- Lumber Tycoon 2 auto unclogger cuts log jams at the sawmill by roughly 95%
- Works only with Sawmill X 02 and X 02 L — skip it on lower-tier mills
- Needs parts from Link's Logic: sustains, delays, gates, inverter, hatch
- Requires an alt account or friend for plot shifting during the build
- Set your mill to 2.6 x 2.6 or smaller so planks never jam on their side
What the Auto Unclogger Does
The Lumber Tycoon 2 auto unclogger is a conveyor-and-logic system built directly in front of your sawmill. It automatically rotates and shifts logs until they feed into the mill mouth, eliminating the single most annoying part of any auto unloader setup: logs piling up and jamming while you are off chopping wood.
Without one — especially when running an auto unloader — logs frequently get stuck at the sawmill entrance, forcing you to babysit the line. With this system installed, the tilted conveyors twist each log and the straight conveyors nudge it backward, cycling until it fits through. In testing, this reduces jam chances by at least 95%, and most footage captured on the first try shows zero clogs.
Video Highlights:
- Full build walkthrough with materials, plot shifting, and wiring
- Demonstrates the 95% jam reduction in live testing
- Covers swapping a Sawmill X 02 for the X 02 L without breaking the system
- Explains the lag-server fix using extra signal sustains
Do not build this for the Sawmill X 01, the fair sawmill, or the shabby sawmill. Save your money for a Sawmill X 02 first — you would otherwise be wiring a system around a mill you are about to replace.
Materials and Shopping List
Most components come from Link's Logic, which requires a ferry trip to the tropics. The signal sustains sit behind the signal delays on the shop shelves.
| Component | Quantity | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Signal Sustain | 1 | Link's Logic |
| Signal Delay | 2 | Link's Logic |
| Signal Inverter | 1 | Link's Logic |
| AND Gate | 1 | Link's Logic |
| OR Gate | 1 | Link's Logic |
| Hatch | 1 | Link's Logic / Furniture |
| Lever | 2 | Link's Logic |
| Wire | 11 | Link's Logic |
| Straight Conveyor | 2 (plus 4+ leading in) | Wood R Us |
| Tilted Conveyor | 6 | Wood R Us |
You will also need several small floors and small tiles as temporary placement guides. These are destroyed after positioning, so cheap blueprints are fine.
The system needs at least four conveyors leading into the sawmill, plus roughly two conveyors of space before your auto unloader, and two more conveyors after it for wiring room. It technically runs on two conveyors, but extra runway makes it far more reliable.
Step-by-Step Build
The build hinges on plot shifting: temporarily "hiding" your sawmill on a friend's or alt's plot so you can place structures inside its footprint. Have your helper grant you destroy objects and visit property permissions only — leave place/move structures unticked.
Plot Shift the Sawmill
Move your sawmill onto your alt's base with the granted permissions. It disappears from your view but remains on your plot, letting you place conveyors inside its footprint.
Place the Guide Floors and Tiles
Place small floors one stud from the guardrail and one stud from the conveyor toggle lines, on both sides. Stack small tiles against each floor — these guide the tilted conveyor placement. Keep every toggle on the same side.
Position the Tilted and Straight Conveyors
Place tilted conveyors on their sides against the tiles, thin guardrail side facing inwards. Alternate tilted, tilted, straight on both sides, then add one vertical tilted conveyor at the end against a three-tile stack. Toggle all directions toward the sawmill, then destroy every guide blueprint.
Place the Hatch and Logic Components
Drop the hatch at the mill entrance so it flips upward when activated. Place the signal delay and sustain (both at maximum), the AND gate, inverter, second delay (set around 5), the flipped OR gate, and both levers in a tidy row.
Wire Everything and Test
Un-plot-shift everything by reloading your slot. Wire the conveyor toggles together in pairs, run wires from the sustain and delay into the AND gate, feed the inverter, and connect the second lever to the hatch. Flip the main lever and watch the cycle start.
The signal delay staggers the tilted conveyors so logs twist before the straight conveyors push them back. This sequencing is what makes the rotation effective instead of fighting itself.
Troubleshooting and Optimization
Even a well-built system has edge cases. Here is how each problem is handled:
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Planks stuck sideways | Max-size planks are taller than the mill opening | Flip the evacuation lever, rotate manually, resume |
| Slow wood on laggy servers | Server lag slows conveyor physics | Add extra signal sustains after the first one |
| System adds server lag | Runs continuously when idle | Turn it off when not gathering wood |
| Oversized log jam | Log too big for the mill | Same limitation as any sawmill — cut the log smaller |
Sawmill Size Rule
- Set mill to 2.6 x 2.6 max
- 2.4 x 2.4 is even safer
- Sideways planks still fit
Auto On/Off
- Wire into auto unloader sustains
- Add more sustains for longer runs
- Prevents early shutdown
Upgrading to X 02 L
- Plot shift conveyors and wires clear
- Shift hatch and its wire too
- Swap mills, then reload slot
Heavy server lag slows wood movement, which starves the timing logic and causes more jams. If your base is large, turning the unclogger off during downtime keeps conveyor speeds stable for everyone.
Pre-Build Checklist
Before You Start Wiring:
- Own a Sawmill X 02 or X 02 L
- Collect all 11 wires and logic components from Link's Logic
- Arrange an alt account or friend for plot shifting
- Confirm 4+ conveyors of runway before the sawmill
- Set sawmill output to 2.6 x 2.6 or smaller
Once running, you should almost never manually unclog your sawmill again — freeing you to gather wood, chop, or handle more profitable tasks while the line feeds itself.
FAQ
Q: Does the Lumber Tycoon 2 auto unclogger work with any sawmill?
No. It only works with the Sawmill X 02 and Sawmill X 02 L. Building it around a cheaper mill is not worth the effort since you will replace that mill soon anyway.
Q: Can I build the auto unclogger alone?
Technically yes, but it is much harder. Plot shifting requires an alt account or a friend who grants you destroy objects and visit property permissions on their plot.
Q: Why do my max-size planks still jam?
Sawmills are wider than they are tall, so a plank lying on its side is too tall to enter. Use the second lever to evacuate and rotate it manually, and set your mill to 2.6 x 2.6 or smaller to avoid the issue entirely.
Q: Should the system run all the time?
No. It cycles continuously, which contributes to server lag. Turn it off when you are not actively gathering wood, and consider wiring it to your auto unloader's signal sustains for automatic activation.