I have repeatedly noticed myself crafting things to stabilize volatile letters. PUMP for decompiled W radicals, PIPE for otherwise spare P, WALL from WATER to buffer for blue science. Other ideas along those lines:
- The MAG suggestion in the biter thread is partially motivated by this, gotta keep the magnesium fresh
- GEAR WHEEL -> GEAR
- IRON STICK -> ROD
- Move COAL recompilation down to red science and get rid of the oil ingredient
Primarily for COPPER PLATE liquefaction down to a more manageable PPPEERT, though being able to oil+gas->coal while extracting the valuable MUD SLUG and discarding PET IRE ORE would also be funny
- ROCK, lets you squirrel away CK if your green science is not perfectly balanced. As a gag is placeable as a map rock, mines for random 0-1 stone so it's not a full fuel->BINETS loop
- FLYING ROBOT FRAME -> BOT, unlock with like automation 1, description "Stores bees". It's not like it's doing anything right now, and that way it an be a component of LOGISTICS BOT/CONSTRUCTION BOT. (Move the roboport under the Robotics research and call it the BOT PORT perhaps)
More of a stretch:
- HEAD, cropped heavy armor helmet. (though CHEST is tbh fine)
- FAFF? FLUFF 🐑?
- IVY that looks suspiciously like the old green wire item
- LOW DENSITY STRUCTURE -> HEX PLATE. X, CHEST and IRON PLATE come in, IRON STC can go on the commons sushi belt
Remaining letters:
- ETAOINSRLC are directly obtainable
- P W UM as per the start of the post. M alone can also go be a LAMP
- U without M won't happen before petroleum at which point you'll be swimming in it
- Y storing in BATTERY is probably fine by the time you're doing Y science, though I have not gotten that far
- Q has a simple enough recipe, as does Z in a sense; same disclaimer
