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[RLS0812]

I have ran out of all sources of iron on the map ( without cheating ) ... trading doesn't get me enough ... any ideas?
It seems like 90% of the metal ore is copper
 I still need more steel, and adamantine isn't available .

[Saiko Kila]

I have ran out of all sources of iron on the map ( without cheating ) ... trading doesn't get me enough ... any ideas?
It seems like 90% of the metal ore is copper
 I still need more steel, and adamantine isn't available .

1. Invite goblins (or other metal bearers) and melt their stuff. You can automate it to an extent by using magma (which preserves iron, but not other goblinite).
 
2. Use some exploits, like melting items which give more return than investment. You can make it with steel items already, to save time on converting iron to steel.

[Urist9876]

The exploit route would be the easiest. Craft gauntlets and serrated discs and keep melting them until you get masterworks. It will train your armorer and weaponsmith as well. But its a bit cheaty.

Sending out raids to trigger sieges could work too. But if you have too little iron you better avoid combat and make a lot of traps.

Maybe you also could get some things by intimidation or raiding but I never tried this.

[Sarmatian123]

You mined all iron carrying ore on embark map. You do not smelt anything but metal containing ores. I wish Toady fixed smelting, so people would stop consider it a cheat. Not wonder any dwarven caravan does not bring you enough iron & steel bars. You stick only with master quality items and sell all lesser quality off. You best train your smithies on copper bars No, only smelting brings more iron bars in this situation.

Raids could bring you same loot like caravan merchandise, but I never seen any bringing back any metal bars.

[Telgin]

You say trading doesn't bring enough, but are you also requesting and buying iron ores from the caravan to smelt?  If it's available, of course.  It's not a lot on its own but it's at least another source of iron income.

[Argentum]

You mined all iron carrying ore on embark map. You do not smelt anything but metal containing ores. I wish Toady fixed smelting, so people would stop consider it a cheat. Not wonder any dwarven caravan does not bring you enough iron & steel bars. You stick only with master quality items and sell all lesser quality off. You best train your smithies on copper bars No, only smelting brings more iron bars in this situation.

Raids could bring you same loot like caravan merchandise, but I never seen any bringing back any metal bars.

I have had raids bring back metal bars before. One brought back a copper bar and another brought back a gold bar. But only two in about 100 raids, and neither were iron, so raiding is definitely not a reliable source of metal. The easiest way would be to make contact with as many human and dwarven civs as possible via sending one man request surrender and occupy missions. They will reject it, but then that civ will start sending caravans and bringing more iron goods.

[PatrikLundell]

You mined all iron carrying ore on embark map. You do not smelt anything but metal containing ores. I wish Toady fixed smelting, so people would stop consider it a cheat. Not wonder any dwarven caravan does not bring you enough iron & steel bars. You stick only with master quality items and sell all lesser quality off. You best train your smithies on copper bars No, only smelting brings more iron bars in this situation.

Raids could bring you same loot like caravan merchandise, but I never seen any bringing back any metal bars.

I have had raids bring back metal bars before. One brought back a copper bar and another brought back a gold bar. But only two in about 100 raids, and neither were iron, so raiding is definitely not a reliable source of metal. The easiest way would be to make contact with as many human and dwarven civs as possible via sending one man request surrender and occupy missions. They will reject it, but then that civ will start sending caravans and bringing more iron goods.

Are you saying raiding can actually result in trade being opened, rather than nothing/war? It's the first time I hear of it, if so.

It can also be noted that raiding can bring back metal items that can be melted down into bars (but it's rather random, of course, and "metal" doesn't mean "iron" [and you can just as well end up with a troll sized pair of troll fur pants...]).

[Argentum]

You mined all iron carrying ore on embark map. You do not smelt anything but metal containing ores. I wish Toady fixed smelting, so people would stop consider it a cheat. Not wonder any dwarven caravan does not bring you enough iron & steel bars. You stick only with master quality items and sell all lesser quality off. You best train your smithies on copper bars No, only smelting brings more iron bars in this situation.

Raids could bring you same loot like caravan merchandise, but I never seen any bringing back any metal bars.

I have had raids bring back metal bars before. One brought back a copper bar and another brought back a gold bar. But only two in about 100 raids, and neither were iron, so raiding is definitely not a reliable source of metal. The easiest way would be to make contact with as many human and dwarven civs as possible via sending one man request surrender and occupy missions. They will reject it, but then that civ will start sending caravans and bringing more iron goods.

Are you saying raiding can actually result in trade being opened, rather than nothing/war? It's the first time I hear of it, if so.

It can also be noted that raiding can bring back metal items that can be melted down into bars (but it's rather random, of course, and "metal" doesn't mean "iron" [and you can just as well end up with a troll sized pair of troll fur pants...]).

Yes, you can send missions out to other civs. I can send one dwarf to a nearby or even distant civ with a mission to demand the surrender of that site and occupy it. Of course the other civ will reject this request, but it does not make their civ hostile to yours. In fact, that civ will now send caravans. I get about a dozen elven caravans and an assortment of human and dwarven caravans every year in my current world. And they all use the same depo, so no need to have multiple. Really helps to get things that none of your current trading civs have access to.

[Hans Lemurson]

I have ran out of all sources of iron on the map ( without cheating ) ... trading doesn't get me enough ... any ideas?
It seems like 90% of the metal ore is copper
 I still need more steel, and adamantine isn't available .

Wow, that's a lot of iron consumption!  Were you trying to equip your whole fortress population in Steel Plate, or was the map just really deficient in iron?

Ordering iron/pig iron/steel bars from caravans doesn't give you nearly enough, so when I need metal I tell the Liason that I want Hematite, Limonite, and Magnetite boulders as well as anvils, iron/steel chains, iron/steel cages, and if I'm desperate (and have the fuel) toys as well.  There's a lot of metal to be had if you're willing to destroy valuable manufactured goods to get it.

[PatrikLundell]

Thanks Argentum, that's interesting info.