The Crafter in Refined Storage supports locking mechanisms.

Locking and unlocking a Crafter only applies to processing recipes.

The locking and unlocking functionality also has to be enabled by configuring the Crafter mode.

Crafter modes

Ignore redstone signal (default)

Ignores redstone signals. This is the default.

Redstone signal locks autocrafting

  • If a Crafter is locked, it can’t insert items or fluids to the connected inventory.

  • If a Crafter is unlocked, it can insert items or fluids to the connected inventory.

Redstone signal unlocks autocrafting

This is the opposite of the "Redstone signal locks autocrafting" mode.

Redstone pulse inserts next set

This mode was primarily introduced to support a concept called "blocking mode".

Blocking mode is primarily utilised for processing recipes, where the machine that does the processing can only handle 1 recipe at a time.

If the Crafter is in "Redstone pulse inserts next set" mode, this is the flow:

  • The Crafter will automatically go in an unlocked state

  • As soon as you request a recipe in this Crafter, it will send out 1 set of items and fluids defined in the Pattern

  • The Crafter now goes in a locked state, and it won’t push out any more items and fluids

  • The Crafter will stay locked until it receives a redstone pulse

When you apply a redstone pulse:

  • The Crafter will unlock itself

  • The Crafter pushes the next set of items and fluids, if any

  • If there were any items and fluids to push, the Crafter will lock itself again

Generally, you’d apply a redstone signal if the recipe you’re processing has completed. It is up to the player to handle that.

Common mistakes with "Redstone pulse inserts next set"

  • Wrong redstone flow causes the Crafter to lock when it is supposed to unlock

  • When testing your contraption, accidentally locking the Crafter and then wondering why your Crafter doesn’t process anything next time you request something

Crafter deadlock

If you use an Importer on a chest to import the final processed item, and also using a comparator to send the redstone signal to the Crafter to unlock again:

  • If the Importer imports too fast AND

  • the comparator doesn’t pick up the item being in the chest AND

  • by not picking up the item, thus, not sending out a redstone signal

You’d cause a deadlock because the Crafter doesn’t receive a redstone pulse, and the Crafter would keep waiting forever.

The solution for this is to only enable the Importer AFTER the redstone pulse is sent to the Crafter. Use the Importer redstone settings to achieve this.

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