Smelter
| Smelter | |
|---|---|
| Type | Crafting Station |
| Turns | Ore into ingots |
| Perk | None |
| Experience | None |
| Found At | Mines and cities |
A smelter is the furnace that turns raw ore into ingots. It is the first stop in the smithing chain and the only station in it that grants no experience at all: melting a hundred ingots will not raise Smithing by a single point. Every ore except Stalhrim passes through one.
What It Does
Ore goes in, ingots come out, at the ratios set by the material. Most take two ore for one ingot. Iron is the exception at one for one, and Steel is the odd case that takes one Corundum Ore and one Iron Ore together. Dwarven Metal Ingot comes from Dwemer scrap metal rather than from any ore, because no Dwarven ore exists.
Stalhrim never sees a smelter. It is used exactly as it comes out of the deposit.
Why It Still Matters
Ore is heavy and ingots are lighter per unit of value, so smelting before the walk back to town is usually the difference between one trip and two. It is also the only way to make an ingot: no merchant sells Amber Ingot or Madness Ingot, only the raw material they come from.
No perk gates the station. Anyone can use one from level 1.
Common Ratios
Ratios are fixed and do not change with skill.
| Ingot | Takes |
|---|---|
| Iron Ingot | 1 x Iron Ore |
| Steel Ingot | 1 x Corundum Ore and 1 x Iron Ore |
| Most other ingots | 2 x their ore |
| Dwarven Metal Ingot | Dwemer scrap metal |
| Stalhrim | Never smelted |
The Smithing Chain
Only the forge, grindstone and workbench give experience.
| Station | Job |
|---|---|
| Smelter | Ore into ingots |
| Forge | Ingots into gear |
| Grindstone | Improve weapons |
| Workbench | Improve armour |
| Tanning Rack | Hides into leather |
Crafting Materials
