Power the machine
Fit an Energy Cell first. The Furnace needs Energy to run and draws 8 power each night.
Smelting trade
Furnace and Metal Ingot Guide
The Furnace turns two pieces of Metal Ore or Scrap Metal into one Metal Ingot overnight, and Dr. Jackson hands you one for free on day 6. Ore makes a better ingot than scrap, a flux agent lifts the grade, and Quality modules can carry a batch all the way to Perfect.
Day 6when Dr. Jackson gives you a Furnace
2 → 1pieces to ingots on a normal batch
3 → 2pieces to ingots with the Blast module
6purity grades, Very Low to Perfect
Smelt your first ingot
Load two pieces
Add two Scrap Metal, two Metal Ore or one of each. They have to go in as loose objects, because metal left inside a container does not count.
Add a flux agent for a better grade
A Flux Smelting Agent sits beside the metal and never replaces one of the two pieces.
Leave it overnight
One night of work gives you one Metal Ingot, ready the next morning.
Read the purity before you price it
Check the finished ingot rather than assuming a grade. Purity decides its value, so two ingots from one Furnace can be worth very different amounts.
Reference
Purity and value
Every ingot lands on one of six grades. The change applies to its base value of 50 Credits.
| Grade | Value change |
|---|---|
| Very Low | — |
| Low | −15% |
| Fair | None |
| High | +25% |
| Very High | +50% |
| Perfect | +200% |
Make room for Blast
A Blast batch needs free space for both ingots. Junk conversion also waits its turn: if the Furnace can smelt metal, it does that first.
What each batch produces
Both charts assume a Quality total of 0, and mixed loads are allowed. The last column applies to either flux agent.
Normal batch: 2 pieces, 1 ingot
| Ore / scrap | No agent | With agent |
|---|---|---|
| 0 / 2 | Low | Fair |
| 1 / 1 | Fair | High |
| 2 / 0 | High | Very High |
Blast batch: 3 pieces, 2 ingots
| Ore / scrap | No agent | With agent |
|---|---|---|
| 0 / 3 | Very Low | Fair |
| 1 / 2 | Very Low | Fair |
| 2 / 1 | Low | High |
| 3 / 0 | Fair | Very High |
An agent gains one grade on a normal batch and two on a Blast batch, because it swaps the one-grade Blast penalty for a one-grade bonus.
Agents and modules that change a batch
Quality is the only ordinary module stat that moves purity. Efficiency only lowers power use on a Furnace, and Performance does nothing here.
Basic flux agent
Consumed once per batch. Visiting suppliers, scavengers and the Dumping Grounds all turn it up.
Advanced flux agent
Stays in the machine between batches and takes priority if both agents are loaded. Look for it in Engineering Foundry Supply Crates.
Quality modules
Add up Quality, divide by 100 and drop the remainder to get the number of grades the batch moves. A negative total moves it down.
Blast Furnace Module
Turns three pieces into two ingots a night at the cost of one grade. A second copy adds nothing.
Junk Processing Module
Turns six Junk into four Scrap Metal on nights when there is no metal to smelt.
Where the metal comes from
Metal Ore
Caulson at GP Mining Coop takes large ore orders once Wild introduces you for 250 Credits.
Wild's Network prices →Scrap Metal
Scavenge it at the Dumping Grounds or buy it from scrap sellers. Carrying a Plasma Cutter there adds 10% to the scrap you find.
Junk
Worth 3 Credits a piece and also found at the Dumping Grounds. With the Junk module, 18 Credits of Junk becomes 40 Credits of Scrap Metal.
Furnace equipment and materials
Base values for everything the trade touches. After the free machine, Dr. Jackson keeps a Furnace in stock along with the manual and both furnace modules.
| Item | Base value | What it does | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Furnace | 200 Credits | Smelts one batch each night | Free on day 6, then sold by Dr. Jackson |
| Metal Ore | 15 Credits | The better input | Two pieces start at High |
| Scrap metal | 10 Credits | The cheap input | Two pieces start at Low |
| Metal ingot | 50 Credits | The finished product | Value follows purity |
| Flux Smelting Agent (Basic) | 4 Credits | Lifts a batch by a grade | One use |
| Flux Smelting Agent (Advanced) | 300 Credits | Gives the same lift on every batch | Reusable |
| Furnace Module (Blast) | 150 Credits | Three pieces make two ingots | Effect does not stack |
| Furnace Module (Junk Processing) | 120 Credits | Six Junk make four Scrap Metal | Smelting runs first |
| Metallurgy Manual | 25 Credits | The Furnace reference in game | Sold by Dr. Jackson |
| Plasma Cutter | 80 Credits | Salvages Scrap Metal from broken machines | Only needs to be carried for the 10% bonus |
Easy ways to waste a batch
Counting on flux to stack
An agent only guarantees a shift of at least +1. If your modules already reach that, it adds no extra grade.
Fitting Performance modules
The stat has no effect on this machine, so that bay is better spent on Quality or a functional module.
Letting Quality go negative
Modules with penalties can pull the total below zero, and on a Blast batch that sits on top of the lost grade.