I finally pushed through the wall so to speak and got to modding
This will be a tech mod, inspired by, but nearly as complex as, GregTech etc in Minecraft.
So far I've managed to make an automated smelting stack, made with several blocks.
firepit-loader - grabs objects from the container above it and attempts to load them into the firepit below
firepit-unloader - grabs completed fire pit objects and puts them into the chest below
firepit-stoker - will attempt to fuel firepits beside it from a chest of fuel above, will also ignite the fire pit if necessary
I haven't got as far as recipes yet.