Scavenging station

A scavenging station is a settlement object in Fallout 4. It generates a small number of random junk items and raw materials every day. It is located under Resources, then Miscellaneous

Characteristics
The scavenging station generates a few random items once per day, and automatically adds them to the workshop inventory. It costs 5 wood and 3 steel to be crafted and one settler to function.

Once assigned to it, the settler will gather raw resources and junk items. These items will be automatically added to the workshop inventory. The more stations built and manned, the more items generated. The settler will not physically leave the settlement, making the origin of those resources somewhat nebulous. Presumably, refuse is trafficked into the settlements in a behind-the-scenes fashion similar to that in which stores are supplied with goods, and the scavenging station allows a worker to extract junk of a potentially useful nature.

The specific items and amounts generated seem to be random. Ordinary construction resources such as steel, wood, rubber and concrete are often found, but some rare components (such as nuclear material) are also reported to be found. Also reported are the generation of crop food items. However, surplus food from harvesting crops are placed into the workshop as well, which may be leading to some confusion.

To assign a settler to the station, enter workshop mode, select the settler, target the station, and press assign. One can verify assignment in workshop mode by highlighting the station and checking that the the settler icon changed from red to the current UI color. One should see a crow icon while highlighting the settler and--if both the settler and station are within line-of-sight--the station they are assigned to will also be highlighted.

While the player is at a settlement, assigned settlers will periodically interact with their station by using a blowtorch on it. Unlike workers assigned to crops and defenses, settlers will not work multiple scavenging stations even if they are placed in close proximity.