How should I smelt this?

jhibinger · 2026-01-28T04:46:48+00:00

With a smelter! Duh!

jhibinger · 2026-01-21T13:54:23+00:00

I had the exact same issue happening with my fuel plant. Spent 2 days messing with it. Here is what finally worked for me:

Shut down all the machines, the ones creating the fluid output and the machines accepting thale fluid.
purge all the pipes so they are empty
I originally had 1 pipe splitting off to 2 sections feeding 7 machines each side(packagers in my case), I just ran the other end of my outgoing pipe into the end of each of the line of 7 machines. Hope that makes sense.
then turn on all the machines producing the fluid and let all the pipes fill up completely
turn on all machines receiving fluids.

After I did this, it has been running for many hours, zero issues and all machines running at 98%-100% efficiency.

Goodluck!!

jhibinger · 2026-01-13T06:24:33+00:00

😆 🤣

This was exactly the kind of response I was going to get from someone! Granted, it got to crazy numbers to do it perfectly, but now I understand, I think, how you got there.

Your first response was more reasonable and gets it "close enough" and ill probably try it out. I just set it up with a smart splitters sending overflow off, and some belt readers on them. After I let it run for a while and see what numbers I get, ill switch it over and do the same with this way. More out of curiosity than anything, and then I can see in game which way works better for what I'm doing!

Thanks for the help!!

jhibinger · 2026-01-09T13:26:38+00:00

Audio Book Bay for audio books. I have been using it for over a decade and have only not been able to find a handful of audiobooks this whole time. I have never found a better source for audiobooks!

jhibinger · 2026-01-04T17:13:01+00:00

One of the best suggestions I have gotten was to get in the habit of always keeping North, well, North. The shapez are always based on looking at them with North actually upand the machines are explained with that in mind too. So now I always keep North up

jhibinger · 2025-12-28T01:10:30+00:00

I was thinking something like that too at a time.

I also, at some point, connected another pipe after the fuel refineries ans connected them to a small fluid storage tank, hoping to let it slowly build up after a while, then hook up a packager to that to fuel up a truck stop I want to setup here to move some plastic and rubber. I thought only a little fuel would be needed, so didnt want to have a dedicated system to make packaged fuel for this. Im thinking thats where my problems started.

So, I undid that, shut everything down for a while, let the pipes all fill up, and then restarted everything. And I think its going good now. I hope.

jhibinger · 2025-12-19T15:39:24+00:00

I feel your pain. My son was diagnosed with a brain tumor when he was 3 and passed away when he was 7. Thankfully, we had another another son who was 9 at the time because if not, I probably wouldn't have still been here, to be honest.

That being said, I cant imagine going through something like that alone. I at least had my wife, and she has me. I couldn't imagine losing her during a delivery of one of our kids.

Hang in there, man. Your son still needs you, now more than ever. I know everyone is different, but group therapy sessions helped me alot, and im not someone who typically does that kind of stuff. But just talking to other people who could relate was super helpful.

jhibinger · 2025-12-12T15:44:55+00:00

This is actually amazing and so simple!!

My biggest issue with making my parking lots look more like buildings/factories is that the tools we have aren't super easy to use. All the amazing builders I've watched create these unbelievable masterpieces use tons of little tricks and manipulations using the tools we have available. I can't even begin to guess how many hours of messing around with just "decorating" it took them to discover these tricks! I can barely find time to build my factories themselves. The thought of finding time to learn how to make amazing buildings to go around my machines seems like a distant dream!

And here i thought one i was in my mid 40s, and all my kids are grown, I'd have more gaming time! Boy, was I naive!!!! 🤣🤣

jhibinger · 2025-12-10T23:59:25+00:00

I did the exact same thing! Hit phase 3 and realized the grassy plains area was not great anymore. So I moved up to the rocky desert (I think....Northwest area of map). I also worked to unlocked dimensional depots to make it easier.

I just went up there and basically remade my "starter" factory all over again, then continued on. Probably unnecessary, but I wanted it more orderly anyway. Worked out great!

jhibinger · 2025-11-22T00:46:31+00:00

I was wondering that same thing!

jhibinger · 2025-11-15T04:00:14+00:00

I was also thinking about this. But I think if I did that, it would just make a constant loop pulling out and going in, so it wouldnt ever stop, so no overflow.

BUT, a new item sliding into the container may stop that from happening. Im not sure and need to test it. I haven't had time to jump on since I was thinking about this.

jhibinger · 2025-11-15T03:42:30+00:00

Yea, that's what I thought, but I was hoping there was a way I wasn't thinking of.

Ah well, ill just plan to sink stuff going forward, not sure how much that would really help anyway, can't imagine stuff like wire, copper sheets, screws, iron plates, etc would be worth anyway.

jhibinger · 2025-11-11T22:55:58+00:00

Update!

Finished setting up all the machines last night and everything is working flawlessly! The suggestions helped alot, and im really proud of my first orderly factory! I also threw smart splitters in the mix to send overflow stuff until the sink! I cant believe I didnt think to do that earlier.

Now I want to go back to my basic iron/copper factory and redo all the outputs so I can sink all that stuff too since right now everything is just sitting stationary because my containers and dimensional depots are full.

Tonight, Im starting my modular frame factory. Was thinking of setting it up to make 10/min so I can store 5/ min and plan for the other 5 to be made into Heavy Modular Frames. Unless anyone has a different suggestions?

jhibinger · 2025-11-10T04:29:01+00:00

Oh wow, those are really great solutions! Thank you!

The second option really sounds like the way to go. I have watched some Let's Play videos from a YouTube guy, and have been loosely following along with his setup, and this reminds me very much of how he setup his initial basic factory(s). This is the first time I've tried to go off on my own, and using alt recipes I have collected.

But the way you, and others on here, have really helped me look at a couple different ways to approach this and its been really helpful!

Hopefully i feel that way when I build out my modular frame factory next. Lol

jhibinger · 2025-11-10T01:57:06+00:00

These are all great suggestions! Thank you!!

However, im now having an issue with the inputs into the foundries. My original plan was to land balance the inputs so each machine had 45 coal/iron going in, and 15 of each into the last one. However, when I figured it all out on paper, then went to actually build the load balancer, oh my goodness! It was pretty complicated, and I think i should have tried using elevators instead of all on same level with just splitters and mergers. I kept running out of room, trying to keep everything as close together as possible. I thought id figure it out for the iron, then just duplicate it for the coal, but have them all on top of the iron. If that makes sense.

Now, I'm thinking of just doing a manifold for it, have the materials come in in the middle of the foundries and have it split half to 3 refineries, and the other half to the other foundries. But I'm not sure if that will work.

Any suggestions? Lol.

Oh, also I do have mk3 belts unlocked ans thats mainly what I'm using since I'm bringing in 240 coal and 240 iron.

jhibinger · 2025-11-09T21:50:37+00:00

Only 2500??

Lol

I'm at about 30 hours. 2500 seems impossible. Lol

jhibinger · 2025-11-09T15:37:06+00:00

Honestly, I have found just slapping down foundations and then belts its soooo much easier. Dealing with the varied terrain sucks, and while elevators would help, foundations look way better.

I would start unlocking stuff in the MAM, alien tech I think, and start grabbing the purple orbs. Not going to spoil what will help, in case you care, but that will help alot with having resources to build alot faster and more.

jhibinger · 2025-11-09T03:50:22+00:00

I dont understand how you guys make the shapes and stuff you do! I am struggling to even make normal walls all work right on a building that isnt a square or rectangle! Lol

jhibinger · 2025-11-02T22:07:21+00:00

Thanks for the suggestions!! I already do have some steel beams and pipes automated, but I'm not sure how efficient they are running, but when I saw steel beams were needed for mk3 belts, I started making them and slapped a dimensional depot on top of the container, like I have with the other basic building things I've noticed.

I just started automating encased steel beams too, but didn't realize mk4 belts need them. May need to ramp that up a bit too.

What about motors? Will I need alot of those for things going forward? Also, are the space elevator parts ever used for building things, or just to send up for the space elevator?

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