Clinker Vat

Clinker Vat
(Building)
Location
Compound
Size
13 x 13
Requirements
Masonry
Cost to Build Copper Sheeting 10 Cut Stone 60 Firebricks 2,500

Sources

This building becomes available after you have learned the Masonry tech. Using it requires Stonework 3 (Skill).

Cost

• 60 Cut Stone ?
• 10 Copper Sheeting ?
• 2500 Firebricks ?

You will be asked to select the fuel source when you build: Petroleum, Charcoal, or Coal.

Built in a Compound. Uses 21x21 cells.

UPgrade button offers to change fuel, even to wood. Cost is 100 Firebricks and 10 Copper Sheeting

Firing

Requires one of the following to fire, based on type selected when built:

• 40 Petroleum
• 400 Charcoal
• 800 Coal

Fuel is only needed when making Cement.

Plaster

Making a batch of 500 Plaster costs:

• 400 Sand
• 50 Cement
• 50 Gypsum
• 100 Water

• NOTE: Mixing Plaster does not require fuel or stirring—just mix the ingredients and take it after 1 hour. All water in vat will be used, so if you put more than 100 water, it will all be used.

Concrete

Making a batch of 250 Concrete costs:

• 250 Gravel
• 15 Cement
• 100 Water

NOTE: Mixing Concrete does not require fuel or stirring—just mix the ingredients and take it. All water in vat will be used, so if you put more than 100 water, it will all be used.

Making Concrete takes 30 minutes.

Cement

Making a batch of 100 Cement costs:

• 10 Bauxite
• 10 Gypsum
• 800 Clinker
• 500 Water
• Appropriate fuel for the vat, depending on the vat's type.

NOTE: You can run as many cement batches off this 500 water as you like; it will not be used provided that you do not mix concrete or plaster.

Stirring

Once started, the cement must be stirred continuously by a team of people, or it will solidify and all ingredients wasted. Only the person started the cement needs the Stonework 3 skill. [NB: The others may need the Stonework 3 technology; my alt had that but not the skill when I did my last stir. -- Lyo]

• Stirring the vat sets a 45-second base timer on STR and END (at STR 0 / END 0)
• Stirring starts out easy with 2 minutes between stirs, but the stirs have to come closer and closer together as it gets closer to completion.
• Progress is made with each stir based on the strength of the stirrer.
• Towards the end (depending on the food) people may need to let the timer tick down the appropriate amount before stirring so a round is not over before the first person can stir again).
• At the end of a stir, the timer is precisely 12 seconds.
• The percentage completion of the stir is reported in Main each time you stir.

One strategy for stirring is:

• Everyone pins the clinker vat menu and refreshes it regularly.
• Initially, everyone stirs as fast as possible.
• When the batch reaches 70% complete, only stir if:
  • there is less than 10s left on the timer; or
  • your str/end stats are black

With 20 people and good (+18str/+22end) food, a batch can be completed in under 30 seconds, with everyone stirring 3-4 times each and str/end recharging while the vat is reloaded for the next batch.

• Two people completed a batch with +9 str/end food.
• One person completed a batch with +33 str/end food (user stirred once every 9 seconds)

If you are stirring either solo or using multiple logins, be sure that there is more than one "100%" message before you quit stirring or you could revert to 99% and lose the batch. The GM said that this was most likely a lag issue!

Breaking Up

If you fail to stir in the time it asks you to, all menus are lost except one, "Break the hardened mass with a sledgehammer". To restore the Vat to a usable state, you will need a sledgehammer. This will cost you a 5-minute endurance timer.

Once restored, you will retain the fuel and water entered into the Vat, but you will lose any Bauxite, Gypsum, and Clinker placed into it.