So I got to Mechanics 1 by reading a book, then I thought I’d train it up by removing seatbelts with my trusty screwdriver. I’ve got a whole bunch of Short Ropes, but my Mechanics skill remains at 0% advanced.
Does mechanics not increase with practice?
P.S. Using 9529 build.
I’m not sure, but I think disassembling any items does not increase any skill. Only creating new items increase skills.
Hmm, could be. I didn’t think of it as “disassembly” because it’s a whole different interface but that makes sense. I guess I’ll have to see if there is anything I can actually make with Mechanics 1 and my stuff.
[EDIT] Actually, I now have 1% progress. Possibly from removing a vehicle clock. So either you do get training from this stuff, but it is very small amounts, or you don’t for seatbelts but do for other things.
When I used to craft-grind skills in older versions, I found out that how much xp was gained was related to how long the task took. A severl-minute-long task barely gave any xp. Maybe it is also like that in this case.
Thanks! I’m fairly sure that’s it, then. I’ll just keep grinding away.
A handy way is to get a saw and strip down wrecks for raw materials, you’ll need the stuff at some point anyways and it doesn’t cost you anything but time, which you’re already using to grind skills.
I would LOVE to have a saw that works on metal. But I haven’t found one yet, and (at Fabrication 4) I haven’t yet found a way to make one.
Remember that gunsmith & firearm repair kits have metal saws in them.
Yeah, don’t have either of those.
I did find a hacksaw in the end, though. Now I’m hoping for a spanner equiv.
Cool! I just want to make sure folks remember that if you’re looking for a hacksaw, you should also keep an eye out for repair kits. Check those gun stores!
Wilderness start, lol. 
Repairing cars definitely improves mechanics, at least if your repair difficulty is within a point or two of your skill - but it’s damn slow past skill 2, even with long repair tasks.
I think installing things also improves your mechanics, though very few tasks that don’t require a welder take very long at all, and so they will have a tiny effect. Really don’t know about removal tasks - they may not train you at all? In any case, most removal tasks have a much lower skill requirement than repair or install tasks, so they will tend to train you LESS in any case because the skill req is usually a good bit lower than your current skill.
IIRC when I was doing the Medieval Peasent challenge(illiterate and wilderness start) with 0 mechanics I ended up having to make wooden frames and use the “start vehicle” a bunch of times to get mechanics going (you can’t deconstruct them until mechanics 2 iirc. It took a while but I got there in the end using makeshift ropes and the like.
[quote=“Vastin, post:12, topic:21154”]
Really don’t know about removal tasks - they may not train you at all?[/quote]
I can confirm that just removing things DOES train your mechanics. Now I have a hacksaw I’m slowly increasing my mechanics from 3 to 4. Can’t really do much practical stuff yet until I get an oxy-torch.
Which is a pity, because I keep running my electric car into trees and stuff. Whoops.
I’ve done medieval churl at least a dozen times and you’re exactly right. Making just a cart will lead to bored insanity as you continuously tie a bunch of sticks to another bunch of sticks.