Editing 40d:Melt item

{{quality|Exceptional|15:15, 18 April 2011 (UTC)}}{{av}}
You can '''melt''' items at a [[smelter]], using the [[furnace operator]] labor, to recover some of the [[metal]] they were made of.  [[Decoration]]s in a different metal are not recovered or considered; the metal recovered is the specific metal that basic item was listed as being made from. The % return is predictable and consistent for each item type, and ranges from 10%-60%, depending on the item.  Higher skill levels in furnace operator speed up the process, but have no effect on the % return.

Recovered metal is measured in 1/10th's, and 1/10ths of bars of each metal are saved at the smelter where the item was melted.  Fractional bars are not "shared" between smelters, nor do they exist as usable objects as is.  When 10/10ths of a type of metal are accumulated at the same smelter, 1 bar of that metal is produced.  If the smelter is torn down or destroyed, all fractions are lost.

:''Example:'' If two items of the same metal worth .4 bars each are melted at the same smelter, that smelter has .8 bars worth waiting in it. 
:If a similar item of a ''different'' metal is then melted there, that smelter would have .8 bars of the first metal and .4 bars of the second. 
:If a similar item of the first metal is then melted at a ''different'' smelter, that smelter will have .4 of that metal, and have no connection to the fractions in the first smelter.  
:If (finally!), a 3rd, similar item of the first metal is melted at the first smelter, adding another 4/10ths, and giving a total of 12/10ths of that type of metal, 1 bar of that metal is produced, and 2/10th's are waiting (plus the 4/10 of the second metal, also waiting).

So, it's recommended that you designate one smelter as your "melting" smelter (or one/metal type), to guarantee that fractions will add up effectively.

==Designating items to melt==
You can designate metal items for melting from any interface that allows you to view the object's description screen, such as from the [[Stocks]] page or the Loo{{k|k}} interface. 

To bring up a individual object description screen when the object is:
:* On the '''ground''':  Type {{k|k}}, scroll to the object, select it from the list, and type {{k|Enter}}.
:* In a '''workshop''':  Type {{k|t}}, highlight the workshop, select the object from the list, and type {{k|Enter}}.
:* '''Held''' by a dwarf:  Type {{k|v}}, highlight the dwarf, type {{k|i}} to show his inventory, select the object from the list, and type {{k|Enter}}.
:* Inside another object:  Display the container's object description screen, navigate to the specific object you wish to see, and type {{k|Enter}}.
:* In the '''stocks''' menu:  Type {{k|z}}, hit right-direction a few times to select "stocks" and press return.  Scroll to the type of object you wish to melt, type {{k|Tab}} to show individual items (You have to have an exact number or this won't work.  See [[Bookkeeper]] for how to get this.), scroll to the specific object, and type {{k|v}} to view.

To designate the item, simply type {{k|m}} to mark the object for melting.  If the item is designated for melting and [[forbidden]] then the item will '''not''' be melted.

However, this only marks which items you want to be melted - you still have to place the job-order in a smelter...

==Melting the items==
Items designated to be melted will be left alone until you queue a "Melt a metal object" job at a [[Smelter]].  Melting down an object requires the [[Furnace operator]] labor (and consumes a unit of [[fuel]] for a non-magma smelter).

The job gives the same experience to the [[furnace operator]] skill regardless of % yield of the item melted.

==Yield==
The type of item being melted (and its [[stack]] size) determines how many bars of metal will be recovered. Melting objects generally nets you fewer bars of metal than were required to make them, although for some objects this loss is much greater than for others.  Some metal items are otherwise refuse, so melting is a distinct option.  An entire suit of chain armor, including shield, consumes 7 bars to make - melted it yields only 3.3.

Melting yields do '''not''' respect MATERIAL_SIZE for armor items - regardless of how many bars are used to make the item, the yield will be the same.

Items yielding 1 full bar:
* [[Door]] - 33%
* [[Floodgate]] - 33%
* [[Chair]] - 33%
* [[Cage]] - 33%
* [[Barrel]] - 33%
* [[Table]] - 33%
* [[Coffin]] - 33%
* [[Statue]] - 33%
* [[Chest]] - 33%
* [[Bin]] - 33%
* [[Armor stand]] - 33%
* [[Weapon rack]] - 33%
* [[Cabinet]] - 33%
* [[Anvil]] - 33%
* [[Bucket]] - '''100%'''
* [[Pipe section]] - 33%
* [[Hatch cover]] - 33%
* [[Grate]] - 33%

Items yielding 0.8 bars:
* [[Armor]] - 27-40%

Items yielding 0.5 bars:
* [[Chain]] - 50%
* [[Instrument]] - 50%
* [[Animal trap]] - 50%
* [[Weapon]] - 50%
* [[Shield]] - 50%
* [[Pants]] - 25%
* [[Ballista arrow]] / [[ballista arrowhead]] - 17%
* [[Trap component]] - 50%

Items yielding 0.3 bars:
* [[Shoes]] - 60% (per pair)
* [[Helm]] - 30%
* [[Gloves]] - 60% (per pair)

Items yielding 0.2 bars:
* [[Flask]] - 60% (per set of 3)
* [[Goblet]] - 60% (per set of 3)
* [[Toy]] - 20%
* [[Figurine]] - 20-60%
* [[Scepter]] - 20-60%

Items yielding 0.1 bars:
* [[Amulet]] - 10-30%
* [[Crown]] - 10-30%
* [[Ring]] - 10-30%
* [[Earring]] - 10-30%
* [[Bracelet]] - 10-30%

Special:
* [[Ammo]] yields 0.1 bars per 10 units, rounded down, plus 0.1. A stack of 1-9 bolts will yield 0.1 bars, 10-19 will yield 0.2 bars, etc. - a freshly smithed stack of 25 bolts will yield 0.3 bars, for a 30% return.
* [[Coin]]s yield 0.1 bars per 50 units, rounded down, plus 0.1. A stack of 1-49 coins will yield 0.1 bars, 50-99 will yield 0.2 bars, etc. - a freshly minted stack of 500 coins will yield 1.1 bars, for a '''110%''' return.

== Training metalsmith skills / Maximizing return  ==
It can consume many, many bars of metal to train the various [[metalsmithing]] [[skill]]s up to high levels*, likely more than you will ever find within the mountain.  If you are short on metal, producing items, melting them and re-producing them may be necessary.  If you want to retain as much metal as possible from this process, some items are better to produce and re-melt than others.  The skill to be trained in the chart below is trained at a forge; melting items at a smelter only raises the [[furnace operator]] skill.  When using a produce/melt loop to train up a skill for a minimum metal loss, the following items work best:

:''(* 600 bars to train from Dabbling to Legendary, and 367 more to reach Legendary+5, the highest skill level)

{|cellpadding="2" border="1" 
! Skill<br /> to be <br />Trained!!  Best <br />Percent <br /> Return !! Recommended <br />Item(s) <br />Melted

|-
| [[weaponsmith]] || 50% || [[weapon]]s or [[trap component]]s

|-
| [[armorsmith]] || 60% || [[gauntlet]]s, [[high boot]]s, or [[low boot]]s

|-
| [[metalsmith]] || '''100%''' || [[bucket]]

|-
| [[metal crafter]] || '''110%''' || [[coin]]s

|}

== Bugs ==
For reasons unknown, attempting to melt a metal [[Chest]] will fail. When attempting to do so, it will be carried to a smelter and the "Melt a metal object" task will be completed (granting Furnace Operating experience, and consuming [[fuel]] if not magma-powered), but the chest will not actually be melted - it will remain in the smelter's inventory to be returned to a stockpile, and no metal bars will be produced.

{{Category|Jobs}}
{{Category|Items}}