Block Tools

Block tools in space engineers are large versions of handheld tools that can be built onto ships and rovers.

• Drill
• Welder Block
• Grinder Block

Gallery

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  A player-controlled repair ship with both Welder and Grinder.

• 

  A small planetary mining ship with two drills

Usage Examples

• Constructor ship with Welder and Grinder
• Salvage ship with Grinder
• Drill ship
• Planetary mining vehicle
• mechanical Welder arms in station hangars
• 3D Printer
• Welder Wall - quick auto-repair for ships with self-projectors
• Grinder Pit - quick recycling of wrecks
• In battle scenarios, static welders are often placed on conveyors close to important blocks as an auto-repair feature.
• Unconveyored hidden Welder and Grinder Blocks can be used as lethal player traps
• To make a station mobile:
  1. The station needs a cockpit and must be powered.
  2. Attach an unconveyored drill to the side/bottom of the station to dig itself out of the voxels.
  3. Dismantle and rebuild the drill repeatedly to reach all voxels intersecting with blocks

Drones can activate block tools, but since there are no sensors to detect ores or blocks, you cannot automate aiming, so either a player needs to remote control the drone or you need scripts.

Usage

When configuring Block Tool in the G-menu toolbar of your cockpit, it makes a difference whether you use the entry from the Block Tools filter or from the All Blocks filter!

Different ways how to configure tools

Filter	Selected Action	How to activate tools
Block Tools	Drag the tool to a toolbar slot. (Default)	Activate the toolbar slot to assign this tool to your mouse clicks. -click to cycle between single-tool and all-tools modes within the same type. Double--click to switch to the next tool of the same type. -click to use the current tool type. -click to use the secondary tool action (Drill: dig). Double- click to toggle the tool on/off so you don't have to keep holding the key down.
All Blocks or Groups	Select the block's On/Off action. ?	Press the slot number to use the tool.

Construction

You can build Block Tools on large and small grids.

Block Tools need to be connected to the conveyor system and cargo containers to function fully:

• Drills push ores into containers
• Grinders push components into containers
• Welders pull components from containers

Typically, block tools are part of mobile grids. But you can also build them on immobile stations, typically at the business end of mechanical arms to give them reach, or as part of a static welder wall / grinder pit or 3D Printer.