Smithing

As you mine, you will pick up ores (like copper, and iron). Using your forge, you can smelt these ores, or alloys into bars, gaining experience each time you do. As you level in Smithing, you can smelt better, and better allows, and craft better weapons and tools.

Differing from Minecraft, smelting is instantaneous. Just drop your coal (one for one) in the bottom slot of the triangle, and your ore(s) on top.

All of the vanilla recipes (normal sword, pick, armor) are the same, regardless of the bars used.