Fallout 4: 17 Pro-Tips For Gathering Scrap & Building Materials (2024)

Fallout 4 is a massive departure from the other games in the Fallout series. Unlike past games, this entry puts much more focus on rebuilding the wasteland instead of character interaction. While many hardcore fans disliked this change, most Fallout 4 players have seen the shift in gameplay rhythm as a positive one.

Exploration has never been more important, with dungeons granting permanent buffs in the form of magazines and invaluable junk. Junk is the backbone of everything in Fallout 4, with it being required to build everything from guns to settlements. Players will need as much junk as they can get to appreciate most of Fallout 4's systems, but this can be rather tedious. Thankfully, there are things that players can do to make the grind less aggravating. Here are some tips for gathering scrap and building materials in Fallout 4.

Updated on August 10, 2024, by Benjamin Joe: Fallout 4 is an incredibly large game. With so many areas to explore and loot, there are plenty of opportunities to grab junk. Whether the player wants to craft or modify certain weapons, produce meds, or build big and elaborate settlements, they will need to farm a great deal of this resource. While the original list was extensive, there are a couple of other ways to get lots of junk that also deserve to be mentioned. Also, due to the popularity of the Fallout TV series, there are lots of new players downloading and playing the game. These new players may need a little hand learning how to collect junk in Fallout 4.

17 Use Mods

Fallout 4 Has A Healthy Modding Community

• Sleezy's Improved Junk by Luh Sleazy
• This Is Trash by Lively

The modding community has played a huge part in keeping Fallout 4 alive over the past few years. There are mods that bring in new creatures, locations, weapons, and a whole lot more. There are even a couple of mods that give the junk system a bit of an overhaul.

Mods like Sleezy's Improved Junk makes some much needed changes to the amount of junk that can be gained through scrapping items. For the most part, it increases the amount of junk that the player will receive upon breaking down various items. There are also mods that allow players to scrap more items within settlements. This is not only great for those who want to build using a blank canvas, but it's also ideal for those looking to net some extra junk.

16 Help Preston Garvey

Monotonous But Fruitful Endeavors

Preston Garvey is a divisive character. Some players love him, but others find him incredibly annoying. Still, no matter what the player's views are, Preston Garvey is a very useful character. His never-ending list of settlements that require the player's help is great for those looking to farm some extra junk.

As the player progresses through the main storyline, they will start gathering great weapons that can tear down enemies in just a couple of shots, making it much easier to clear and loot buildings. When Preston tasks a player with helping a settlement, whether it's an enemy clear mission or a rescue operation, there is plenty of loot to be collected along the way.

15 Gather And Scrap All Weapons

Never Leave A Weapon Behind

Weapons can be found in abundance in Fallout 4. From scavenging to quest rewards, there are lots of ways that players can find weapons. Enemies will typically drop their weapons upon death, and they can actually be scrapped into parts. This is a fantastic way to get junk without having to just walk around gathering random items.

This is only possible if the player has the Scrapper perk unlocked, which should be a given. Each level of the perk, up until level 3, provides more materials. From a simple Pipe Pistol, one of the most common weapons in the game, it's possible to get nuclear material at level 3, as well as screws, springs, copper, and gears.

14 Use The Resource Duplication Glitch

A New Duplication Glitch Has Been Found

• Source: DemonAsylum

Bethesda's open-world games are often known for their bugs and glitches that sometimes make for viable strategies. Such is also the case with Fallout 4, where it's possible to use an item duplication glitch to one's advantage when gathering more items starts to feel like a chore.

There have been lots of duplication glitches in Fallout 4 over the years. Most of them have been patched. However, like in most games, when one glitch is patched, a new one is discovered. The duplication glitch that players may have used previously was fixed, but luckily, there's a new one that players can use to generate as much junk as they like. It was posted on YouTube by DemonAsylum. While duplicating items isn't for everyone, those who play the game solely for settlement building may find it useful.

13 Establish Supply Lines

• Rank up to Level 1 of Local Leader (requires 6 Charisma)
• Head to a settlement
• Open the workshop menu
• Find a settler
• Assign the settler to a supply line via the button prompt at the bottom of the screen.

This tip has more to do with managing junk rather than gathering it, but it will be a huge quality of life upgrade when it comes to sharing resources between multiple Fallout 4 settlements. Players will need to unlock the Local Leader perk to gain access to settlement supply lines.

Basically, this feature allows players to share the inventory of workshop stations between all their settlements. This means that any junk or items scrapped in one settlement can be used for building in another. It's an essential perk to have when it comes to managing the resources the player gains, but it also allows gamers to gather junk into shared storage across various settlements, with no need to travel around.

12 Build Scavenging Stations

Generate Junk Passively

Some players might not know this, but settlers without an assigned job will produce one piece of random junk every day, which will be stored in the workshop. To boost these numbers, players can build Scavenging Stations. This increases the number to two pieces of junk once a settler is assigned to it.

To build a Scavenging Station, players will need three pieces of steel and five pieces of wood. Make sure to assign settlers to the station after placing it down. It's not the most efficient way of generating junk, but it's a nice side business to take some of the pressure off the player's shoulders to get all the materials.

11 Build The Eyebot Pod

A DLC Boost

Those with the Automatron DLC actually get access to a convenient machine called the Eyebot Pod. It's another settlement build that can be plopped down anywhere and will dispense a robot to go and look for a specific item the player has requested. Once found, a quest marker will appear at its location.

To make the Eyebot Pod, quite a few resources are needed, but it's well worth the price if finding rare resources is starting to become a headache. Players will need six pieces of aluminum, four pieces of circuitry, two pieces of copper, two pieces of fiber optics, and two pieces of nuclear material. One should be sure to also have the Eyebot Pod schematics at hand; they can be found at the new Mechanist's lair.

10 Max Out Strong Back

Carry More Junk

Carrying as much junk as possible is critical for getting the most out of every dungeon. Strong Back is a fantastic perk for this, granting extra carry weight with each rank.

When it's fully upgraded, being over-encumbered doesn't prevent the player from fast traveling. This is fantastic for grabbing everything in an area and traveling back to a settlement to scrap it all. If being over-encumbered bothers the player, they should maximize the Strength stat and invest in Deep Pocket armor mods for some more breathing room.

9 Players Can "Grow" Adhesive In Player Settlements

Farm Adhesive From Home

Adhesive is an uncommon resource in Fallout 4 that is needed in virtually every weapon, armor, or settlement build. Since it comes in short supply, it is a good idea to farm this item specifically.

Thankfully, players can craft Adhesive from their own virtual backyard. At any cooking station, combining 3 Corn, 3 Mutfruit, 3 Tato, and 1 Purified Water will create Vegetable Starch. This starch is the equivalent of 5 Adhesive, making it the best method of farming Adhesive in the game.

8 Use Companions As Pack Mules

The Perk Of Having Friends

This wouldn't be a Bethesda game if a companion wasn't sworn to carry the survivor's burdens. Companions are just as well-suited to carrying the players' items as the player is, so making use of this feature is recommended.

Equip companions with Deep Pocket armor and let them carry all the heavy items. This grants an extra 200–300 pounds to the player's overall loot haul from every expedition. Strong and Paladin Danse are the best for this since they have high Strength stats. Using a companion as a mule will mean that the player won't have to return to a settlement to deposit their loot as often.

7 Tag Items

Find Specific Components With Ease

• Open the Pip-Boy
• Head to the Junk tab
• Press the button to view core components (bottom of the screen)
• Press the button to highlight any required core components (bottom of the screen)
• Once components have been highlighted, they will appear much clearer when looting

Tagging things is essential for efficiently farming resources in Fallout 4. Without tagging, it is much more likely that players will miss core items that they will need later on to make amazing gear. When an item is tagged, objects containing that item will glow a vibrant green color to notify the player of a good item that should be looted. Players should do this for Aluminium, Nuclear Material, Ballistic Weave, Screws, and anything else that can be tricky to come by.

As players progress through Fallout 4, they will begin to learn what most items contain. But during the early days, tagging an item can be very beneficial.

6 Grab Everything

Fallout 4 Encourages Hoarding

It sounds simple, but many people forget to do this. Unlike other Fallout titles, clutter has a purpose now. If the player has a high carry weight, then they should pick up all the junk items that they come across. There is rarely a time when it isn't worth it.

Weight is the only thing driving players back from stealing bucket loads worth of supplies, but there are ways around this limit. Maximizing the Strength stat and using Power Armor can help mitigate this issue. Yields from each outing can double or sometimes triple when the player can afford to grab and store everything in sight.

5 Purchase Shipments Of Resources

A Costly Way To Obtain More Resources

Sometimes, players need a particular junk item that will not spawn. Certain zones that are known for high quantities of resources can be farmed, but this can be a pain for lower-level characters.

Like most things in Fallout 4, players can buy resources from vendors. Look out for shipment items that vendors frequently sell. These are bundles of resources that have a moderate fee attached to them. If the player has the money, these vendors can save hours worth of farming, allowing gamers to focus on other things.

4 Cranberry Island Supply Room Farm

A Far Harbor Secret Stash

Those who own the Far Harbour DLC for Fallout 4 have access to a phenomenal farming spot that offers lots of materials. To find it, players should head to Cranberry Island and look for a particular shed.

Continue to Cranberry Island Bog and explore the island, killing all enemies in sight. The dormant generators on the island need to be activated, and after all three are on, players can head to a nearby bunker and kill the ghouls to obtain the key to this shed. This shed contains dozens of uncommon and rare materials, and this area resets every couple of days. To make this most of this location, players should head to a different area, wait a few days, and return to obtain a fresh batch of supplies for crafting.

3 Scrapper Works On Workshop Items

Gain More Junk From Scrapping

While this won't prevent farming junk and crafting materials altogether, there is a neat trick to preserving some of the materials spent on making items.

Scrapper grants more items from salvaging, mainly meant for earning uncommon and rare materials from armor and guns. However, the perk omits the fact that it grants extra materials from scrapped workshop items as well. If the player makes a settlement build that they don't like, they can get all 3 ranks in Scrapper and tear the place down to get most of the uncommon materials back.

2 Deposit All Junk To Workbenches

Don't Get Weighed Down By Junk

Some players drop their items in a ring around them when returning to a settlement to manually scrap their materials, since scrapping items through the workshop doesn't provide every type of junk. Don't do this. Instead, head to the junk tab in the workshop UI and press the "store all junk" button.

This will store all items in the junk tab without having to scrap them individually. Any crafting options that require built items, such as Abraxo Cleaner, can be built, and materials needed will be scraped as needed for their full worth. This can save dozens of minutes or even hours of manually scrapping items that the player finds.

1 Turn Water Into Resources

Water Makes Money, And Money Makes Junk

How the character knows how to create water purifiers at the start of Fallout 4 doesn't make any sense, but it is possible to capitalize on this knowledge and create a never-ending stream of income.

Creating more water than a settlement needs will result in Purified Water being made. This water is worth a decent amount of caps on its own. Creating dozens of water purifiers can result in hundreds of water bottles daily. Players can sell these to vendors for lots of extra income and then use the money to buy shipments of any junk. It's possible to effectively turn water into any resource that players want with this strategy.

Fallout 4

RPG

Action

Systems

OpenCritic Reviews

Top Critic Rating:87/100 Critics Recommend:89%

Platform(s)

PC , PS4 , PS5 , Xbox One , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S

Released

November 10, 2015

Developer(s)

Bethesda