OSRS Blast Furnace Guide for Maximum Efficiency and Profit

OSRS Blast Furnace Guide for Maximum Efficiency and Profit

The Blast Furnace in Old School RuneScape (OSRS) is a powerhouse for players looking to level up their Smithing skill or rake in some serious gold. Located in Keldagrim, this members-only minigame lets you smelt bars with half the coal of regular furnaces, making it a go-to for efficiency. Whether you’re chasing XP or profits, this guide will walk you through everything you need to master the Blast Furnace, from requirements to strategies.

Before you can dive into smelting, you’ll need to unlock access to the Blast Furnace and gather some key items. This section covers the essentials to get you up and running.

Requirements to Access Keldagrim

To use the Blast Furnace, you must start The Giant Dwarf quest by speaking to the Dwarven Boatman in the mines east of Rellekka. You don’t need to complete it—just get to Keldagrim. Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Quest Progress: Start The Giant Dwarf (no skill requirements).
  • Smithing Level: 60 Smithing lets you use the furnace for free; below that, it’s 2,500 coins every 10 minutes.
  • Coins: 72,000 GP per hour for Blast Furnace worlds (Worlds 352, 355, 358, 386, 387, etc.).

Pro tip: Equip a Ring of Charos (a) and follow the Foreman’s dialogue (1•3•2•3) to cut the entry fee to 1,250 coins if you’re under 60 Smithing.

Recommended Gear and Items

To maximize efficiency, bring the right gear and items. Here’s a rundown:

  • Coal Bag: Holds up to 27 coal, doubling your smelting capacity. Get it from Prospector Percy’s Nugget Shop for 100 golden nuggets.
  • Ice Gloves: Instantly cool bars at the dispenser, saving time over buckets of water. Earn them by defeating the Ice Queen at White Wolf Mountain.
  • Goldsmith Gauntlets: Boost XP by 2.5x when smelting gold bars. Obtain them from the Family Crest quest.
  • Weight-Reducing Clothing: Graceful outfit, Boots of Lightness, or Spottier Cape to conserve run energy.
  • Stamina Potions: Keep your run energy topped up for constant movement.

Without these, you’ll still manage, but your XP and profit rates will take a hit.

How the Blast Furnace Works

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The Blast Furnace is all about smelting bars in bulk with less coal. On official worlds, five dwarves (Dumpy, Stumpy, Pumpy, Numpty, and Thumpy) handle the mechanics, so you focus on loading ore and collecting bars. Let’s break down the process.

Understanding the Mechanics

The Blast Furnace operates like an assembly line:

  1. Deposit Coins: Pay 72,000 GP/hour into the coffer near the bank chest to keep the dwarves working.
  2. Load Ore: Place coal and primary ore (e.g., iron, mithril) on the conveyor belt.
  3. Smelt Bars: The furnace processes the ore into bars, stored in the dispenser.
  4. Collect Bars: Use ice gloves or a bucket of water to cool and grab bars from the dispenser.
  5. Bank and Repeat: Store bars and reload ore.

The furnace holds up to 254 coal and 28 primary ore at once, with a max of 28 bars stored in the dispenser. Overloading ore without collecting bars triggers an error, so stay organized.

Why Use Blast Furnace Worlds?

Official Blast Furnace worlds are a game-changer. The dwarves automate tasks like pedaling and pumping, letting you focus on smelting. Without them, you’d need a team or manual effort, which slashes efficiency. The 72,000 GP/hour fee is negligible compared to the XP or profits you’ll earn.

Smelting Strategies for Different Bars

Your smelting strategy depends on whether you’re chasing XP or gold. Below are optimized methods for popular bars, including hybrid patterns for balanced gains.

Gold Bars for Maximum XP

Smelting gold bars with goldsmith gauntlets yields the highest Smithing XP in OSRS—up to 370,000 XP/hour. Here’s how to do it:

  • Inventory: Goldsmith gauntlets, ice gloves, stamina potion, and 26 gold ore.
  • Steps:
    1. Equip goldsmith gauntlets.
    2. Deposit 26 gold ore on the conveyor belt.
    3. Wait for the XP drop (critical for bonus XP).
    4. Switch to ice gloves, collect bars, and bank.
    5. Repeat, averaging 250 trips/hour.

Note: Gold smelting is a net loss (gold ore costs ~352 GP each), but the XP rate is unmatched.

Mithril, Adamantite, and Runite for Profit

For profits, focus on mithril (level 50), adamantite (level 70), or runite (level 85) bars. These require coal but use half as much at the Blast Furnace. Here’s a general method:

  • Inventory: Coal bag, ice gloves, stamina potion, and ore.
  • Mithril Example:
    1. Fill coal bag with 27 coal and inventory with 27 mithril ore.
    2. Deposit mithril ore, then empty coal bag on the conveyor.
    3. Bank, refill coal bag with coal, and grab 27 more coal.
    4. Deposit coal, collect bars, and repeat.

Profit margins vary: mithril (~700k GP/hour), adamantite (~1.2m GP/hour), runite (~1.4m GP/hour). Check Grand Exchange prices before starting.

Hybrid Patterns for XP and Profit

Hybrid smelting combines gold with mithril, adamantite, or runite to balance XP and costs. You’ll need a coal bag and both glove types. Here’s a sample:

  • Inventory: Coal bag, goldsmith gauntlets, ice gloves, 26 gold ore or other ore.
  • Steps:
    1. Preload furnace with 27 coal.
    2. Deposit 26 gold ore and 26 coal (via coal bag).
    3. After a few trips, switch to 26 mithril/adamantite/runite ore with coal.
    4. Collect bars, bank, and cycle back to gold.

This method yields ~200 trips/hour, offering ~300k XP/hour and decent profits (e.g., 6.4m GP for 1,000 adamantite/gold trips).

XP and Profit Rates Table

To help you plan, here’s a table summarizing XP and profit rates for common bars, assuming ice gloves, coal bag, and stamina potions are used:

Bar Type Smithing Level XP/Hour Profit/Hour (GP) Notes
Gold 40 370,000 -1,500,000 Requires goldsmith gauntlets; loss-making.
Mithril 50 108,000 700,000 3,600 bars/hour.
Adamantite 70 135,000 1,200,000 High profit, moderate XP.
Runite 85 150,000 1,400,000 Best profit, high coal cost.

Disclaimer: Profits fluctuate with Grand Exchange prices. Always double-check before investing.

Tips for Blast Furnace Success

Maximize your time at the Blast Furnace with these pro tips to boost efficiency and avoid common pitfalls.

Optimize Your Inventory

Keep your inventory lean: coal bag, gloves, stamina potion, and ore. Avoid carrying extras to free up slots for more ore, speeding up trips.

Manage Run Energy

Running is non-negotiable at the Blast Furnace. Sip stamina potions when energy dips below 50%, and wear weight-reducing gear to stretch potion doses. Higher Agility levels help, too.

Avoid Common Mistakes

Watch out for these slip-ups:

  • Forgetting Goldsmith Gauntlets: Equip them before the XP drop for gold bars, or you’ll lose half the XP.
  • Overloading Ore: Collect bars before adding more ore to avoid furnace errors.
  • Ignoring Coal Order: Always deposit coal before iron ore to prevent accidental iron bars.

Buy Ore from Ordan

Ordan’s Ore Seller shop near the furnace stocks coal and ores up to mithril. Buy when stock is high (50+) for cheaper prices than the Grand Exchange, saving you GP on bulk runs.

With these strategies, the Blast Furnace becomes a goldmine—literally and figuratively. Whether you’re grinding for 99 Smithing or stacking coins, this minigame is your ticket to success. Hop on a Blast Furnace world, gear up, and start smelting!