Workbench Upgrades
Complete guide to upgrading Worktables, Furnaces, and Cutters in Starsand Island. Covers all three tiers, Crafter profession certification requirements, upgrade materials, tools unlocked at each tier, the Energy Converter and Mini Reactor crafting chain, and practical tips for efficient progression.
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Overview
Workbenches are the core crafting stations in Starsand Island. They come in three tiers (I, II, III), and upgrading them unlocks access to more advanced tools, vehicles, processing stations, and building items. Upgrades are gated behind Crafter profession certifications from Zerine. Always upgrade the Worktable first at each tier, because Furnace and Cutter upgrades require the matching Worktable tier to be in place.
Workbench Types
Station | Function | Availability |
|---|---|---|
Primary crafting station. Handles tools, furniture, building materials, vehicles, storage containers, and most items. | Available from game start | |
Smelts ores into ingots, processes raw materials into refined components. | Unlocked early through the Crafter questline | |
Cuts wood into planks, stone into bricks, and other material processing. | Unlocked alongside the Furnace |
All three station types follow the same three-tier upgrade path. Higher-tier stations retain every recipe from the previous tier, so a Worktable III can craft everything from Tier I and II.
How to Upgrade
Workbench upgrades happen through the station's own interface, not at a separate workbench. Walk up to the station you want to upgrade, open its menu, and press the Upgrade button in the bottom-left corner. The station transforms in place and retains all lower-tier recipes. You do not need to break it down and rebuild it.
Advance your Crafter profession to the required tier by completing certification quests from Zerine.
Purchase the upgraded workbench blueprint from Zerine's General Store.
Build the Worktable upgrade first. Furnace and Cutter upgrades at that tier require the matching Worktable to already be in place.
Gather the materials listed in the blueprint.
Approach the station, open its menu, and press Upgrade.
Important: Upgrading an existing station costs fewer materials than building a brand-new higher-tier station from scratch. Always upgrade your current station rather than crafting a new one.
Circular Dependency Workaround
Players sometimes hit a circular dependency when upgrading. For example, Furnace III requires Worktable III, but Worktable III is only unlocked after completing the Senior Crafter certification. The solution is to upgrade your existing Furnace II to Furnace III through the Furnace's own upgrade interface instead of trying to build a new Furnace III at the Worktable. The same applies to the Cutter. The upgrade path is always available as long as you have the blueprint and materials, even before you can build the station from scratch.
Crafter Profession Requirements
Each workbench tier is gated behind a Crafter certification level. You advance by completing quests from Zerine at her General Store (open 24 hours). Each completed certification unlocks new blueprints for purchase at the store, including upgrade blueprints for your workbench stations.
Certification | Quest Objective | Reward | Unlocks |
|---|---|---|---|
Apprentice Crafter | Gather materials and craft a Skateboard, then meet Neona at G-Power Bike. | Apprentice Certificate, 1,000 Gold, 50 Zerine Affection | Worktable I recipes, basic tool blueprints |
Junior Crafter | Craft an Ore Analyzer (2 Copper Sheet + 8 Hardwood), collect 5 Common Ore Chunks, obtain 5 Ancient Gear Parts, then craft Verdant Breeze rollerblades (2 Bronze + 3 Radiant Core + 5 Ancient Gear Parts). | Junior Certificate, 1,000 Gold, 70 Starsand, 50 Zerine Affection | Worktable II upgrade blueprint, Furnace II, Cutter II, Quick Shipping Box |
Intermediate Crafter | Craft a Spirit Cube at the Worktable (requires Spirit Cube Fragments from analyzed Uncommon/Rare Ore Chunks), return to Zerine for certification, then complete the trial: purchase the Energy Converter blueprint, build one, and deliver it to Delphin at the AquaBlue Outpost. | Intermediate Certificate | Energy Converter recipes, Realm Box, advanced station blueprints |
Senior Crafter | Craft a Waverider hoverboard (1 Skateboard + 2 Spirit Cube II + 5 Flamecore Ingot + 1 Solid-State Battery) and deliver it to Zerine. | Senior Certificate | Worktable III upgrade blueprint, advanced tools (Chainsaw, Electric Drill) |
Expert Crafter | Craft a Robot Terminal, deploy a Mining Robot in the Moonlit Forest, build a Teleporter, and craft all three Worktable tiers (I, II, III). Report back to Zerine. | Expert Certificate, Expert Crafter Title, Spirit Cube III Blueprint | Endgame automation (Mining Robot, Logging Robot, Gathering Robot, advanced sprinklers) |
Tier I (Apprentice)
Available from the start. Covers basic tools, starter furniture, and basic building materials. Most early-game crafting happens at Tier I stations.
Tier I Tools
Tool | Materials |
|---|---|
2 Stone, 2 Softwood | |
2 Stone, 2 Softwood | |
3 Stone, 3 Softwood | |
Wooden Watering Can | 5 Softwood |
Bug Net | 2 Softwood, 2 Fiber |
Wooden Rod | 6 Softwood, 4 Fiber |
Slingshot | 2 Softwood, 2 Fiber |
Worktable I also crafts 50+ other items including coops, furnaces, storage boxes, and planting equipment.
Tier II (Junior)
Unlocked by reaching Junior Crafter certification. You must build Worktable II first; it is required to craft Furnace II and Cutter II. This tier is the biggest early-game power spike, opening up metal tools, the first ranged weapons, and water vehicles.
Key Tier II Upgrade Costs
Upgrade | Materials Required |
|---|---|
Furnace I to Furnace II | 5 Bronze + 5 Stone Brick + Furnace II Blueprint |
Upgrading an existing station costs fewer materials than building a new higher-tier station from scratch. The old station is replaced in place and retains all lower-tier recipes.
Tier II Tools (Selection)
Tool | Materials | Notes |
|---|---|---|
10 Copper, 10 Fluorite, 5 Softwood | Major upgrade over the basic Axe | |
10 Copper, 10 Fluorite, 5 Softwood | Major upgrade over the Stone Pickaxe | |
8 Copper, 8 Softwood, 1 Stone Hoe | Tills a 1x3 area | |
Bronze Watering Can | 20 Copper, 1 Wooden Watering Can | Larger water capacity |
Chrono Rod | 10 Fiber, 3 Copper Ingot, 1 Wooden Rod | Upgraded fishing rod |
Plume Bow | 5 Hardwood, 6 Carbon Line | First ranged weapon |
Golden Bow | 1 Plume Bow, 2 Gold Ingot | Upgraded bow |
Brush | 2 Softwood, 2 Wool | For grooming animals |
Golden Slingshot | 1 Slingshot, 3 Gold Ore | Upgraded slingshot |
Sprinkler | 4 Iron Nail, 4 Bronze, 1 Bronze Watering Can | Automates crop watering |
Silent Rod | 3 Copper Ingot, 2 Carbon Line, 3 Charcoal | Stealth fishing rod |
Cloud Rod | 3 Softwood Plank, 10 Fiber, 3 Copper Ingot | Weather-themed fishing rod |
Worktable II also unlocks 25+ new crafting stations including the Beehive, Breeding House, Gear Smith, and Poultry Station.
Intermediate-Level Tools
The following tools become available at the Intermediate Crafter certification, crafted on the Worktable II or its associated stations:
Tool | Materials | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Impact Hammer | 4 Hardwood Plank, 4 Iron Sheet, 2 Radiant Crystal, 3 Bronze, 1 Impact Pickaxe | Mines gold and primorite nodes |
Machete | 4 Hardwood Plank, 4 Iron Sheet, 2 Radiant Crystal, 3 Bronze, 1 Impact Axe | Upgraded axe for hardwood |
4 Hardwood Plank, 2 Radiant Crystal, 1 Wide Hoe | Wider tilling range | |
Blast Hammer | 20 Premium Wood, 5 Alloy, 5 Starflare Crystal, 5 Rubber, 1 Impact Hammer | Top-tier mining hammer |
Sharp Machete | 5 Starflare Crystal, 5 Rubber, 1 Machete | Top-tier axe |
Mechanical Tiller | 5 Alloy, 5 Premium Wood Plank, 5 Prism, 5 High-Performance Wire Set | Automated tilling, zero stamina cost |
Pressurized Sprinkler | 5 Rubber, 3 Glue, 1 Sprinkler | Upgraded sprinkler with wider range |
Noble Rod | 1 Rod Shaft, 2 Fishing Line, 5 Bronze, 5 Iron Sheet, 5 Prism, 1 Chrono Rod | High-end fishing rod |
Tier III (Senior/Expert)
Each Tier III workbench upgrade requires a Mini Reactor, crafted at the Energy Converter. The Energy Converter is an advanced crafting station unlocked at Intermediate Crafter. Building the reactor chain takes significant mid-game resources, so start gathering materials early.
Tier III Tools (Selection)
Tool | Materials | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Chainsaw | 6 Meteor Plank, 5 Chip, 6 Eternal Alloy, 8 High-Performance Wire Set | Fastest tree cutting in the game |
Electric Drill | 6 Meteor Plank, 5 Chip, 6 Eternal Alloy, 8 High-Performance Wire Set | Fastest mining in the game |
Fishing Net | 10 Rubber, 30 Carbon Line, 10 Iron Sheet, 5 Premium Wood Plank | Catches multiple fish at once |
5 Premium Wood Plank, 3 Starflare Crystal, 3 Alloy, 5 Rubber | Tills large farm plots efficiently | |
Hydraulic Powered Hoe | 3 Eternal Alloy, 5 Meteor Plank, 1 Powered Hoe | Expert-tier; largest tilling area |
Titanium Rod | 1 Rod Shaft, 2 Fishing Line, 6 Eternal Alloy | High-tier fishing rod |
Worktable III also unlocks vehicles (Speedboat, Lightning Car, flight vehicles), alpaca barns, advanced animal housing, teleporters, and mining robots.
Energy Converter and Mini Reactor
The Energy Converter is the gateway station to Tier III. It produces the battery-type items needed for advanced upgrades and automation.
Energy Converter Recipe
Crafted at Worktable II after purchasing the blueprint from Zerine (requires Intermediate Crafter):
Material | Quantity | Source |
|---|---|---|
Alloy | 4 | Furnace II (1 Gold Ingot + 1 Iron Ingot + 1 Copper Ingot + 1 Coal each) |
Magnet | 3 | Furnace II (4 Magnetite + 1 Coal each) |
Starflare Core | 2 | Furnace II (4 Primorite + 1 Coal each) |
Gear | 3 | Gear Smith (1 Tin Ingot each) |
Prism | 2 | Gear Smith (3 Glass Brick each) |
Energy Converter Products
Product | Materials | Used For |
|---|---|---|
Solid-State Battery | 1 Radiant Crystal, 2 Tin Ingot, 1 Iron Sheet | Mid-tier power components, Waverider hoverboard |
Mini Reactor | 1 Starflare Crystal, 2 Magnet, 2 High-Performance Wire Set | Upgrading Worktable, Furnace, and Cutter to Tier III |
Perpetual Reactor | 1 Lunar Crystal, 2 Diamond, 2 High-Performance Wire Set, 2 Magnet | Teleporters, Robot Terminals, and other endgame structures |
Tips
Prioritize the Crafting profession. Nearly every other profession depends on crafted tools and stations.
Always upgrade Worktable first at each tier, since Furnace and Cutter upgrades require the matching Worktable tier.
Rush Junior Crafter when you can. The jump from Tier I to Tier II is the single biggest early-game power spike.
Zerine's General Store is open 24 hours, so you can buy blueprints at any time of day.
Upgrade existing stations rather than building new higher-tier stations from scratch. Upgrading uses fewer materials and keeps the station in the same spot.
If you run into a circular dependency (for example, needing Worktable III to build Furnace III), upgrade the existing Furnace II through its own interface instead. The upgrade path bypasses the Worktable requirement.
Start gathering Mini Reactor materials early if you want Tier III. The crafting chain through the Energy Converter requires ores from the Moonlit Forest.
Keep old tools in storage rather than selling them. Many higher-tier tool recipes consume the previous version as a crafting ingredient (e.g., Wide Hoe requires 1 Stone Hoe, Golden Bow requires 1 Plume Bow).
The Ore Analyzer is essential for Crafter progression. You need it to analyze Ore Chunks into Ancient Gear Parts (for Junior Crafter) and Spirit Cube Fragments (for Intermediate Crafter).
Related Articles
Zerine - Crafting Mentor and General Store owner
Professions - Crafting profession tiers and certification details
Crafter Profession - Detailed Crafter questline walkthrough
Crafting - How the crafting system works
Crafting Stations - All 22 crafting stations and what they produce
Realm Box - Shared inventory system, unlocked at Intermediate Crafter
Energy Converter - Advanced power station for Mini Reactors and Perpetual Reactors
Vehicles - Craftable vehicles organized by tier
Tools - Complete tool list with crafting recipes