Sandustry Slag & Processing

Factory sandboxes punish players who only chase the valuable output. Slag and other residuals fill belts, bury buildings, and fake “I need more dig” problems.

If the gold path looks hungry while junctions are piled high with junk, you do not have a dig problem — you have a sorting / sink problem.

Filter and sink byproducts on purpose from the first crowded belt onward.

Give slag its own lane or dump before it backfills the valuable path.

Do not merge unsorted dig output into a single long belt forever.

Put filters upstream of merges. Downstream filters on a packed junction are usually too late.

When throughput drops, inspect junctions for the wrong material first.

Some byproducts become feedstock after later unlocks; some are waste in the current patch. EA makes permanent “destroy everything” advice risky.

Until you know, isolate. Isolation keeps options open without stalling the main line.

Revisit processing buildings after major Steam news / unlocks — EA often adds better sinks or reuse chains.

Is the valuable output actually leaving the refiner, or is input polluted?

Is a residual pile touching a belt side and re-contaminating a sorted line?

Do you have an intentional overflow for junk, or only hope?

Did you widen dig volume after a clog instead of fixing sorting?

Official Hooded Horse wiki and in-game tooltips own recipe truth.

Use Automation Tips for belt/filter design and the Beginner Guide for recovery playbooks.

Community Discord/Reddit screenshots help for layouts, not for inventing numbers.