Don't understand the forge.

[kinjirurm 1]

I built a forge out of small rocks, got it going, put small ores in it, but they all make unshaped <whatever metal> with low durability and I don't see how to combine them. Is it only possible to use the small pieces of ore with a firepit?

[Deviator 51]

The ability to put small ores in the forge ie being removed. The durability on the unshaped ore is how full the mold is. You need a full mold in order to make an ingot. To combine the patial molds, put an empty mold in the bottom slot of the firepit then put your partial molds in the top slot until they drain down to the empty mold. Repeat until the bottom mold is full.

[kinjirurm 1]

Thanks, Deviator. So is the intended way to make your first metal tools that you make the ingot on a fire pit / with anvil, then use a forge to keep warming up the ingot while you try to shape it into a pick head, etc? I couldn't warm up ingots (once I started shaping them) on a fire pit.

[sdbaynham 57]

That's about right kinjirum. One note- you can combine partly-full molds in the crafting square, although that will likely be a moot point once small ores aren't meltable in the forge.

[kinjirurm 1]

Great to know, thanks!

[Gorni 73]

Or you combine them the way it's meant to be done: Go to the firepit and put 1 partially filled mold in, wait till molten, put the next in wait till molten etc This way you won't lose all the moulds. And since you are doing this probably just with the low level ores, it shouldn't take too long to melt them.