Let me bring you in to the frustrating world of TF2 item crafting.
Been doing the item grind in TF2 for a hat. I've been playing the game since beta and have yet to see a hat drop, so I've been scrapping all the items I get for materials.
2 identical items of the same type (two force of natures, etc.), or any 2 items from the same class (force of nature and a sandman, etc) = 1 Scrap metal.
3 scrap metal = 1 Reclaimed metal.
3 Reclaimed metal = 1 Refined metal.
Class Token = 3 class weapons
Random Class hat = 4 Refined metal + Class Token.
In other words, it takes 75 items to make a random class-specific hat. <Jeremy Clarkson dramatic voice>
Or does it? </Jeremy Clarkson dramatic voice>
Well, it does. But how long it takes to get the right combination is what's frustrating. Take a look at the items I have in my backpack. These are about all the items I got to drop over this weekend:
These items cannot be combined in any order so that smelting down to a scrap metal occurs. This is the worst part about crafting: that even if it only takes 2 identical same-type slot items, or two of a certain class' items, you may not get any combination of those two options for a while.
It's maddening.