What is more efficient: Smithing or casting

[Garjouan]

So I started a new world and was quite lucky, finding copper and tin in rather good amounts already.

I was thinking about skipping the whole casting process as much as possible and start smithing right away. But then I thought:
What is more efficient?

Of course, smithing has a higher start up cost with building a forge and whatnot, and a higher fuel consumption. But is it - in the long run at least - maybe better to go right at it, or is it better to cast as much stuff as possible?

Thoughts?

[Maelstrom]

You should know the answer to that question. 

Casting takes fewer steps to get the finished tool head.  

[Ashery]

If it's a tool you can cast, cast it.

Smithing takes time and uses up the durability on your hammer for every tool you make, while molds take a one time investment of time, clay, and the fuel to fire the pit kiln. You'll have plenty of spare time during those early game nights to create the molds and the resources you need are easy to gather; certainly easier than charcoal.

The fact that casting is easier is reflected in the prices for the tools you can sell a trader: All tools that can be cast have a lower sell price than the ones that require forging.

[l33tmaan]

Half the fun is exploring for new ore. Burn through it, I always say!

[Professor Dragon]

On 5/6/2022 at 3:33 AM, l33tmaan said:

Half the fun is exploring for new ore. Burn through it, I always say!

We have different definitions of "fun" I suspect.

 

I'm 2 - 3 years into my first proper world, and yet to go caving or find tin.

[SirFoxych]

Smithing compared to casting takes twice as much fuel and makes you lose hammer durability. I don't really see at all what is supposed to be more efficient about smithing.

I think the point of smithing is to create things that you can't do otherwise, like saws and iron tools.

[ArgentLuna]

I was burning thru copper pickaxes so fast that it was a relief to get into Iron, sure takes more effort but lasts so much longer and when your well set up you can get a good stock on iron tools done reasonably fast.

Having a Helvehammer is essential for good Ironwork. On the first server i was on we didn't have one till right before the end of that server and it showed, it was a tedious thing to get iron going and almost everyone was in copper or bronze tools. On the current server i made getting a Windmill a top Priority and soon after the hammer well before we had even found iron (which was a good thing as tin has been so very rare)

[Stevensonbak]

On 5/20/2022 at 9:32 PM, ArgentLuna said:

I was burning thru copper pickaxes so fast that it was a relief to get into Iron, sure takes more effort but lasts so much longer and when your well set up you can get a good stock on iron tools done reasonably fast.

When you say "copper pickaxes," do you actually mean you are using PURE copper axes up until iron?

Tin Bronze and Bismuth Bronze tools are waaay more resource cost efficient, durable, and fast-working than pure copper ones. On one hand, the copper-to-iron jump must feel like a godly upgrade, but on the other hand, seems like quite a slog! And this is coming from a guy that used to hold out for steel rather than using iron bars for any tools other than anvils and pickaxes (don't do this either!)

[ArgentLuna]

On 7/16/2022 at 1:22 AM, Stevensonbak said:

When you say "copper pickaxes," do you actually mean you are using PURE copper axes up until iron?

Tin Bronze and Bismuth Bronze tools are waaay more resource cost efficient, durable, and fast-working than pure copper ones. On one hand, the copper-to-iron jump must feel like a godly upgrade, but on the other hand, seems like quite a slog! And this is coming from a guy that used to hold out for steel rather than using iron bars for any tools other than anvils and pickaxes (don't do this either!)

To make those you need Tin/other, we didn't have any until we found just enough to make an anvil and one Pickaxe to mine the Iron and haven't found any more casserite since but i know where more than enough Iron to last us forever is.

[Hal13]

In vanilla it's casting, with Anvil Metal Recovery it's smithing by a small margin (you get some leftover bits back after finishing the workitem) and with XSkills it depends on how you skilled (you can have a chance for double the smithed items but also moulds (other than ingot and plate) can take up to 25% less metal to be filled) but when maximizing the metalworking skill tree smithing would be significantly better. I think for the additional time and fuel going into smithing it should at least be slightly better in some way.