Blast Furnace OSRS Strategy Guide for Max XP and Profit

If you’re grinding Smithing in Old School RuneScape, the Blast Furnace is basically the holy grail. I’ve been playing OSRS for years now, and let me tell you, nothing beats the efficiency here for smelting bars. It’s fast, it’s cheap, and with the right setup, you can rake in serious XP while turning a profit. But getting it right takes some know-how. In this guide, I’ll walk you through everything from basics to advanced tips, sharing my own experiences along the way. Trust me, I’ve burned through thousands of ores here, and I’ve got the scars to prove it.

So, picture this: a massive furnace in the dwarven city of Keldagrim, where you can smelt bars using half the coal you’d normally need. That’s the Blast Furnace in a nutshell. It’s a minigame of sorts, but really, it’s all about efficiency. Why bother with regular furnaces when this bad boy cuts your costs and boosts your speed?

I remember my first time there. I was a mid-level player, scraping by with basic smithing, and a clan mate dragged me along. “You’ll never go back,” he said. And he was right. The place is bustling with players, dwarves running the show, and that constant hum of activity. But it’s not just plug and play. You gotta pay attention to the mechanics or you’ll waste time.

Have you ever wondered how it works under the hood? Basically, ores go in, coal powers it, and bars come out. But there’s a conveyor belt, a dispenser, and you need to keep the furnace stocked with coal. Miss that, and everything grinds to a halt.

Requirements to Get Started

Before you even think about heading over, make sure you’re prepped. Here’s what you need:

• Smithing level: At least 30 to use it effectively, but higher for better bars.
• Quest completion: Started “The Giant Dwarf” quest for access to Keldagrim.
• Coins: 1,250 per 10 minutes if you’re under 60 Smithing, or free if you’re 60+.
• Stamina potions: Trust me, you’ll want these for running back and forth.
• Ice gloves or Smiths gloves: For handling hot bars without burning yourself.
• Coal bag: This is a game-changer holds extra coal.

Without these, you’re in for a rough time. I once showed up without ice gloves and spent half my session waiting for bars to cool. Lesson learned the hard way.

What’s the bare minimum to start? Level 30 Smithing and access to Keldagrim. But if you’re serious, aim for 60 to skip the fee.

Getting There and Setting Up

Keldagrim is tucked away in the dwarven mines. Fastest way? Use the mine cart from the Grand Exchange or Ice Mountain. Or if you’re fancy, the fairy ring code DKS gets you close.

Once inside, head to the Blast Furnace room. Pay the foreman if needed, and stock up on ores and coal from the bank nearby. Pro tip: Use the Orthen teleport if you’ve got it unlocked for even quicker trips.

In my early days, I’d forget to bank properly and end up hopping worlds because the furnace was empty. Now, I always check the coal levels first.

Basic Mechanics Explained

Alright, let’s break it down step by step. You deposit ores and coal on the conveyor belt. The furnace smelts them, and bars pop out in the dispenser. But you need to operate the pedals or pump to keep it going if you’re solo, though most worlds have paid dwarves handling that.

For group play, worlds like 352 or 358 are dedicated Blast Furnace worlds where players pay dwarves to run it for you. That’s where the magic happens no manual labor, just pure smelting.

Why pay dwarves? Because it saves time, duh. For 72k per hour, they handle the pumping, pedaling, and temperature.

I REALLY prefer those worlds. Soloing is possible, but it’s exhausting. Been there, done that, and it’s not worth the hassle unless you’re an ironman with no choice.

Strategies for Different Bars

This is where it gets juicy. Depending on what you’re smelting, your approach changes. Let’s dive into the best strategies for each common bar type.

Steel Bars Strategy

Steel bars are great for early levels. You need iron ore and coal, but at Blast Furnace, it’s half coal.

Steps:

1. Fill your inventory with 14 iron ore and 14 coal (or use coal bag for more).
2. Deposit on the belt.
3. Wait for smelting.
4. Grab bars with ice gloves.
5. Bank and repeat.

XP per hour? Around 150k if you’re efficient. Profit? Decent if you smith cannonballs later.

In my ironman account, steel bars were my go-to for construction supplies. I’d crank out thousands, feeling like a factory worker.

Mithril Bars for Mid-Game

Mithril requires level 50 Smithing. Half coal again, so efficient.

Use a similar method, but prep the furnace with extra coal. Wiki says 26 extra to minimize waits.

Have you tried the coal bag trick? Fill it with coal, deposit ores, then empty the bag. Speeds things up massively.

I hit 200k XP/hour here once, but it took perfect timing. Mess up, and you’re staring at the dispenser forever.

Adamantite and Runite for High Levels

For adamantite (level 70), it’s adamantite ore and coal. Runite (85) is the big leagues.

Strategy: Always use stamina pots to reduce run time. Ice gloves for quick pickup.

Table of XP Rates:

These rates assume optimal setup. In reality, add 10-20% buffer for mistakes.

Runite bars are profitable, but competitive. I remember competing for spots in crowded worlds total chaos, but the GP was worth it.

Gold Bars The Profit King

Gold bars? Level 40 Smithing, no coal needed if you’re using goldsmith gauntlets.

Why gold? Insane XP up to 350k-400k per hour, and you can buy gold ore cheap.

Method: Buy ore, teleport to furnace, smelt with gauntlets for 56.2 XP per bar instead of 22.5.

But wait, is it profitable? Not always, but with giant’s foundry later, you can turn bars into items for cash.

My personal record is 380k XP in an hour. Felt like cheating. Just nonstop running, but stamina pots make it bearable.

One trick: Pre-load coal even for gold, to keep the furnace hot. And use the “pay dwarves” worlds for hands-free.

Ironman Strategies

As an ironman, you’re on your own. No buying ores easily, so mining is key.

Focus on mining your own coal and ores. Use Motherlode Mine for pay-dirt, then process.

Solo operation: You’ll have to pump and pedal yourself. It’s slower, maybe 100k XP/hour max.

I grinded my ironman to 99 Smithing mostly here. Took forever, but satisfying. Pro tip: Bring weight-reducing gear to run longer.

What’s the biggest challenge for ironmen? Gathering resources. Stockpile coal early.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Everyone screws up at first. Here’s a list of pitfalls:

• Forgetting to pay the foreman: Under 60 Smithing? Pay up or get kicked.
• Not using ice gloves: Bars are hot wait 4 minutes or use gloves.
• Overloading inventory: Can’t deposit if full.
• Ignoring stamina: Run energy depletes fast.
• Wrong world: Non-BF worlds mean manual work.

I once forgot gloves and lost a whole inventory. Laughed it off, but inside, I was raging.

Short answer to fixing mistakes? Preparation. Check your gear before starting.

Advanced Tips from My Experience

Want to max efficiency? Here we go.

First, coal bag is essential. Holds 27 coal, doubles your trips.

Second, use shortcuts: Bank chest right there, so minimize clicks.

Third, for gold: Buy in bulk from shops or GE.

I’ve experimented with bots no, wait, don’t do that, gets you banned. But manually, timing your deposits with the furnace cycle is key.

Question: Can you AFK here? Sorta, but not really. Need to deposit regularly.

Longer runs: Use pouches for extra inventory, but it’s niche.

Another gem: In busy worlds, coordinate with others to keep coal stocked.

My favorite memory? Hitting 99 Smithing at 3 AM, surrounded by virtual dwarves. Felt epic.

Profit vs XP Which to Choose?

It depends on your goals. Gold for pure XP, runite for money.

Calculate: Gold costs about 100gp per ore, sells bars for 300gp, but with gauntlets, it’s break-even or small loss for massive XP.

Runite? Ores expensive, but bars sell high.

I usually mix it. Do gold for levels, then runite for bank.

What’s your playstyle? If you’re poor, stick to steel and smith items.

Alternatives if Blast Furnace Isn’t Your Thing

Not everyone loves the grind. Try Superheat Item spell for magic XP too.

Or Giant’s Foundry new method, melts bars into items for good XP and profit.

But honestly, nothing beats BF for speed.

I tried foundry recently, it’s fun, but slower than BF gold.

Wrapping It Up

So there you have it, my ultimate take on Blast Furnace strategies. From noob mistakes to pro tips, I’ve poured my experiences in. If you’re not using this for Smithing, you’re missing out. Give it a shot, and let me know in comments how it goes. What’s your best XP hour? Mine’s 400k on gold, but I bet someone beats that.

Remember, practice makes perfect. Happy smelting!