Project Zomboid Build 42 Welding Guide: The Skill That Used to Be Metalworking
TL;DR: Build 41's Metalworking skill is called Welding in Build 42. You need a Welding Torch (10 uses when full, refilled from a Propane Tank) and Welding Rods (20 uses per pack); the hand-crafting recipes also keep a Welder Mask. With no magazine at all you can weld metal sheet and metal bar barricades, metal doors and a metal feeding trough from level 3, the barrel oven and one metal fence at level 5, and every scrap weapon. Metal walls, frames, floors, stairs, crates and most fences need a Welder Monthly magazine or the Welder occupation. Frames, fences and stairs eat Steel Rods, which are not the same item as steel bars. From level 0, the XP comes from Dismantle Car Wreck on burnt or smashed cars, not from scrapping furniture, which gives no XP on default settings.
Searching for "metalworking" in Build 42 finds old answers because the skill was renamed: Build 41's translation file calls it Metalworking, Build 42's calls the same skill Welding, and the sandbox XP option is now the Welding Multiplier. Everything below is read from the 42.21 build and craft scripts, so every cost is the one the game uses. Forging metal at an anvil is a separate skill, Blacksmithing, covered in our blacksmithing guide.
The welding kit
| Item | Role | From the 42.21 scripts |
|---|---|---|
| Welding Torch | Used up by every weld | 10 uses from full. Refill it by combining it with a Propane Tank that is not empty. |
| Welding Rods | Used up by build welds | 20 uses per pack. |
| Welder Mask | Kept, not used up | Listed as a required tool on the hand-crafting recipes: cutting metal, scrap weapons, scrap armor and joining sheets. The wall, fence and furniture builds list only torch and rod uses. |
| Propane Tank | Torch fuel | The tank itself is kept when you refill a torch from it. |
Read the build costs below as torch uses and rod uses. A Metal Wall level 1 costs 4 of each, which is 40% of a full torch and a fifth of a pack of rods. A whole torch builds two walls and leaves 2 uses over, so carry the propane tank, or a spare torch, on any serious build day.
What needs a magazine and what does not
Some Build 42 recipes carry a learn flag, and the game only blocks the ones that have it. These are the sources for the flagged ones:
| Source | What it teaches |
|---|---|
| Magazine: Welder Monthly - June 1993 | Metal walls (levels 1 and 2), wall frame, floor, window and door frames, metal stairs |
| Magazine: Welder Monthly - May 1993 | Metal counters, crates, lockers and shelves |
| Magazine: Welder Monthly - April 1993 | Metal fences and gates, pole and wire fences |
| Magazine: Welder Monthly - March 1993 | Joining small sheets into a Steel Sheet, and cutting a sheet into four small ones with the torch |
| Magazine: Secrets of the Outback Outlaws | Scrap Metal Helmet, Body Armor, Shoulder Armor and Thigh Armor |
| Welder occupation (+4 Welding) | All of the walls, wall, window and door frames, stairs and furniture, several fences and gates, sheet joining and cutting, and the four scrap armor pieces above. Since 42.21 the Welder starts with these welding recipes instead of blacksmithing ones, as the 42.21 patch notes say. |
| Mechanics occupation | +1 Welding on top of its +4 Mechanics |
The skill books are separate and only speed up XP: Welding I: "Basics of Welding" for levels 1 and 2, then Welding II to V for 3 to 4, 5 to 6, 7 to 8 and 9 to 10.
What you can build, with costs
| Build | Welding level | Magazine needed | Torch uses | Rod uses | Materials | XP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metal Floor | 0 | Yes | 1 | 1 | 1 Steel Sheet - Small | 10 |
| Metal Wall Frame | 2 | Yes | 1 | 2 | 3 Steel Rods | 20 |
| Metal Sheet Barricade | 3 | No | 1 | 1 | 1 Steel Sheet | 30 |
| Metal Bar Barricade | 3 | No | 3 | 3 | 3 Iron Bars, Steel Rods or Steel Bars | 30 |
| Metal Door (level 1) | 3 | No | 4 | 4 | 3 Steel Sheet - Small, 2 Door Hinges, 1 Doorknob | 30 |
| Metal feeding trough | 3 | No | 4 | 4 | 4 Steel Sheets | 30 |
| Metal Wall (level 1) | 3 | Yes | 4 | 4 | 3 Steel Sheet - Small | 30 |
| Metal Window Frame (level 1) | 3 | Yes | 4 | 0 | 3 Steel Sheet - Small | 30 |
| Metal Door Frame (level 1) | 3 | Yes | 4 | 4 | 4 Steel Rods | 30 |
| Metal Fence (level 1) | 3 | Yes | 2 | 2 | 2 Steel Rods | 30 |
| Metal Crate (level 1) | 3 | Yes | 4 | 4 | 2 Steel Sheet - Small, 2 Steel Sheets, 1 Scrap Metal | 30 |
| Metal Wall (level 2) | 5 | Yes | 4 | 4 | 4 Steel Sheet - Small | 50 |
| Metal Stairs | 5 | Yes | 4 | 4 | 4 Steel Rods, 6 Steel Sheet - Small | 50 |
| Metal Fence (level 2) | 5 | No | 2 | 2 | 2 Steel Rods | 50 |
| Barrel Oven | 5 | No | 4 | 4 | 2 Steel Sheet - Small, 2 Steel Sheets, 1 Scrap Metal | 50 |
The level 2 versions of furniture climb steeply: a level 2 Metal Crate needs Welding 7, small and big lockers at level 2 need 9 and 10. The pole and wire fences and the gates run on Iron Pipes, Door Hinges, Scrap Metal and Wire instead of Steel Rods, from Welding 3 for the small fences up to 5 for the double gates.
Steel Rods, steel bars and sheets: where the materials come from
A recurring Build 42 complaint is that steel rods are not steel bars, and the scripts back it up: frames, fences and stairs ask for Steel Rod, a different item from the Steel Bar that blacksmithing makes. The game has a dedicated recipe to turn one into the other, and it is a forge recipe, not a welding one: at an Advanced Forge, a Steel Bar becomes a Steel Rod plus a Steel Chunk, and a Steel Bar Half becomes a Steel Rod Half plus a Steel Piece. It needs a ball-peen hammer, a metalworking chisel, tongs and 4 charcoal. Without a forge, rods come from loot and from salvage: Dismantle Car Wreck can return Steel Rods along with steel bars and sheets, and taking apart objects made of metal bars with the torch can give back Steel Rods too.
Sheets have more routes:
- Steel Sheet into four Steel Sheet - Small: with sheet metal snips, no skill and no torch. Or with the torch at Welding 4 (2 uses, a Welder Mask, a recipe from the March 1993 magazine), which also gives 25 XP.
- Four small sheets into one Steel Sheet: Welding 4, 2 torch uses, Welder Mask, same magazine, 25 XP.
- Forged: a Blacksmithing 4 character can hammer a Steel Chunk into a small sheet, or a Steel Block into a full sheet, at a Forge.
Welded weapons and scrap armor
All of the welded scrap weapons are open recipes with no magazine needed, which makes them the best use of a torch before you have a base to build. Each keeps a Welder Mask.
| Item | Welding | Torch uses | XP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Block bludgeon (pipe or rod plus a pierced iron or steel block) | 1 | 2 | 10 |
| Scrap Metal Large Knife | 2 | 4 | 20 |
| Sawblade Hatchet | 3 | 6 | 30 |
| Scrap Metal Cleaver | 4 | 6 | 40 |
| Scrap Metal Chopper | 5 | 8 | 50 |
| Metal Baseball Bat with Sawblade | 6 | 8 | 60 |
| Scrap Metal Shortsword | 6 | 8 | 60 |
| Scrap morningstar | 7 | 8 | 70 |
| Scrap Metal Sword | 8 | 10 (a full torch) | 80 |
Scrap armor needs Welding plus Tailoring 1. The Scrap Metal Mask and gloves need Welding 4, the forearm, shin, shoulder and thigh pieces and the helmet need 5, and the Scrap Metal Body Armor needs 6 (4 torch uses, 4 Steel Sheets, 6 Leather Strips). The mask, gloves, forearm and shin pieces are open recipes; the helmet, body, shoulder and thigh armor come from Secrets of the Outback Outlaws or the Welder occupation. Every scrap armor piece gives only 10 Welding XP, so it is gear, not a levelling route. For steel plate armor at an anvil, see the armor section of the blacksmithing guide.
How to level Welding
| Levels | Best open option | Cost per craft | XP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 to 1 | Dismantle Car Wreck on a burnt or smashed car; or the Metal Floor if you have the June 1993 magazine | A full torch (10 uses) and a Welder Mask; or 1 torch use, 1 rod use, 1 small sheet | 5 plus 1 per part salvaged; 10 |
| 1 to 2 | Cut a bar into halves, or a block into chunks | 1 or 2 torch uses, Welder Mask | 10 |
| 2 to 3 | Scrap Metal Large Knife, or Metal Wall Frames with the magazine | 4 torch uses; or 1 torch use, 2 rod uses, 3 Steel Rods | 20 |
| 3 to 5 | Metal Sheet Barricade on your own windows | 1 torch use, 1 rod use, 1 Steel Sheet | 30 |
| 5 and up | Metal Wall level 2, stairs, or scrap weapons at your level | 4 to 8 torch uses | 50 to 80 |
Without a magazine there is no welding recipe a level 0 character can use, so a fresh character starts on car wrecks. Dismantle Car Wreck appears on burnt and smashed cars, needs a Welder Mask and a Welding Torch with at least 10 uses, and empties that torch. It pays 5 Welding XP plus 1 for every part it salvages, and the salvage rolls repeat more times once your Welding level passes 5. The salvage includes Steel Rods, steel bars, sheets, pipes and scrap, so wrecks are also your rod supply. Dismantling furniture is a different story: by default it gives no skill XP at all, because the presets ship the Maximum Dismantling XP Level sandbox option at 0. A server admin can raise it (0 to 10) to let scrapping pay XP up to that level. The barricade line is the efficient one later on: 30 XP for a single torch use, one rod use and one sheet, with no magazine, and the barricade protects your base while it levels you. Cutting bars and blocks is cheap practice that gives you material for blacksmithing in return.
On a multiplayer server, raise the Welding Multiplier in the sandbox XP options if one player is meant to become the group's builder. Our sandbox settings guide shows where those values live, and the barricade guide covers the other barricade types.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a Metalworking skill in Project Zomboid Build 42?
It is called Welding now. It is the same skill Build 41 called Metalworking, and its sandbox XP setting is the Welding Multiplier. Forging at an anvil is the separate Blacksmithing skill.
What do you need to weld in Project Zomboid?
A Welding Torch with fuel (10 uses when full, refilled from a Propane Tank) and Welding Rods (20 uses per pack). Hand-crafting recipes such as cutting metal, scrap weapons and scrap armor also need a Welder Mask, which is kept.
Why can't I build metal walls in Project Zomboid?
Metal walls, wall frames, floors and stairs are learned recipes. Read Magazine: Welder Monthly - June 1993 or start as a Welder. Metal walls also need Welding 3 (level 1) or 5 (level 2), 4 torch uses, 4 rod uses and small steel sheets.
How do you get steel rods in Project Zomboid?
From loot, from Dismantle Car Wreck on burnt or smashed cars, or by forging: at an Advanced Forge a Steel Bar becomes a Steel Rod plus a Steel Chunk, using a ball-peen hammer, a metalworking chisel, tongs and 4 charcoal. Steel bars and steel rods are different items.
What is the fastest way to level Welding in Project Zomboid?
From level 3, weld metal sheet barricades: 30 XP each for one torch use, one rod use and one Steel Sheet, no magazine needed. Before that, use Dismantle Car Wreck on burnt or smashed cars (a full torch and a Welder Mask each), then cut bars and blocks with the torch and make the scrap knife.
Building a steel compound with friends? Host a Project Zomboid server with Supercraft, tune the XP multipliers for your group, and keep the welds standing between sessions.