Smelting

Smelting is the process of applying heat to ore in order to extract a base metal. It is used to extract many metals including silver, iron, copper, and other base metals, like gold. Thanks to smelting, items like weapons, armor, eating utensils, and even jewelry can be easily made and sold.

Utility

Smelting is used to create anything from weapons and armor to spoons, forks, and knives to even fine jewelry. The waste known as slag produced from smelting can also be used to create anything ranging from glassware to concrete to even glazes used in ceramics.

Manufacturing

After mining, large pieces of the ore are broken through crushing and/or grinding until the remaining pieces are either mostly valuable or mostly waste. Then the metal ore is separated from any remaining impurities by applying high temperatures to the ore and hammering out the impurities. Once the impurities are removed, the metal is reheated and depending on the ore tin or carbon is added to it to create a stronger alloy like steel, bronze, or rose metal. Once again, impurities are extracted from the metal through hammering and the metal is melted and poured into a mold where the metal is allowed to cool once more by submerging it into water. After cooling the metal is further shaped and refined until the smith id satisfied with the final product whether that be a steel sword, a gold ring, a pewter bowl, or a silver fork.

Access & Availability

Very common. Nearly every city, regardless of nationality, has a smith of some kind that produces horseshoes, and other basic items made from iron.

Discovery

No one is really sure when smelting was first 'discovered' but it is known that the ancients initially started smelting tin and lead into projectiles for slings and items used to pipe and store freshwater.