Fallout 76 Items: 16 Crafting Materials That Are Always Worth Keeping

Selena

If you’ve spent any time roaming the wasteland in Fallout 76, you’ve probably hit the dreaded stash limit more than once. With so many lootable items and components scattered across Appalachia, it’s easy to become a digital hoarder. But not all crafting materials are created equal. Some are absolutely essential for crafting, repairing, and upgrading your gear. Here are 16 crafting materials that are always worth keeping—and why.

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1. Adhesive

This is the backbone of repairs and modifications. Whether you're fixing a weapon or tweaking your power armor, you’ll need adhesive. Always collect duct tape, wonderglue, and vegetable starch when you can.

2. Aluminum

Used heavily in armor, weapon, and power armor crafting. Light and versatile, aluminum is especially important for energy weapon mods.

3. Lead

A must-have for players who craft their own ammo, especially ballistic types. You’ll find it in weights, pencils, and paint cans—don’t overlook them.

4. Steel

Common but essential. Steel is used in nearly everything: building, weapons, ammo—you name it. Keep a decent stockpile at all times.

5. Screws

Small but mighty. Screws are required for almost all mod work and weapon crafting. Collect fans, typewriters, and desk globes to stock up.

6. Plastic

Used in crafting, building, and bulk item creation. Plastic also factors into armor mods and chems, so don’t toss those plastic utensils and cups.

7. Oil

This one fuels turrets, flamers, and is part of many explosives. Oil is found in cooking oil, blowtorches, and lanterns—easy to spot once you know.

8. Gears

Another mod-focused component. If you're building defenses or modding weapons, gears will disappear fast. Watch for fans and cameras.

9. Copper

Essential for power generators and electronics. Light strings, wiring, and some turrets all demand copper, so don’t scrap it lightly.

10. Circuitry

Key to advanced crafting: turrets, energy weapons, and anything involving electronics need circuitry. Scrapping phones, military-grade circuit boards, and hot plates will yield plenty.

11. Fiber Optics

Rare but powerful. Needed for scopes, laser weapons, and high-end electronics. Military-grade circuit boards and microscopes often contain them.

12. Acid

Primarily used to smelt ore into usable materials. If you're into farming for materials or crafting ammo, acid is absolutely vital.

13. Fertilizer

Underrated by many, but essential for farming and explosive crafting. Bags of fertilizer and Brahmin dung are worth collecting.

14. Crystal

Used for scopes, lasers, and optical components. Not super common, but absolutely worth keeping when found.

15. Ballistic Fiber

Rare and valuable. Used in crafting high-end armor and clothing mods, especially for stealth builds. Military ammo bags are a great source.

16. Ultracite

A high-end material for crafting energy ammo and modding ultracite weapons. Farming the Queen or exploring nuclear zones will net you some, and it’s always worth keeping for late-game crafting.

A good rule of thumb: If an item can be scrapped into multiple components (especially screws, gears, or circuitry), it’s probably worth hauling back. Of course, inventory management is a constant challenge, so learning what to keep is half the battle.

If you're short on key crafting materials or looking to gear up faster, it’s helpful to know the Best Place to buy Fallout 76 Items. Players on Xbox might also want to buy fallout 76 caps xbox to accelerate their progression, especially when crafting becomes a caps sink.

At the end of the day, crafting is the heart of survival in Fallout 76. Keep your workbench stocked with these 16 materials, and you'll be ready for anything Appalachia throws your way.