You need Titanium to craft many useful end-game items and structures in Raft.
While there are several ways to obtain this mineral, the most resource-friendly and reliable way to get Titanium is digging for treasures. Therefore, it’s crucial to learn how to use a Metal Detector in Raft.
Recommended Read: How to Get the You Should Not Be Here Achievement in Raft
To use a Metal Detector in Raft, put it in your hotbar and hold the left mouse button while on any island to start scanning the surrounding area. The closer you are to the treasure, the faster the Metal Detector makes a beeping sound, and the more lights fill up on the Metal Detector’s screen. The Metal Detector will repeatedly play a congratulatory sound when you’re standing above the treasure. Get out a Shovel and dig three times at that spot to dig up the treasure.
Table of Contents
How to Get a Metal Detector
To craft a Metal Detector in Raft, you need to find its blueprint first.
The Metal Detector blueprint can be found on Caravan Town, which is the fourth story island. The blueprint is located in the submerged metal container, along with the Infirmary Key.
To get here, you need to find a bicycle and a long oxygen pipe. Then, dive under the ocean and follow the pipe to reach the metal container.
Next, return to your raft and research the following materials to unlock the Metal Detector recipe:
- 1x Plastic
- 1x Scrap
- 1x Battery
The Metal Detector recipe can then be found in the Tool crafting tab, which is the third tab with a shovel and hammer icon on it.
Each Metal Detector costs 12 Plastic, 6 Scraps, and 1 Battery.
Before you can start finding treasures in Raft, you need to learn to use the Metal Detector. Here’s how!
How to Use Metal Detector in Raft
The Metal Detector is used to scan for treasures on islands.
However, not all islands have treasures on them, and each island type also has a different number of treasures you can find:
- Small tropical islands: 1 treasure.
- Large tropical islands: 2-3 treasures.
- Desert islands: these are small islands that spawn around Caravan Town. They have 1 treasure.
- Evergreen islands: these are islands that spawn around Balboa Island. They have 2-3 treasures each.
- Story islands: most story islands have treasures on them, but Balboa Island has the most treasures, with 3-6.
First, you need to visit the correct island. To use a Metal Detector, hold the left mouse button to scan the surrounding area.
If you don’t hear any sound or see any lights, then the surrounding area has no treasure.
Go to the other part of the island and hold the left mouse button again.
Sooner or later, the Metal Detector will start playing a beeping sound, and the lights on its screen will start to light up and turn off as you roam around.
Keep holding the left mouse button and go around to find the exact location of the treasure.
The closer you are to the treasure, the faster the Metal Detector plays a beeping sound. The lights on the Metal Detector’s screen also start to fill up to the right, changing to yellow and then to green.
The Metal Detector’s durability is reduced when you hold the left mouse button. So, to use it efficiently, you shouldn’t hold the left mouse button all the time.
Instead, use it for a brief second to determine the direction you need to go. Then, follow that direction for a few steps and hold the left mouse again.
Once you find the correct location, the Metal Detector starts making a different sound, and all the lights will be on.
Use a Shovel to dig 3 times at that exact spot to dig up the treasure.
Finally, press “E” to collect the treasure. It’s as simple as that!
Note that you can’t just use a Shovel and dig randomly on islands to find treasures, as they only spawn after you start using a Metal Detector in its vicinity.
In Raft, there are four types of treasures, each distinguished by its unique appearance. You can differentiate the treasure types with just the first dig.
- Junk Pile: contains 10-14 items. It has a 42.5% chance of appearing.
- Briefcase: contains 1 Titanium Ore and 4-6 items. It has a 30% chance of appearing.
- Safe: contains 3 Titanium Ores and 4-6 items. It has a 20% chance of appearing.
- Tiki Piece: contains a random Tiki Piece. It has a 7.5% chance of appearing.
The table below shows all the items you can get in the first three treasure types, as well as the chance of getting each item.
| Item | Junk Pile | Briefcase | Safe |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nothing | 17.6% | 8.3% | 9.3% |
| Plank | 23.5% | – | – |
| Scrap | 17.6% | 16.7% | – |
| Rope | 17.6% | – | – |
| Plastic | 11.8% | – | – |
| Copper | 5.9% | 6.3% | – |
| Metal Ore | 5.9% | 6.3% | – |
| Glass | – | 12.5% | 14.0% |
| Bolt | – | 12.5% | 14.0% |
| Hinge | – | 12.5% | 14.0% |
| Vine Goo | – | 12.5% | – |
| Titanium Ore | – | 8.3% | 9.3% |
| Explosive Powder | – | – | 9.3% |
| Leather | – | 9.3% | – |
| Biofuel | – | 9.3% | – |
| Cassette Tapes | – | – | 4.7% |
| Developer Paintings | – | 4.2% | 4.7% |
| Toy Robot | – | – | 2.3% |
That’s how to get and use a Metal Detector in Raft.
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