🔧 My Time at Sandrock — Workshop Optimization Guide
Efficiency is everything in Sandrock. The difference between scraping by and dominating the workshop rankings lies in production chain optimization, commission selection, and machine layout. This guide walks you through every optimization lever from day 1 to endgame.
🏗️ Early Game Machine Layout
| Priority | Machine | Qty | Input → Output | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stone Furnace | 2 | 2 Copper Ore + 1 Wood → Copper Bar | First gol-maker |
| 2 | Stone Furnace | 1 | 1 Tin + 1 Copper Ore → Bronze Bar | Unlock advanced machines |
| 3 | Worktable | 1 | — | All intermediate crafting |
| 4 | Dew Collector | 3 | → 3 Water Bottles/day | Passive water income |
Furnace ratio: Maintain 3 furnaces per 1 grinder for the first 30 days. Dedicate one to glass production — it's required for 40% of early commissions.
📦 Production Chain Profit Analysis
| Product | Materials Cost | Sell | Margin | Time | Gol/Hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Copper Bar | 8g | 18g | +10g | 30min | 20 |
| Bronze Bar | 12g | 32g | +20g | 45min | 27 |
| Glass 🥇 | 6g | 22g | +16g | 20min | 48 |
| Tempered Glass | 10g | 55g | +45g | 1.5hr | 30 |
Best early margin: Glass at 48 gol/hour beats everything. Keep 10 in stock for commissions. Best mid-game: Tempered Glass — manganese investment pays off fast.
📋 Commission Strategy
| Tier | Gol Range | Avg Time | Gol/Min | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 💎 Premium (red) | 800-2000 | 5-10 min | 80-400 | Always accept |
| ⭐ High (blue) | 400-800 | 5-10 min | 40-160 | Next priority |
| 📋 Standard (white) | 100-400 | 3-5 min | 20-133 | Fill gaps |
Rules: Only accept same-day deliveries — missed deadlines cost reputation. Stockpile Copper Bar (×5), Glass (×10), Bronze Bar (×5). Skip premium Titanium/Opal commissions early-game. Board refreshes at 8 AM and 3 PM.
🏠 Workshop Expansion Priority
| Phase | Room | Cost | Benefit | When |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Assembly Room | 5000g + 20 Wood | +2 assembly stations | Week 2 |
| 2 | Furnace Room | 8000g + 30 Hardwood | +4 furnace slots | Week 3-4 |
| 3 | Grinder Ext. | 12000g + 10 Tempered Glass | +2 grinder slots | Month 2 |
| 4 | Automation Hub | 50000g + 20 Data Disks | Conveyor system | Month 4+ |
Do not expand until you have 10,000g liquid — you need operating capital for seeds and fuel.
🤖 Automation Milestones
| Rank | Unlock | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Conveyor Belts | Connect furnaces→grinders — eliminates 70% walking |
| 7 | Auto-feed Hoppers | Machines pull from chests automatically |
| 9 | Smart Sorters | Route copper to chest A, bronze to chest B |
Manual flow: Ore chest → furnace → bar chest → grinder → refined chest → assembly → output. With conveyors, zero movement time.
🏛️ Relic Restoration — Worth It?
| Relic | Pieces | Time | Sell Price | Worth? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ancient Vase | 3 | 2hr | 1500g | ✅ Quick |
| Dinosaur Skeleton | 8 | 8hr | 5000g | ✅ Museum prize |
| Old Computer | 5 | 4hr | 3000g | ✅ Story needed |
| Broken Watch | 4 | 3hr | 1200g | ❌ Low gol/hr |
Rule: Restore relics paying ≥400g per restoration hour. Sell raw pieces for everything else.
💧 Water Management
| Source | Daily Output | Cost | Best Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dew Collector (basic) | 3 bottles | Free | First 3 months |
| Dew Collector (upgraded) | 6 bottles | 10 Copper Bars | Month 2+ |
| Water Tower | Unlimited | 50g/5 bottles | Emergency only |
Water efficiency: Cactus (16 gol/water) → Aloe Vera (15) → Sandrice (12). Plant Cactus — half the water of Sandrice. Four upgraded Dew Collectors = 24 bottles/day, enough for 30 cactus tiles with surplus.
📈 Workshop Rank Fast Track
| Rank | Rep | Unlock | Fastest Path |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0→2 | 150 | Grinder | Do 5 commissions |
| 2→4 | 400 | Assembly Station | Blue commissions only |
| 4→6 | 1500 | Conveyor Belts | Premium + relic quests |
| 6→8 | 5000 | Tier 4 machines | Museum + story commissions |
| 8→9 | 8000 | Automation Hub | Endgame multi-stage commissions |
Focus exclusively on commissions the first 15 days to reach Rank 4 by day 15.
🏁 Endgame Max Gol/Hour
Final setup: 6 auto-fed Furnaces + 3 Grinders + 3 Assembly Stations + 12 Conveyor Belts + 4 Smart Sorters + 40 Cactus planters. Loop: Ore → furnace → bar → grinder → refined → assembly → output, zero movement.
Max output: ~16,400 gol/day passive + active (950 gol/hr from Tempered Glass + Titanium Alloy, 2000 gol/day from crops, 3000 gol/day from relics).
Data source: My Time at Sandrock Wiki 1.0, game version 1.4+