Iron bloom

Iron bloom

Iron blooms are produced after an iron ore (hematite, magnetite, or limonite) is melted in a bloomery . Iron blooms will still to be shaped and have oxide layers removed (by smithing on a bronze or better anvil ) before they become workable iron ingots. Meteoric iron still needs to be smelted in the bloomery, but at the moment comes out as a workable ingot immediately.

Obtaining

Iron blooms are a metal item obtained by first refining iron ore in a bloomery . Iron blooms are intermediate products used to create iron ingots, which can then be further smithed into tools, weapons and armor.

There are 3 ores of non-meteoric iron: hematite, magnetite, and limonite. Each ore spawns in different rock types, but in total, iron ores can be found in any type of rock except sandstone and bauxite. As with most ores, one of the best ways to find iron ore is to use a prospecting pick in density search mode to find a high concentration, and then excavate a vertical staircase down. Due to how ores generate as flat discs, vertical prospecting shafts are more efficient than horizontal ones. A bronze or better pick is required to mine iron ores.

To create iron blooms, iron ore nuggets must be placed inside a bloomery. Bloomeries hold up to 120 nuggets, which will produce a total of six iron blooms. Bloomeries must be heated using fuel that reaches at least 1200°C, such as charcoal , anthracite or black coal .

Refining iron blooms

In order to turn an iron bloom into an iron ingot, it must be worked on an anvil using a hammer. The bloom must be hot, and if necessary they can be reheated on a forge . After it is heated, it can be worked on a bronze or better anvil. Iron blooms do have some variability with size and shape, but are for the most part similar. Working an iron bloom consists of removing the oxide (darker colored voxels), and moving voxels into position. Removing oxide often removes several voxels at a time. Often, there will be voxels left over that will need to be removed before the ingot is complete.

Helve hammers can be used to automate the refining process. A hot iron bloom placed under a helve hammer will slowly be worked into an ingot.

Protip: If you accidentally remove too many voxels from an iron bloom, save it to place under a helve hammer - the helve hammer will magically fix missing voxels!