Gears into Scrap

[ADM]

Scrap is getting quite a big listing of applications now (which is nice !), but I find it to be a pretty boring resource to acquire in high numbers (which is not nice...) so I hope alternatives can be added for getting our hands on it that wouldn't be playing around the Scrapyard even if it should remain the core location for it.

One thing I would really like is a "refine" recipe to be added that allows us to convert Gears into Scrap. Gears are found in many locations with a little chance, but also in high numbers in the Ruins. What isn't high however is the number of uses for them, without a player as WX-78 on the world, they hopelessly pile-up due to how underutilized they can be after the Ice Boxes have been made and Weather Pains for as long as our Down Feather reserves allows it... there will always be an important amount of Gears left and I would like to turn them to scrap which has many more uses and remains relevant throughout our progression.

By all means this could be a new blueprint acquired from the Scrappy Werepig, I do understand Scrap is meant to be a scrapyard thing but, it just isn't all too fun...

[Maxil20]

Could be neat if you could translate 1 gear and 1 frazzled wire into 3 or so scrap. I agree that gears pile up constantly, and having a midgame way to produce more scrap would be nice, especially since both of the main lunar bosses use it heavily!

Edited July 25, 2025 by Maxil20

[Jakepeng99]

I see what you mean but the point is it is scrap. It is leftovers. Crafting it makes no sense when you think about it.

It would be like crafting literal garbage. The value from scrap also isnt that its garbage, there is some special material wagstaff made it out of which we are recycling, so crafting it makes no sense lore wise or logic wise. Instead of crafting there needs to be another method, like scrap robots who drop it or something.

[ZeRoboButler]

What if Wagstaff had a machine next to the scrap yard/recipe for a scrapper that could take low durability items or other junk around the world and turn it into scrap and different amounts based on the item scrapped? Or would such a thing directly conflict with the design behind making the scrappy were-pig toss scrap at you as a means of acquiring more?

[Well-met]

What if gears just get better recipes to sink on in?

Like, WARBIS armors instead of that damn shard.

[Reiko24]

2 hours ago, Jakepeng99 said:

I see what you mean but the point is it is scrap. It is leftovers. Crafting it makes no sense when you think about it.

It would be like crafting literal garbage. The value from scrap also isnt that its garbage, there is some special material wagstaff made it out of which we are recycling, so crafting it makes no sense lore wise or logic wise. Instead of crafting there needs to be another method, like scrap robots who drop it or something.

I disagree. If you dismantle/destroy an electronic device what do you get? Scrap. Garbage metal. Crafting garbage is not unheard of.

[Jakepeng99]

24 minutes ago, Reiko24 said:

I disagree. If you dismantle/destroy an electronic device what do you get? Scrap. Garbage metal. Crafting garbage is not unheard of.

But that makes no sense, why would we use scrap specifically in all these recipes? They must have a unique ingredient with special properties.

[Kvetevk]

If anybody could transmute materials into other materials it should be Wilson, either in mineral skill or lunar skill.

It would also make the most sense, Wilson was helping Wagstaff and is probably most loyal to him (except Winona).

[Ugur01]

3 hours ago, Maxil20 said:

Could be neat if you could translate 1 gear and 1 frazzled wire into 3 or so scrap. I agree that gears pile up constantly, and having a midgame way to produce more scrap would be nice, especially since both of the main lunar bosses use it heavily!

If that were the case, I’d fight the Twins of Terror multiple times just to get scrap (gear+wires > scrap). I like your idea.

Edited July 25, 2025 by Ugur01

[reddocc]

I personally wouldn't use this feature because while the scrappy werepig is alive you can farm as much scrap as you want

[NSAiswatchingus]

6 hours ago, Jakepeng99 said:

Crafting it makes no sense when you think about it.

Then don't! I will make all the concessions on lore/logic for this. It doesn't need to make sense. It just needs to make scraps. 

[lowercase skye]

I like that Scrap is a unique resource to obtain through the junkyard. Personally I'd find it sad if you could craft it from gears, because then it just becomes another thing to get from the pile of ruins loot that you'll be collecting either way, rather than a unique resource you go out of your way to collect.

[Edible Coal]

7 hours ago, Jakepeng99 said:

I see what you mean but the point is it is scrap. It is leftovers. Crafting it makes no sense when you think about it.

It would be like crafting literal garbage. 

fencing spear:

[ADM]

4 minutes ago, lowercase skye said:

I like that Scrap is a unique resource to obtain through the junkyard. Personally I'd find it sad if you could craft it from gears, because then it just becomes another thing to get from the pile of ruins loot that you'll be collecting either way, rather than a unique resource you go out of your way to collect.

I understand these thoughts and I'd like it retains to some degree this design line, I was saying it. But this uniqueness is what makes it boring so quickly with me ;( It's not difficult to get, but it just takes so long and becomes so repetitive, that has no charm for something that’s so essential for progression (and other fun stuff)… unlike Gears. So I want some edge, and I don’t think this takes it so far from the main idea.

[Radicaljoe]

It could be made into a blueprint from scrappy. Scrappy still doesn't drop anything of value, even the new fences you can technically avoid killing scrappy for if you're lucky/dodge well enough. Would give some incentive past "I want to see nmwp again."

[Milordo]

8 hours ago, Jakepeng99 said:

But that makes no sense, why would we use scrap specifically in all these recipes? 

Because Klei wanted so bad to add new things instead of using gears or frazzled wires that occupied already that role, therefore Klei being Klei.

[Renato59]

Moon Quay Island portal could get a niche application, it drops frazzled wires and scrap now, It would be nice if the monkeys would use scrap somehow too!

[Jakepeng99]

6 hours ago, Edible Coal said:

fencing spear:

What about it?

[SilverSpoon]

Here, I’d like to consider the lore around Scrap. Scrap mostly shows up in line to the Moon and Wagstaff, and its only prior connection to the existing Gears and Clockworks is that it can repair Broken Clockworks. Yet Gears and Frazzled Wires can sometimes be found in Junk Piles. In other words, my inference is that Scrap is Gears or Frazzled Wires altered by the Moon’s influence or by Wagstaff’s intervention.

So wouldn’t it make sense if Moongleam or the Notional Fabricator could convert Gears and Frazzled Wires into Scrap?

[Left 4 Sharkb8]

16 hours ago, Jakepeng99 said:

But that makes no sense, why would we use scrap specifically in all these recipes? They must have a unique ingredient with special properties.

Pretty sure it's just a stand-in for a regular metal, which isn't really present in DST other than of course, Scrap. It's metal for electronics, since we don't have something like iron, steel, silver, copper, etc.

[kroban]

Thats an awesome idea ngl, I have been playing Walter, I like to use Shockscrap rounds a lot (imo underrated), and yes, even though you can farm scraps out of the junkyard, it takes quite a while. Pretty much 10+ minutes of circling around Scrappy Werepig, making him throw junk for like, 20 scraps (if you are lucky). Now that electric fences are a thing everyone will want those. Also Scrappy sharing cd with Nightmare Werepig sucks, because in multiplayer many people want to farm Nightmare, specially early game, both for the armor and the dreadstone/horror. If Scrappy is dead thats atleast 20 days till you can farm scrap. AND Scrappy dropping the blueprint for electric fences will only make it worse...

1 hour ago, SilverSpoon said:

Here, I’d like to consider the lore around Scrap. Scrap mostly shows up in line to the Moon and Wagstaff, and its only prior connection to the existing Gears and Clockworks is that it can repair Broken Clockworks. Yet Gears and Frazzled Wires can sometimes be found in Junk Piles. In other words, my inference is that Scrap is Gears or Frazzled Wires altered by the Moon’s influence or by Wagstaff’s intervention.

Yeah I agree, I think Clockworks do look "scrappy", but I bet Klei doesn't want them to drop scrap directly (since its supposed to be more linked to Wagstaff and the surface). So being able to make scrap out of their remains is kind of the next best move. Maybe 1 wire, 1 gear, and 1 moonrock or 1 charged glass

Edited July 26, 2025 by kroban

[Anomen77]

To my understanding scrap comes specifically from Wagstaff's machines, since all the sources that drop it are linked to him. While other machines in the constant might look "scrappy" the are made of different materials and thus cannot be used for Wagpunk crafts.

With that said, we do need a better way of acquiring scrap than idly waiting for scrappy pig to throw piles of garbage at you for multiple in game days.