In Old School RuneScape (OSRS), the Blast Furnace is one of the most efficient and lucrative methods for smelting ores into bars. It's a high-level activity that provides faster experience rates and the potential for substantial profit, especially if you're focused on crafting items such as steel bars, mithril bars, or rune bars. However, while it's extremely beneficial, it can also be a bit tricky to master.

 

This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know to use the Blast Furnace effectively, including setup, tips for maximizing your experience and profit, and key strategies to ensure you're making the most of your time there.

 

What is the Blast Furnace?

The Blast Furnace is a smelting facility located in the Keldagrim area, requiring a bit of preparation to access, but offering huge rewards for those willing to learn its intricacies. The Blast Furnace offers the ability to smelt bars of various metals (such as iron, steel, mithril, adamant, and rune) at much faster rates than traditional furnace smelting.

 

Unlike traditional methods where you simply use a furnace, at the Blast Furnace, you must work with a more complex setup, but you'll benefit from faster results and a much higher bar output. The key to success here is understanding the mechanics and setting up the facility for maximum efficiency.

 

Getting Started: Accessing the Blast Furnace

Before you can use the Blast Furnace, you'll need to meet a few requirements and navigate some early tasks:

 

1. Getting to Keldagrim

Keldagrim is located deep in the Dwarven Mines, and to get there, you'll need to complete the "The Giant Dwarf" quest. This quest is essential as it grants you access to the city and, more importantly, the Blast Furnace itself.

 

Required Quest: "The Giant Dwarf"

Access: After completing the quest, you can use a mine cart system from the Taverley or Dwarven Mine entrances to reach Keldagrim. The Keldagrim entrance is in the Dwarven Mine, just north of the Mining Guild.

 

2. Required Skills

To efficiently use the Blast Furnace, it's recommended that you have the following skills:

 

Mining: Level 60 Mining is required to mine ores at the Blast Furnace, and you'll need coal for most bar productions.

 

Smithing: Level 30 Smithing is needed to start smelting bars at the furnace.

 

The Blast Furnace is available for players who have unlocked the Blast Furnace area and know the basic mechanics of the process.

 

The Blast Furnace Mechanics: How It Works

The Blast Furnace uses a continuous flow of ore and coal to smelt ores into bars. You can smelt bars in the Blast Furnace faster and more efficiently compared to traditional smelting, but it requires several steps to set up properly:

 

1. Furnace Setup

Ore and Coal: You'll need to load the furnace with ore (such as iron, steel, or other metals) and coal to begin smelting. The Blast Furnace requires two types of ore for each bar type (usually 1 ore and 2 coal for the most basic bars).

 

Ore and coal should be deposited into the hopper, and then the furnace operator will automatically start smelting the bar.

 

Fixing the Furnace Operator: The furnace operator can sometimes malfunction, so make sure to always keep an eye on the machinery. A quick fix is usually necessary and will allow you to increase efficiency significantly.

 

2. Furnace Output

Once your ores and coal are loaded into the furnace, the furnace will automatically smelt bars, which you can collect from the output conveyor belt. The Blast Furnace produces double bars per inventory load, which means that for every inventory load you smelt, you'll receive two bars, significantly speeding up the process.

 

However, be cautious of overheating your furnace, as it will need cooling at certain times to continue functioning effectively.

 

3. Cooling Your Furnace

If your furnace gets too hot from continuous use, it will begin to overheat, and this will cause it to malfunction. To prevent this from happening, you'll need to cool it down by using water buckets or ice gloves. You can find water buckets by the furnace entrance, or you can use Ice Gloves to cool the furnace and continue without needing water.

 

Blast Furnace Setup for Efficiency

To optimize your experience when using the Blast Furnace, the setup is crucial. Here's what you need to know:

 

1. The Two Main Operators

The Blast Furnace is a cooperative effort, so you'll need the following operators:

 

The Furnace Operator: This NPC takes care of smelting your ores into bars.

 

The Ice Cooler: This NPC helps keep the furnace from overheating and can assist with cooling it down by automatically adding water when needed.

 

2. Key Items for Efficient Smelting

To smelt bars efficiently, make sure you have the following key items:

 

Coal Bag: The Coal Bag is an incredibly useful item that holds 27 coal. This means you'll only need to carry ores for your inventory slots and won't need to worry about constantly running to collect coal. It can be obtained from the TzHaar store for 300,000 Tokkul after completing the "Fight Caves" mini-game. You can also buy OSRS gold to get it directly.

 

Rune Pouch: Another useful item to save space and increase efficiency, the Rune Pouch allows you to store runes, saving room in your inventory for more important items.

 

Ice Gloves: Ice Gloves help keep the Blast Furnace cool, meaning you won't need to use water buckets to prevent the furnace from overheating.

 

Water Buckets: If you don't have Ice Gloves, you'll need water buckets to cool the furnace and prevent it from overheating. You can purchase these for a small fee from the Keldagrim bank chest.

 

3. Managing Your Inventory

When setting up to use the Blast Furnace, your inventory should be arranged so you can quickly smelt and collect your bars. Here's an optimal setup:

 

Coal Bag (if available) to hold all coal.

 

Ores: Fill your inventory with ores that you want to smelt (iron ore, mithril ore, etc.).

 

Ice Gloves (or Water Buckets if you don't have them) for cooling.

 

Coins: Carry a small amount of OSRS gold for any required payments or item purchases.

 

By managing your inventory efficiently, you'll save time and maximize your bars produced.

 

Blast Furnace Experience Rates and Profit

Using the Blast Furnace isn't just about making bars-it's also a fantastic way to earn experience and profit.

 

1. Experience Rates

The Blast Furnace is an excellent place to train Smithing and earn valuable experience. The typical experience rate per hour varies depending on factors such as your equipment, preparation, and the ore you're using. Here are general estimates:

 

Iron Bars: Around 60,000-75,000 experience per hour.

 

Steel Bars: Approximately 90,000-100,000 experience per hour.

 

Mithril Bars: Can yield around 110,000-130,000 experience per hour.

 

Higher Ores (such as adamant and rune): These yield slightly lower rates due to the rarity and complexity of the ores but can still offer solid experience gains.

 

2. Profit Potential

The Blast Furnace can also be extremely profitable if you know which bars to smelt and sell. For example, steel bars are often in high demand for players crafting items in-game, meaning that selling bars can net you substantial profits. Profit per hour will depend on the ores you choose to smelt and the current Grand Exchange market prices.

 

Tips for Maximizing Blast Furnace Profit

Use the Coal Bag: The Coal Bag will save you inventory space and make your smelting process much quicker.

 

Sell Bars: The bars you smelt can be sold on the Grand Exchange for a consistent profit, but always monitor prices to make sure you're getting a fair deal.

 

Focus on Steel Bars: If you're looking to maximize profit, steel bars are often the best choice because they strike a balance between experience and market price.

 

Smithing XP: To increase experience rates, you can smelt higher ores such as mithril or adamant, but these may require more investment in resources.

 

Conclusion: Mastering the Blast Furnace

The Blast Furnace is an essential tool for any serious OSRS Smithing player, offering faster bar production, high experience rates, and great profit potential. By following this guide and setting up your furnace efficiently, you can significantly boost your Smithing experience and build your wealth within the game. Whether you're training Smithing or maximizing profits, the Blast Furnace is your key to success.