Planks to Gears

The Planks to Gears recipe converts 1 Plank into 1 Gear at the Gear Workshop, taking 3 hours per batch and requiring 120 horsepower. Gears are one of the most important intermediate materials in Timberborn, used in the construction of powered buildings, advanced structures, and Bot components. This recipe is available to all factions, making the Gear Workshop a universal mid-game building that every settlement needs to invest in early.

Gears sit at a critical junction in the production chain. Upstream, they depend on a reliable supply of Planks from either the Lumber Mill or the Industrial Lumber Mill. Downstream, Gears are consumed in enormous quantities by the Bot Part Factory (which needs 3 Gears per Bot Head and 3 Gears per Bot Limb set), as well as in the construction of most powered buildings, automation components, and advanced water management structures. The relatively slow crafting time of 3 hours per Gear means that large settlements often require multiple Gear Workshops running simultaneously to meet demand.

To keep Gear production flowing smoothly, ensure that your Lumber Mills are producing Planks faster than your Gear Workshops can consume them. Since a standard Lumber Mill produces 1 Plank every 1.3 hours and a Gear Workshop consumes 1 Plank every 3 hours, a single Lumber Mill can comfortably supply 2 Gear Workshops. Iron Teeth players benefit from the Industrial Lumber Mill, where one mill can supply nearly 5 Gear Workshops. Stockpiling Gears before undertaking major construction projects or Bot production runs is a wise strategy, as running out of Gears can stall multiple production lines at once.