Rust Resources

29 materials and components — where to find them and what they're used for.

Raw Materials

Harvested directly from the environment — trees, rock nodes, and the ground.

Processed Materials

Crafted or smelted from raw materials in a furnace or crafting menu.

Metal Fragments

Metal Fragments

Stack: 1,000

The most used crafting material in Rust, produced by smelting Metal Ore in a furnace. Used in virtually every mid-to-late game crafting recipe.

From: Smelting Metal Ore in a furnace, Recycling metal items and components +2 more

Sulfur

Sulfur

Stack: 1,000

Produced by smelting Sulfur Ore in a furnace. Combined with Charcoal at a ratio of 2:3 to produce Gun Powder, making it the backbone of all explosive and ammo crafting.

From: Smelting Sulfur Ore in a furnace

High Quality Metal

High Quality Metal

Stack: 20

A premium metal produced by smelting High Quality Metal Ore. Rare and valuable, it is required for crafting advanced weapons, armors, and electrical components.

From: Smelting High Quality Metal Ore in a furnace, Recycling advanced items and weapons +1 more

Charcoal

Charcoal

Stack: 1,000

A byproduct of burning wood in furnaces, campfires, and BBQs. Collected automatically as wood burns. Combined with Sulfur to make Gun Powder.

From: Burning wood in a furnace (byproduct), Burning wood in a campfire (byproduct) +1 more

Gun Powder

Gun Powder

Stack: 1,000

Crafted by combining Charcoal and Sulfur (30 Charcoal + 20 Sulfur = 10 Gun Powder). The essential ingredient for every type of ammunition, explosive, and rocket in the game.

From: Crafting from Charcoal and Sulfur, Recycling ammo (small amounts) +1 more

Low Grade Fuel

Low Grade Fuel

Stack: 500

A versatile fuel resource crafted from Animal Fat and Cloth, or refined from Crude Oil. Powers vehicles, generators, flamers, mining quarries, and lighting.

From: Crafting from Animal Fat and Cloth (3 Animal Fat + 1 Cloth = 4 LGF), Refining Crude Oil in an Oil Refinery +2 more

Natural Resources

Gathered from animals, plants, and organic sources.

Components

Found in barrels and crates. Used in crafting mid-to-high tier items.

Rope

Rope

Stack: 20

A woven rope component found in barrels and crates. Used in a handful of essential crafting recipes including the Sleeping Bag and Fishing Rod.

From: Barrels, Roadside crates +1 more

Tarp

Tarp

Stack: 20

A durable sheet of canvas-like material looted from barrels. Required for crafting basic shelter and sleeping equipment.

From: Barrels, Roadside crates

Gears

Gears

Stack: 20

Mechanical gear components salvaged from barrels and crates. Required for powered doors and engine-based crafting recipes.

From: Barrels, Roadside crates +1 more

Metal Pipe

Metal Pipe

Stack: 20

Hollow metal pipe sections found in barrels. A versatile component used in a wide range of weapons, rockets, and utility crafting recipes.

From: Barrels, Roadside crates +1 more

Metal Spring

Metal Spring

Stack: 20

Coiled metal springs looted from barrels. Used in precision-crafted weapons that require spring-loaded mechanisms such as rifles and crossbows.

From: Barrels, Roadside crates +1 more

Tech Trash

Tech Trash

Stack: 20

Salvaged electronic components from advanced technological items. Required for the most powerful Tier 3 crafting recipes. Hard to come by without elite crate access or recycling.

From: Elite crates (monuments), Recycling T3 weapons and electronics +2 more

Sewing Kit

Sewing Kit

Stack: 20

A small kit used for stitching fabric and leather components together. Found in barrels and medical crates, used in mid-tier clothing and armor recipes.

From: Barrels, Medical crates +1 more

Rifle Body

Rifle Body

Stack: 20

A machined rifle receiver body found in elite crates or obtained by recycling advanced rifles. The core component in the highest-tier rifle crafting recipes.

From: Elite crates (monuments), Recycling advanced rifles +2 more

Road Signs

Road Signs

Stack: 5

Salvaged metal road signs repurposed as armor plating. Used specifically to craft the roadsign armor set, providing decent protection at a moderate resource cost.

From: Barrels, Roadside crates +1 more

Sheet Metal

Sheet Metal

Stack: 20

Flat panels of sheet metal found in barrels. Used for crafting metal doors and certain armor pieces that require rigid plating.

From: Barrels, Roadside crates +1 more

Empty Propane Tank

Empty Propane Tank

Stack: 20

An empty propane canister looted from barrels. Used in certain improvised explosive devices and as a required component for the MLRS rocket system.

From: Barrels, Roadside crates +1 more

Targeting Computer

Targeting Computer

Stack: 1

A sophisticated targeting module found only in elite crates or obtained by recycling top-tier automated defenses. Required for advanced automated weapons and surveillance systems.

From: Elite crates (monuments), Recycling Auto Turret or SAM Site +2 more

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Scrap used for in Rust?
Scrap is the primary progression currency in Rust. It is used to unlock blueprints at a Research Table, purchase items from Bandit Camp and Outpost, and craft items via the tech tree at Workbenches. It is found in barrels, crates, and by recycling items.
How do you get High Quality Metal (HQM) in Rust?
High Quality Metal is smelted from HQM Ore found at rare shiny rock nodes, or obtained by recycling mid-to-high tier items at a Recycler. It is used in crafting advanced items like guns, armor, and electrical components. It stacks to only 20.
What is the fastest way to farm Metal Fragments in Rust?
The fastest method is mining metal ore nodes with a Jackhammer (requires Low Grade Fuel) then smelting in a Large Furnace for a yield bonus. Recycling metal items at Outpost or Bandit Camp is also highly efficient since it bypasses the smelting step.
Where do you find components like Gears and Metal Pipes in Rust?
Components are found in red and green crates, barrels, and roadside monuments. Higher-tier components like Tech Trash and Rifle Bodies only appear in elite crates at the Launch Site, Military Tunnels, or Cargo Ship.