All Robo-Wrench Upgrades in Junkster: Locations and Recipes

All five core robo-wrench upgrades in Junkster are found by locating their schematics in hidden chests across the planet and crafting them at Um's ship workbench using specific salvaged materials. These upgrades are not linear; you can acquire them in any order depending on which regions you explore first, but some are locked behind areas requiring abilities granted by other upgrades. The five key modules are the Voltaic Actuator, Kinetic Dynamo, Geo-Scanner Module, Chronosplitter Gear, and the final secret upgrade, The Midas Coil.

Your robo-wrench is Um's single most important tool, acting as your weapon, builder, and key to navigating the hazardous junkyard planet. Neglecting its upgrades will leave you underpowered against later-game trash mutants and unable to access resource-rich secret areas. Prioritizing these modules is the single most effective way to boost your combat effectiveness and exploration capabilities.

01

What Are The Core Robo-Wrench Upgrades?tag

Um's wrench can be enhanced with five distinct modules that fundamentally alter its properties. Four are standard upgrades found throughout the main story, while the fifth is a secret, endgame component unlocked only after finding the other four. Each upgrade requires a specific schematic and a handful of rare components scavenged from high-level enemies or found in hidden caches.

Once a schematic is found, the upgrade can be crafted and installed at the main workbench inside your crashed ship. You can swap active modules at will, but only one can be active at a time until you craft the Master Conduit late in the game, which allows for two simultaneous mods.

Here are the five core upgrades and their primary functions:

• Voltaic Actuator: Adds chain lightning damage to your wrench swings, arcing between nearby enemies.
• Kinetic Dynamo: Allows you to perform a powerful charged-up area-of-effect (AoE) slam attack.
• Geo-Scanner Module: Pings the environment to reveal hidden resource caches and structural weaknesses in walls.
• Chronosplitter Gear: Creates a temporary time-slowing field, making complex platforming and fast enemies more manageable.
• The Midas Coil (Secret Upgrade): Converts a percentage of damage dealt into valuable COG currency.

02

All Upgrade Locations and Crafting Recipestag

Finding the schematics is only the first step. You'll also need to gather the right combination of scrap, processors, and power sources. Below are the exact locations and materials needed for every upgrade.

1. Voltaic Actuator Schematictag

The Voltaic Actuator is often the first upgrade players find. It's a massive power boost for early-game combat, especially when dealing with swarms of smaller Skitter-bots.

• Location: Found in the Rust-Iron Canyons. After clearing the first major Scrapper ambush near the downed cargo hauler, look for a series of magnetic grapple points leading up the canyon wall. At the top is a small cave system. The schematic chest is behind a destructible rock wall at the very back of the cave.
• Function: Adds a chain lightning effect to all wrench attacks. The initial hit deals normal damage, and a bolt of electricity then arcs to two additional enemies within 5 meters for 40% of the initial damage. Invaluable for crowd control.
• Crafting Recipe:
  • 12x Scrap-Coated Servos
  • 5x Corroded Logic Boards
  • 1x Unstable Power Cell

2. Kinetic Dynamo Schematictag

This upgrade introduces a heavy-hitting AoE attack, perfect for breaking enemy guards and dealing massive damage to stationary targets. It transforms the wrench from a quick-swinging tool into a tactical powerhouse.

• Location: Hidden in Sector 7G - The Heap. You must navigate to the central garbage compactor facility. In the main control room, there's a puzzle involving redirecting power conduits to reactivate a large hydraulic press. Solving the puzzle not only opens the main story path but also powers a secondary door to a maintenance locker. The schematic is on a shelf inside.
• Function: Holding the attack button charges the wrench. A fully charged release unleashes a shockwave slam, dealing 250% damage in a 4-meter radius and staggering all enemies caught in the blast. Also used to destroy reinforced flooring marked with a yellow crack symbol.
• Crafting Recipe:
  • 20x Hardened Plating
  • 8x Corroded Logic Boards
  • 2x High-Density Power Cores

3. Geo-Scanner Module Schematictag

While it offers no direct combat bonus, the Geo-Scanner is arguably the most important upgrade for completionists. It's the key to finding the rarest materials needed for the other high-tier upgrades and maximizing your COG income.

• Location: The schematic is located in the Glass-Scoured Flats, an open desert region. You'll need to find the remains of the science vessel Odyssey. The schematic is on the ship's bridge, but the entrance is blocked by debris. To clear it, you must first acquire the Kinetic Dynamo and use its slam ability on a cracked section of the hull nearby, which destabilizes the wreckage and opens the main hatch.
• Function: Pressing the ability button sends out a sonar ping. For 10 seconds, all hidden material caches, secret passages, and breakable walls are highlighted on your HUD within a 50-meter radius. It is essential for finding the components for The Midas Coil.
• Crafting Recipe:
  • 15x Twisted Beryllium Filaments
  • 10x Corroded Logic Boards
  • 1x Intact Sensor Array

4. Chronosplitter Gear Schematictag

This is a highly advanced piece of tech that offers unparalleled control over the battlefield and allows you to bypass complex environmental hazards that move too quickly to navigate normally.

• Location: Deep within The Forgotten Foundry. This late-game area features numerous high-speed conveyor belts and piston traps. The schematic is on a high platform in the final smelting chamber. To reach it, you must use a series of fast-moving platforms. The puzzle is timing your jumps, making this schematic a test of skill that is ironically made much easier once you have the upgrade it provides.
• Function: Deploys a 10-meter spherical field that lasts for 6 seconds. Inside the field, enemy and projectile speed is reduced by 75%. This allows you to easily sidestep attacks or run past fast-moving environmental traps.
• Crafting Recipe:
  • 25x Scrap-Coated Servos
  • 5x Gold-Plated Circuitry
  • 1x Phase-Locked Gyroscope

03

How to Unlock the Secret Midas Coiltag

After you have crafted the four main upgrades, your ship's AI, Unit 734, will detect a strange energy signature emanating from them. This initiates a hidden side quest called "Resonant Frequencies." Unit 734 tasks you with finding three Resonant Shards hidden across the world. Their locations are only revealed by using the Geo-Scanner Module in specific zones.

1. Shard 1 (Rust-Iron Canyons): Scan near the waterfall at the base of the canyon. A hidden cave entrance is revealed behind the water.
2. Shard 2 (The Forgotten Foundry): Scan in the cooling reservoir beneath the main smelting chamber. The shard is at the bottom.
3. Shard 3 (Sector 7G - The Heap): Scan at the very highest point of the central garbage pile. A breakable floor (requiring the Kinetic Dynamo) reveals a small bunker containing the final shard.

Once you have all three shards, return to the workbench on your ship. A new crafting option will appear.

• The Midas Coil: This is the ultimate economic upgrade. While active, any damage you deal with the robo-wrench has a 25% chance to drop extra COGs, with the amount scaling based on the damage dealt. This makes grinding for final ship repairs and cosmetic unlocks trivial.
• Crafting Recipe:
  • 3x Resonant Shards
  • 10x Gold-Plated Circuitry
  • 5x High-Density Power Cores

04

Frequently Asked Questionstag

Here are some quick answers to the most common questions about upgrading Um's robo-wrench.

Which robo-wrench upgrade is the best?tag

For pure combat, the Voltaic Actuator is the best early-game choice for its crowd control, while the Kinetic Dynamo is superior for single-target burst damage. For exploration and resource gathering, the Geo-Scanner Module is absolutely essential and should be prioritized if you plan on 100% completing the game.

Can you equip more than one upgrade at a time?tag

Not initially. You can only have one module active at a time. However, after completing the main story quest in The Forgotten Foundry, you will unlock the schematic for the Master Conduit, which allows you to equip two upgrades simultaneously.

Do I need all the upgrades to finish the game?tag

No, you can complete the main story without finding any of the optional upgrades. However, they make the final boss encounters and late-game exploration significantly easier and more enjoyable.

I sold a rare crafting material by accident. Can I get it back?tag

Unfortunately, no. Merchants do not have a buy-back feature. Rare materials like High-Density Power Cores or Intact Sensor Arrays are in limited supply, so be careful what you sell. If you do sell one, there are usually just enough spares hidden in the world to craft everything, but you will have to search for them.

05

Final Wrench Checkstag

A fully upgraded robo-wrench transforms Um from a simple construction bot into a junk-clearing, mutant-smashing force of nature. While it's tempting to focus on one upgrade that suits your playstyle, the true power of the system lies in its versatility. Swapping from the Geo-Scanner for exploration to the Kinetic Dynamo for a tough fight is the mark of a master Junkster. Taking the time to hunt down these schematics isn't just a side quest—it's the core of mastering the game.