I worked on iron too, and if I remember correctly, a chunk of iron doesn’t cool down in around 15 seconds. The main issue I find is the inconsistency, for example, the anvil top and base. I timed this too because I got so mad. I would heat it up to 1000°C+, and after 15 seconds it would already be too cold to work. I got a good 5–6 hits in before it cooled down, and then I gave up for the day.
The next IRL day, I tried again: one minute of smithing... what??? I got even more mad at the fact that the heating times just seemed to be up to the PC’s vibes. Same with the base, if it was a good day, the thing would stay heated for 30+ seconds; if not, 15 seconds. I’ve never been so frustrated before.
From my IRL experience, the bigger the chunk, the longer it stays hot. Here, it feels like the bigger the chunk, the faster it cools down. Pickaxe head: 1 minute 30+; anvil base: 15 seconds.
