Are you trying to unlock and craft a Smelter in Don’t Die in the West but don’t know how? Here’s how to start smelting ores easily. Overall, the Smelter is the most important early-game item as most recipes will require Copper Ingots. Accessing the Smelter will allow you to progress in the game significantly faster and grant you access to better materials and tools. However, it’s not clear how to unlock it and the quest descriptions are very vague. Don’t worry, as this guide will showcase everything you need to know about smelting in the game.
How to unlock the Smelter in Don’t Die in the West
To unlock the Smelter in Don’t Die in the West, head to Tumbleville, talk to the Blacksmith there, and complete his quest that requires finding Ciaran in the Red Stone Mountain. You’ll be able to access Tumbleville once you blow up the TNT on the blocked passage just north of your ranch.
Talk to the Blacksmith and select the following dialogue options:
- Can you teach me how to build a Smelter?
- Where did Ciaran go?
This will start ‘The Blacksmith’ quest and you’ll need to look for Ciaran in the mountains to the south by the river.
Where to find Ciaran in Don’t Die in the West
To find Ciaran and the Red Stone Mountain in Don’t Die in the West, head straight West from Tumbleville and go up the first mountain you find. Enter the cave and you’ll see Ciaran below a rock.
Alternatively, follow the path north from Tumbleville and head west on the first crossroads path. To make it even easier, check the image above for Ciaran’s exact location. Once you enter the cave on top of this mountain, use your pickaxe to break the rock blocking Ciaran and that’s it.
Once freed, he will mention that you should come back to the Blacksmith in Tumbleville for a reward. Head there and you’ll receive the Smelter recipe.
How to smelt ores
To smelt ores, you must craft a Smelter using the following items:
- 10x Stone
- 4x Branch
- 5x Cactus Fiber (hit cactus with your axe)
Then, you’ll be able to make Copper Bars with 2x Copper Ore, Iron Bars with 4x Iron Ore, and more.
In conclusion, you can unlock the Smelter in Don’t Die in the West by completing the Blacksmith’s quest in Tumbleville and finding Ciaran in Redstone Mountain, just west of the city. This will allow you to craft the Smelter with stones, branches, and cactus fibers and thus allow you to smelt all the various ores you’ve gathered. Did you manage to find Ciaran easily? The quest description left me confused and it took me quite a while before I was able to find the Redstone Mountain. For more important early-game quests, check out our guide on how to unlock the Wooden Chest in Don’t Die in the West. It will allow you to safely store some of your items in your house.
