Troubleshooting
The Last Caretaker Fabricator Not Working? What Each Paused Message Means
Short answer: Read the word after PAUSED at the bottom right of the Build menu. WAITING FOR MATERIALS means the parts are out of reach: carry them or keep the storage right next to the Fabricator. UNHOLSTERED means a weapon or tool is out, so put it away, and J pauses and resumes it. Petrol grenades, fuel containers and Stainless Steel also need Petrol, Diesel or Oil piped into the matching input, and the output bay on the right must be clear.
Game version: Early Access, Update 6 (0.10.0)
What Each Paused Message Means
Why does my Fabricator say Paused?
Look at the bottom right of the Build menu: the word after PAUSED says what is missing. WAITING FOR MATERIALS means the parts are out of reach, and UNHOLSTERED means you have a weapon or tool out.
J pauses and resumes the Fabricator, so press it once in case you paused it yourself.
What does Paused – Waiting for Materials mean?
The Fabricator only uses parts it can reach: what you carry, what sits in storage close to it and what lies on the floor nearby. Crates stacked a little too far away do not count, so carry the parts or move the storage next to it.
See also: where to get each material
What does Paused – Unholstered mean?
You have a weapon or tool in your hands while you build. Put it away and the build carries on.
Why does a module just say Waiting?
A module needs its parts built first. Right-click it in the Build menu and pick Add missing parts to queue (or Add all parts to queue); the module starts once its parts are done.
See also: item database: what each part needs
Fabricator Not Working at All
Why will it not build petrol grenades, fuel containers or Stainless Steel?
Petrol grenades, fuel containers and Stainless Steel need a liquid as well as power. Pipe it into the matching input on the side of the Fabricator: it has separate inputs for Petrol, Diesel, Oil and Water, and a line in the wrong one does nothing. The Build menu only says PAUSED, not which liquid is missing.
See also: Stainless Steel and its Oil input · piping Petrol, Diesel and Oil
What if the output is blocked?
Finished items drop into the bay on the right of the Fabricator. If something blocks that bay, production stops until you clear it.
It has parts but does nothing. Is it the power?
Follow the cable back to your power: one extension switched off, or a connector that has gone dark, cuts the Fabricator off. Plug a fresh cable into a dark connector.
Update 6 (October 19, 2026) stopped Fabricators draining power while parts are missing, gave quest items their own category in the Fabricator and build menus, and lets you place newly fabricated objects facing you.
See also: cables, extensions and switches
Still stuck on Paused?
When none of that helps, save and load the game, or clear the queue, switch the Fabricator and its power off and add the items again. A Fabricator that stays on PAUSED with nothing after it has also been fixed by going back to an older save.
Production modules fitted under the Fabricator have stopped it; unplugging them got it going again.
See also: where your save files are
Where the Fabricator Is
Where is the Fabricator?
Your boat has one built in, in the lower deck, so you can start building straight away.
The wiki also lists Fabricators already standing at Sanctuary Dock 37, Sanctuary Dock 12 and the Lazarus Complex.
Can you build another Fabricator?
It is a tier 4 module: unlock it in the Skills menu, then build more Fabricators for your other bases.
See also: Skill Planner
