOYCOTT S-T-E-A-M!]

I don't know the specific values, but I'd avoid scrapping brass radiators or lead car batteries whenever possible.

Yeah, it takes up a bunch of space to keep all those items seperate. You need to judge for yourself whether its worth it or not based on your situation.

I always try to keep them all seperate when I go exploring. If I absolutely need the space though I'll scrap down some of whatever I have the most of back at my forge. I try to scrap down as little of it as possible.


If you're playing with friends you can maximize your hauls by designating who takes what. If one person takes all the brass and another takes all the lead then you'll make the most of your inventories by stacking. On a long journey its a good idea to do this with everything stackable that you'll be collecting.

[Tokfan]

Everything goes into chests in a temporary base in each new location.
In that base there is also a forge for melting down unwanted weapon parts, tools, brass faucets and other stuff that either don't stack or you only get in small numbers. (not paintings though).
Only thing I scrap are junk cloth items. UNLESS I desperatly need scrap iron for upgrading doors/spikes/pillars etc.

Loss of scrapping is 25%, rounded down.
1 iron pipe is worth 2 scrap iron in a forge
1 iron pipe will net you 1 scrap iron. (50% loss)
2 iron pipes will net you 3 scrap iron. (25% loss)
3 pipes -> 4 scrap (25% loss)
4 pipes -> 6 scrap (25% loss)
5 pipes -> 7 scrap (30% loss)
500 pipes -> 750 scrap. (25% loss)

Depending on what item you are scrapping, the item's worth in scrap and the amount of items you are scrapping the rounding will work against you, but the most you can get is 75% of the value unless you recycle the items in a forge.

Worth noting the durability of the items you melt doesn't matter, so instead of repairing tools you can with some investment in coal/wood you can melt down a broken pickaxe and craft a new one without wasting steel.
If it's worth your time or not or worth the investment in clay is up to you. The forge will run when you are off looting houses anyways, save the non-stacking items for when you idle during nights while you sort the chests.

(Edited typo)

[Leg Day]

I'm quite the clever in my book. Think your way is best. More room more loot less time to think more time to loot

[Fruts]

Originally posted by Tokfan:

Everything goes into chests in a temporary base in each new location.
In that base there is also a forge for melting down unwanted weapon parts, tools, brass faucets and other stuff that either don't stack or you only get in small numbers. (not paintings though).
Only thing I scrap are junk cloth items. UNLESS I desperatly need scrap iron for upgrading doors/spikes/pillars etc.

Loss of scrapping is 25%, rounded down.
1 iron pipe is worth 2 scrap iron in a forge
1 iron pipe will net you 1 scrap iron. (50% loss)
2 iron pipes will net you 3 scrap iron. (25% loss)
3 pipes -> 4 scrap (25% loss)
4 pipes -> 6 scrap (25% loss)
5 pipes -> 7 scrap (30% loss)
100 pipes -> 750 scrap. (25% loss)

Depending on what item you are scrapping, the item's worth in scrap and the amount of items you are scrapping the rounding will work against you, but the most you can get is 75% of the value unless you recycle the items in a forge.

Worth noting the durability of the items you melt doesn't matter, so instead of repairing tools you can with some investment in coal/wood you can melt down a broken pickaxe and craft a new one without wasting steel.
If it's worth your time or not or worth the investment in clay is up to you. The forge will run when you are off looting houses anyways, save the non-stacking items for when you idle during nights while you sort the chests.

But u can't stack items in a forge either? I can't remember ever putting weapon parts in a forge for melting. I just scrap them to iron and I got plenty of Iron anyway by hitting rocks.
If I got 20 different weapon parts I just cant stand around the forge and putting them in one by one (or two by two cause u got 2 slots now) Or do I miss something?

So 25% loss while scrapping, interesting thx :)

Probaby I should keep items like Brass radiators or Brass candlesticks...
(Batteries I usually keep, low quality I just keep for the spotlights which I like)

[Tokfan]

Originally posted by Fruts:

But u can't stack items in a forge either?

Correct, that's why:

Originally posted by Tokfan:

save the non-stacking items for when you idle during nights while you sort the chests.

That way you can baby sit the forges while still doing useful stuff.

[Fruts]

Originally posted by Leg Day:

I'm quite the clever in my book. Think your way is best. More room more loot less time to think more time to loot

Everything for the loot!!!

[Fruts]

Originally posted by Tokfan:

Originally posted by Fruts:

But u can't stack items in a forge either?

Correct, that's why:

Originally posted by Tokfan:

save the non-stacking items for when you idle during nights while you sort the chests.

That way you can baby sit the forges while still doing useful stuff.

Hmm... mostly I have something to do at night :P But I usually only use 1 forge at a time at night, scary screamers might come for me :P

[YamaKami]

I try not scrap brass and lead stuff, but iron is easy to come by and there are a ton of mats that give scrap iron. So for inventories sake I scrap most my iron items. Like cans and shoddy weapon parts that I will never use. If I have the inventory space I won;t scrap them but for efficiencies sake I Still scrap iron items more often than not, and then maybe lead items if I have only a few and I need more inventory. I try to never scrap brass now, as late game the more brass you can get the better for ammo reasons.

[Dman113]

@ Fruts ,I do pretty much th same. I will keep green or better(300 quality I think). It's just no use crafting weapons that only waste ammo(I don't do it anymore but it's alot more ammo).
Forgot about clothes. I keep them until I have full clothing and then scrap it all. For extra cotton I tear down lumber camps.