Astroneer Clay Farming Guide: How to Gather, Tools, & Crafting Recipes

New Astroneers will discover that Clay is a resource that’s hard to come by in space. Exploring planets for hours may only yield a few units (if you’re lucky). However, there’s a way to farm Clay in Astroneer without the hours of grinding, and we’re here to guide you in this endeavor.

How to Farm Clay in Astroneer

Two items are required to farm Clay efficiently in Astroneer: the Soil Centrifuge, and the Canister. Players must use 2x Compound and 1x Aluminum at a Medium Printer to craft the Soil Centrifuge. Note: Craft the Medium Printer at a Small Printer using 2x Compound. Next, craft a Small Canister from the backpack using 1x Resin. Crafting at least two Small Canisters is recommended to reduce the time and effort it takes to gather additional resources for the Clay farming operation. After crafting these items, the next step is to gather soil. Search for a seemingly unimportant plot of land on the planet. Hold the Terrain Tool (press “E” on the keyboard by default for PC users), and start sucking land until your backpack fills with soil.

Making Clay in the Soil Centrifuge

After gathering sufficient soil, place the collected resources into the Soil Centrifuge. Note that it takes two full soil canisters to fill the centrifuge. Next, interact with the centrifuge and search for Clay. Once found, start the structure and wait for the process to complete. One soil transformation operation will produce six Clay blocks. Alternatively, players can craft the Trade Platform (use 1x EXO Chip, 1x Tungsten, and 1x Iron at the Medium Printer). Then, trade 1x Scrap for 2x Clay. Note: The Trade Platform doesn’t require a platform or power to operate as of patch 1.0.

Clay Crafting Recipes

At the time of writing, Clay in Astroneer is an ingredient to craft two items, which are the following:

• PUM-KN Shelter: 1x Clay, 1x Resin, 1x Carbon, and 1x Plastic at the Large Printer
• Ceramic: 1x Clay at the Smelting Furnace