The Stone Press in Moon Sweepers turns Lunar Dust and Moon Sand into Moonstone, a valuable material that sells for seven times the base value of regular dust per kilogram. The machine costs $1,000, but getting it running requires two separate ingredients, electricity, and correctly connected conveyors. Here's how to set up your first Stone Press, get Moonstone production started, and fix the most common problems with its inputs.
Jump To Section:
How to Get a Stone Press
How to Use the Stone Press
Dust and Sand Input Connections
How to Sell Moonstone
Stone Press Not Working?
How to Get a Stone Press in Moon Sweepers
The Stone Press is a production building purchased through the Building Tool for $1,000.
If you don't have the Building Tool yet, buy it from the Supply Wall for $50. Equip it, open the construction menu, and select the Stone Press from the production options.
Before placing one, make sure you have a way to produce Moon Sand. The Stone Press cannot make Moonstone from regular dust alone.
You'll need a Pressure Chamber, which costs another $500, to turn part of your collected dust into sand.
That puts the basic equipment cost at $1,550 if you're purchasing the Building Tool, Pressure Chamber, and Stone Press from scratch. Conveyors and electricity infrastructure are additional expenses.
I'd place the Stone Press where its two material inputs are easy to reach with separate conveyors. Leaving room around those connections will save you trouble if you need to correct a belt later.
How to Use the Stone Press in Moon Sweepers
Each Stone Press production cycle uses 1 kg of Lunar Dust and 1 kg of Moon Sand to produce 2 kg of Moonstone in six seconds.
The machine requires 18 kW of electricity to operate.
For your first setup, I'd keep everything close together so you can watch the ingredients enter the machine and confirm Moonstone is being produced.
- Build a Pressure Chamber to produce Moon Sand from Lunar Dust.
- Place your Stone Press somewhere with room for two incoming conveyor connections.
- Use a Splitter to create separate routes for untreated Lunar Dust and dust going into the Pressure Chamber.
- Connect the untreated dust route to the Stone Press's Dust input.
- Connect the Pressure Chamber's Moon Sand output to the Stone Press's Sand input.
- Supply the machines with electricity and connect the Stone Press's output to a selling route.
- Watch for Moonstone capsules leaving the finished setup.
The most useful check is whether both ingredients are actually reaching the Stone Press. Having a full conveyor of Lunar Dust won't help if there's no Moon Sand arriving at the other input.
Which Stone Press Input Takes Dust and Sand?
The Stone Press has separate connections for its two ingredients, and reversing them can prevent the machine from processing anything.
When facing the machine's input side, the left input is for Moon Sand and the right input is for Lunar Dust.
Check the input labels when connecting the belts, especially if you've rotated the building during placement.
| Connection | Material | Where It Comes From |
|---|---|---|
| Left input | Moon Sand | Pressure Chamber output |
| Right input | Lunar Dust | Untreated dust supply |
My recommendation is to get one ingredient moving correctly before connecting everything else. Start by checking that the Pressure Chamber is producing Moon Sand, then connect that output to the Stone Press and finish the untreated dust route.
This makes it easier to identify a bad connection without having to inspect several conveyors at once.
Why You Need a Splitter
When both machines share a single incoming dust supply, you need to preserve some untreated dust for the Stone Press.
A Splitter lets you send one branch toward the Pressure Chamber and another directly toward the Stone Press.
If all the incoming dust goes through the Pressure Chamber, you'll produce Moon Sand but won't have the raw dust needed to complete the Moonstone recipe.
You don't need a complicated factory layout for this. A single working material split is enough to get your first Stone Press operating.
How to Sell Moonstone From the Stone Press
Once both ingredients are supplied and the machine has electricity, the Stone Press produces Moonstone that can be transported through your conveyor network.
Connect its output to the station's receiving intake to sell the finished material automatically.
Moonstone sells for seven times the base value of Lunar Dust per kilogram, making it more valuable than raw dust or Moon Sand.
Keep in mind that the Stone Press doesn't create Moonstone for free. You're converting two ingredients into a finished product, and some of your original dust must first pass through a Pressure Chamber.
I'd make sure the output can reach the station before sending a large supply of material into the machine. Otherwise, you may finish producing Moonstone only to have it accumulate on a disconnected or blocked conveyor.
If you need help routing finished capsules into the station, our Moon Sweepers Auto Selling Guide
Moon Sweepers Stone Press Not Working? How to Fix It
If your Stone Press isn't producing Moonstone, check the ingredient supply before changing anything else. The machine needs both materials for every production cycle.
Stone Press Not Accepting Lunar Dust
First, confirm that the dust conveyor is connected to the correct input.
When you're facing the Stone Press's input side, Lunar Dust belongs on the right.
Also check the conveyor direction arrows. Capsules need to travel toward the machine, and the conveyor must connect to the input rather than ending beside it.
If Moon Sand is arriving correctly but raw dust is not, trace the dust route back to its source and inspect any Splitters along the way.
Stone Press Has Dust but Isn't Making Moonstone
Check the Moon Sand input next.
A Stone Press with plenty of untreated dust still cannot complete its recipe without processed sand.
Follow the conveyor from the Pressure Chamber's output and confirm it reaches the correct Stone Press connection.
If the Pressure Chamber isn't producing anything, check its incoming dust and electricity supply before making changes to the Stone Press.
Stone Press Has Both Ingredients but Won't Run
Make sure the machine has enough electricity.
The Stone Press needs 18 kW, while the Pressure Chamber supplying it requires another 10 kW. Running both at their listed requirements means accounting for 28 kW of demand, before any other powered equipment.
If production stops at night, check whether stored electricity has run out. Solar generators stop producing power after dark.
It's also worth checking the finished Moonstone output. If capsules cannot leave the machine's delivery route, an output backlog may prevent the setup from operating as expected.
Stone Press Says "Could Not Pack a Capsule"
If you're encountering this message, make sure Moon Sweepers is updated.
Patch 1.0.4 addressed an issue involving machines becoming stuck with the "Could not pack a capsule" message.
If the error continues on an updated installation, check whether the output conveyor is properly connected and able to accept the finished material.
I'd avoid demolishing the Stone Press as a first troubleshooting step. Rebuilding costs money, and the underlying problem may be nothing more than an incorrectly connected belt.
For your first Stone Press, the best setup is a small one: one source of Moon Sand, one separate source of Lunar Dust, sufficient electricity, and a clear Moonstone output. Once both ingredients are arriving consistently, the machine should have everything it needs to begin production. Get that first connection working before expanding into a larger factory.
