Iii have had this idea for a while and it seems like a neat use for stuff like Scrap Metal, Bronze Bolts, etc.
But somewhere in Haven there could be a sort of furnace where you dump in items in exchange for heat. Since burning things does typically generate that. Granted, it'd have to be ... a lot of materials for a little heat for risk of breaking the intended game mechanic, or maybe only 1* mats can be used for 1* weapons/armor, 2* for 2*, etc.
Just a thought.
why not use those mats to combine them into other mats?
10 scrap metals= iron gear
3 gremlin gizmos+4 bronze bolts+ 1 iron gear= a force dynamo