# Unlocking the Sawmill at Crafting 20
Version-sensitive Unlocking the Sawmill requires reaching approximately crafting level 20. Players progressing through early levels recommend crafting a sequence of accessible workshop recipes—specifically iron cups, awls, wooden buttons, and sturdy shields—to gain crafting experience steadily[1].
Recommendation The in-game Library serves as the detailed route sheet for this phase. Community members direct newcomers to the Library’s “Sawmill Silver” article in town, which links directly to “Crafting Advice” for step-by-step guidance on what to prioritize before unlocking the Sawmill[1].
# The core shield loop: boards, planks, iron, and nails
Community Knowledge Once the Sawmill is operational, the primary early silver generator described by players is converting Sawmill boards into wood planks, and then combining those planks with iron and nails to craft Sturdy Shields to sell[2].
Community Knowledge Beginners frequently hit an apparent roadblock when running low on iron and nails, assuming they must spend limited exploration stamina searching for them. Players point out that iron and nails can be bought directly for silver inside the workshop via “Buy more materials” at the top of the screen. Players add that the shields more than pay for the extra iron and nails[2].
Version-sensitive Several replies recommend the Farm Supply perk that buys iron and nails for you automatically (reported at 125 gold), calling it worth it and a game changer, because you no longer spend stamina or attention on those supplies. One reply clarifies that the perk still uses your silver to buy them[2].
# Production targets and pacing: reaching 150–200 bph
Community Knowledge The production milestone most widely cited from the Library is building Sawmill capacity to roughly 150 to 200 boards per hour by reinvesting incoming silver directly back into Sawmill upgrades[3].
Version-sensitive The time required to reach this threshold depends heavily on active play. Very active players report reaching around 180 boards per hour in 1 to 2 days of focused play[3]. Other players report a slower, multi-day trajectory, such as taking an entire day of play to advance from 50 to 60 boards per hour[4]. The advice in that thread is patience and to start working towards Fancy Pipes and then Lanterns; the asker notes their crafting level rises with each batch of shields[4].
Version-sensitive When balancing Sawmill upgrades, one player suggests comparing the cost of wood and board upgrades: if purchasing five wood upgrades is cheaper than one board upgrade, prioritize wood first, based on an unconfirmed rule of thumb that five wood converts into one board[3].
# Beyond shields: Fancy Pipes, Craftworks, and Lanterns
Community Knowledge Sturdy Shields serve as an early foundation, but players describe clear subsequent tiers as crafting levels rise[3][5]:
- Fancy Pipes: As shield crafting levels up your crafting skill, players unlock Fancy Pipes. Adding a quarry provides stone production that pairs with Sawmill wood to create a strong secondary silver stream[3][5].
- Craftworks plank conversion: Setting Craftworks to automatically convert boards into planks roughly quintuples the duration you can stack Sawmill production before your inventory caps out[5]. However, players note that Craftworks does not award crafting experience; players who need crafting levels craft shields manually to capture that experience[7].
- Lanterns at Crafting 70: Once crafting reaches level 70, players report that Lanterns accelerate silver earnings drastically[5]. Crafting lanterns in volume requires investing in a hay field for straw (to produce twine) and exploring for glass, yielding substantially higher silver returns per inventory stack than earlier recipes[2][3][5].
# Sawmill vs Winery: what most players do
Community Knowledge When deciding whether to allocate early silver to the Sawmill or the Winery, every direct answer in the thread picked the Sawmill[6].
Community Knowledge The main argument for the Sawmill is that boards stay useful no matter how deep you go into the game, and that it makes more silver at lower levels[6].
Version-sensitive The Winery, by contrast, is described as an ineffective early silver vehicle. Players report that wine takes weeks to reach its maximum value (one estimate is 42 days) and gets capped quickly unless you upgrade it with gold[6]. By the time a bottle reaches that value, players say the amount no longer matters much next to other income such as large fishing nets[6].
Community Knowledge The other side: players who later maxed the Winery with gold perks say it then brings in steady daily silver, and one calls it good later on. They still put the Sawmill first in the early and mid game[6]..
# Other approaches: early Storehouse and Farmhouse priority
Community Knowledge A smaller group advocates building the Storehouse and Farmhouse as early as possible rather than exclusively pumping Sawmill production[3][7].
Community Knowledge This approach is rooted in the observation that inventory capacity and exploration stamina gate more game content over the long term than silver alone[7]. The Storehouse provides daily incremental inventory growth, while the Farmhouse provides daily maximum stamina increases and farming experience[3][7]. Because these benefits accumulate daily, players in this group suggest securing these structures early so the daily growth begins compounding immediately[7].
Community Knowledge In the same thread, another reply suggests keeping your wood and board production in line with your inventory size[7].
# What not to sell for silver
Community Knowledge Because the game is jokingly called “HoardRPG”, the new-player advice is to avoid selling items that are difficult to re-acquire, unless you are able to mass-produce or farm them on demand[8].
Recommendation The same advice says never to craft jade: unpolished jade is needed for a few quests and is not easy to get[8]. Players should hold unpolished jade and consult the Jade & Gold Leaves guide for full hoarding context.
← Back to Farm RPG main guide · Related guides: Jade & Gold Leaves · Large Nets
u/Gewt92: “Craft iron cups, awl, wooden button and sturdy shield. You’ll get your crafting to 20 and can unlock sawmill. Unlock the library it’ll give you all this information.” — comment
kr5e6nyu/wickedgames0420: “it literally walks you, step by step, how to get enough silver to buy the sawmill and beyond.” — comment
kr5dldiu/SandwichExotic9095: “which will tell you exactly what to focus on as you progress pre-sawmill.” — comment
kr6r7wu