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[Zambaku]

I've decided to try and make a magma smelter. But before I do that I'd just like to make sure I get it right =)

I simply build a magma smelter. Then dig out the ground underneath it and dig a way to the magma pipe so the magma can poor into the room under the smelter. How should I seal of that room, with a locked door made of marble?

[Halmie]

http://afteractionreporter.com/2009/03/02/the-complete-and-utter-newby-tutorial-for-dwarf-fortress-part-11-%E2%80%9Cburning-hot-mag-ma%E2%80%9D/

This should help. This is on a play-along fortress but the princible is the same.

[JamPet]

At least one of the magma furnace's eight edge tiles has to be hanging over magma of a depth of at least 4/7.  The furnace has to be made out of fire-safe, but not necessarily magma-safe stuff.  So that part is easy.

You got the basic idea right.  Magma, unlike water, does not count as pressurized even when there is a lot of magma weight pressing down on it from above (unless it goes through a pump!).  So for practical uses, it won't ever overflow higher than the level you are bringing it in by.  A ramp that leads down into the magma tunnel you are building is therefore plenty sealed enough for basic purposes.

Magma will melt a lot of things if allowed to pass through them.  Your marble door will hold the magma back indefinetly if it is locked and bolted, but if the magma is once allowed to flow through that door it will melt nigh-immediately.  Also, a tantruming dwarf will smash the door without a second thought with hilarious consequences.

[gtmattz]

The easiest way to set up a magma forge/smelter is to find somewhere along your magma pipe or pool where it is really small and the level below is larger.  Then mine out a room overlapping the larger level of the pipe on the same level as the smaller section (you will get lots of 'hot hot hot' messages, so it can be a little annoying carving out the room).  Once you have the room mined out, figure out where you want your shop and channel a hole in the floor, thus exposing the magma underneath, then build your workshop with the impassible (dark green) tile situated over the magma hole.  If this doesn't make sense let me know and I will take some screenshots for you.

[JaaSwb]

Note that if you do it the way gtmattz describes, you may wish to wall in your smelter to prevent your smiths from having Fun. Alternatively, you could let magma flow from the magma pipe into a tunnel, and channel into that to fuel your smelters. Fun can be avoided by letting the magma flow through a grate or fortification as it leaves the pipe.

[gtmattz]

Note that if you do it the way gtmattz describes, you may wish to wall in your smelter to prevent your smiths from having Fun. Alternatively, you could let magma flow from the magma pipe into a tunnel, and channel into that to fuel your smelters. Fun can be avoided by letting the magma flow through a grate or fortification as it leaves the pipe.

If the impassible tile of the smelter/forge is over the channel then it is impossible for magma or creatures to come through.  The only time you are at risk is during the period between channeling through the floor and the completion of the workshop.

[JaaSwb]

Oops, misread your original post there.

[darthbob88]

Note that if you do it the way gtmattz describes, you may wish to wall in your smelter to prevent your smiths from having Fun. Alternatively, you could let magma flow from the magma pipe into a tunnel, and channel into that to fuel your smelters. Fun can be avoided by letting the magma flow through a grate or fortification as it leaves the pipe.

I endorse this method, as it permits more industry than gtmattz's method, which provides a minimal space for forges and furnaces, and also provides an easy method of ensuring safety for those dwarves who must work with magma.

[Euld]

I think you have to dig all the tunnels and channels before putting in the smelters.  I'm not sure if you can dig out a tile from under a smelter.  But do make sure that the open space for the magma is not the center of the smelter.

[darthbob88]

I think you have to dig all the tunnels and channels before putting in the smelters.  I'm not sure if you can dig out a tile from under a smelter.  But do make sure that the open space for the magma is not the center of the smelter.

This is correct, you must make the hole before you can build the forge/furnace/smelter/kiln.

[Lav]

My method of tapping the magma pipe usually looks along the following lines:

          =o=
###########|#######
###########*#######
 <---      %%_#~~~~
############~~~~~~~
###################

The pipe is to the right and the tapped magma goes in the direction of the arrow. The pipe is breached from above along the suggestions outlined earlier in the thread, and is immediately sealed with a grate. Theoretically magma men and firemen should be able to destroy the grate, but I have yet to see them doing this.

[darthbob88]

My method of tapping the magma pipe usually looks along the following lines:

          =o=
###########|#######
###########*#######
 <---      %%_#~~~~
############~~~~~~~
###################

The pipe is to the right and the tapped magma goes in the direction of the arrow. The pipe is breached from above along the suggestions outlined earlier in the thread, and is immediately sealed with a grate. Theoretically magma men and firemen should be able to destroy the grate, but I have yet to see them doing this.

I think I like this method, it provides pressurized magma which flows faster than usual. The best improvement I could suggest would be to carve fortifications into the rock at some point between the magma pipe and the pump; as in
          =o=
###########|#######
###########*#######
 <---      %%_#####
############~~#~~~~~
###################
This would provide superior protection against fire/magma men without being significantly more complex.

[kg333]

My method of tapping the magma pipe usually looks along the following lines:

          =o=
###########|#######
###########*#######
 <---      %%_#~~~~
############~~~~~~~
###################

The pipe is to the right and the tapped magma goes in the direction of the arrow. The pipe is breached from above along the suggestions outlined earlier in the thread, and is immediately sealed with a grate. Theoretically magma men and firemen should be able to destroy the grate, but I have yet to see them doing this.

This is my usual method as well.  It also allows you to easily extend your magma tap later for more workshops, without worrying much about disrupting your existing workshops, since the pump pressurizes the magma. 

KG

[Jacob/Lee]

Before you make a smelter think of this

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

1.While you're not watching (of course), a furnace operator gets hit by fireball from a fire imp while working at the magma smelter.
2.The furnace operator then runs around on his business, smelting coke, and sets fire to both the charcoal stockpile, and a bituminous coal vein.
3.As he does this he takes burning damage.
4.Now wounded, he heads for the barracks for a rest.
5.The dwarf dies on the way, and his (still burning) clothes fall to the side.
(Somehow, let's say you miss the announcement of his death - the game doesn't pause or re-center, so it wouldn't be the first time.)
6.A peasant comes and picks up his ‼pig tail shoe‼ and puts it on. His clothing catches on fire.
7.He goes to the surface and starts a forest fire, which distracts you for some time. You think the forest fire caught him on fire, not the other way around.
8.Meanwhile, your legendary armorer grabs some ‼charcoal‼ for a new steel project. Soon, he's a ‼legendary armorer‼ (but not for long...)
9.A hauler grabs some armor in the forge where the charcoal is burning, catches fire, and sets fire to the leather armor items in the armor stockpile, and/or the rows of wooden bins there.
10.A miner finds the burning coal vein, and becomes a ‼miner‼.
11.One of these dwarves soon feels hurt also, and heads for the barracks to rest, getting on a wooden bed and lighting that up.
12.Another goes and has a drink, setting fire to the booze stockpiles and causing all of the drinks to boil away.
13.Nearby beds and food stockpiles light up; dwarves sleep on those beds and the others near it and get lit up themselves, as well as the dwarves going for a drink or meal, and for the ‼pig tail robe‼.
14.The announcements about all the dwarves that have "died in the heat" start pouring in - you don't miss these.
15.You find the burning coal vein and miner, and blame it on him, wondering when and why he went outside into the forest fire.
16.Now a fair portion of the fortress is on fire, but you can't do anything about it, and can't see what's happening very well for all the smoke.
17.To save what dwarves you can, you <A>ctivate them, and so some and go to the burning armor bins to get ‼armored‼ up.
18.Those few who do manage to get out unlit have all lost several friends and loved ones, and a tantrum spiral is now unavoidable. Those few soon go insane and throw themselves into the river in a final ironic act.

Before you have a fortress of

[Odd!x]

At least one of the magma furnace's eight edge tiles has to be hanging over magma

build your workshop with the impassible (dark green) tile situated over the magma hole.  If this doesn't make sense let me know and I will take some screenshots for you.

which of these two are the truth?