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[Sir Leonard III]

I'm new to the game, started playing about three days ago. Anyway, I've been using the wiki for the basics, nobles, prison, hospital, etc. Today I tried creating an iron weapon, because I got a couple new migrants for my army. When I ordered a sword to be made everything goes well, then a message pops up, "Urist McWeaponSmith cancels Forge iron short sword: Needs iron bars."
I checked my stock and made sure I had iron bars, and that they were unforbidden. They were so I tried again, same message.
Any reason why this could be happening? Do I need more iron bars? Help would be appreciated.

I'm not sure this is a bug or not so I didn't post it in the bug section of the forums.

[Couchmonster]

Did you use the Stock Screen or did you check with "k" on the stockpile.
The Stock screen is not always up to date, depending on the efficiency (or laziness) of your bookkeeper.
Was the iron in reach? I once managed to block an path in my fortress with a workshop set in a small hallway.
The darfs could not pass the hallway anymore

Usually weapons need 1 fuel and 1 metal bar (unless you use magma forges, then you can scrap the fuel).

[Mimidormi]

Welcome to the forums, and to the game  . I'm going to assume you're playing a fort in the current version (31.25); if so, all metal item require only one bar to be forged for now. Are the bars fully accessible to your forge and your weaponsmiths? And did you already check with tab on the bars category in the z -> stocks menu if the iron bars were in cyan? They could have been used accidentally to build a wall or a construction.

[Sir Leonard III]

Yeah, I checked with the z ---> Stocks, then scrolled down to bars and made sure I had at least one.
My book keeper is currently doing the best job he can, and I haven't crafted anything out of metal in a long time. And, yes, everything is accessible. My fort is rather simple, main floor, huge stockpile and then everything else.
I'm going with this being a bug, any other possible reasons?

Wow, I figured out the problem. The iron bar was made into a bridge...
And I thought I had the basics of the game down. You learn something new every day.

[thegoatgod_pan]

If it is a bug, it is a strange one, I think it would have been as notable as to come up first in everyone's mind, but generally the metal industry is not all that bugged.
So maybe its a bug but other possibilities first:
Maybe you have iron bars, but they are forbidden or designated for a task which has become suspended.
How did you order the job to be made directly through the workshop or through the manager screen--try both and see if one carries through
Do you have other things you might be using the iron for?
Do other metals work fine?
Sorry if it persists, seems like a tough break, although iron makes subpar weapons anyway

[evileeyore]

Wow, I figured out the problem. The iron bar was made into a bridge...
And I thought I had the basics of the game down. You learn something new every day.

It was numbered in red wasn't it?

[callahan.44]

if you go on the Stocks menu and press Tab it lists every item individually.
iron bar would have shown it was used in a construction.. pressing z would have zoomed to the bridge.

[Number4]

I have to add a disclaimer to the magmaforge: It doesn't need an fuel, except for making steel and pig iron bars, which always need 1 fuel as part of the reaction.

[gtmattz]

I have to add a disclaimer to the magmaforge: It doesn't need an fuel, except for making steel and pig iron bars, which always need 1 fuel as part of the reaction.

Except that in this case. the coal is not being used as fuel, but as part of the actual alloy (steel is an alloy of carbon and iron after all).

[Number4]

I know how the reaction works, but the carbon (coke/charcoal) is commonly called "fuel", therefore I see not nothing wrong with my post

[Satarus]

The only thing I can think of that will cause failure would be no available iron bars in his burrow.  Check that he can path to it, and that it is in his burrow.  Also make sure that the iron isn't forbidden or used in another construction.

[Noir]

I am also having "fun" with the stock screen recently. Is there a table somewhere explaining what the different colors and symbols mean? Like, "worn by someone", "forbidden", "somewhere on the ground", ecc....

[nanomage]

I am also having "fun" with the stock screen recently. Is there a table somewhere explaining what the different colors and symbols mean? Like, "worn by someone", "forbidden", "somewhere on the ground", ecc....

blue is built into a sctructure
red is rotten or owned by merchants
magenta is forbidden or designated for dumping
gray is foreign, brown is homemade.
Worn items are not specifically highlighted.

[Noir]

*AWESOME*.

Is this _vital_ piece of information somewhere in the Wiki?
Also, can I browse the stock screen filtering any of the above?

[nanomage]

*AWESOME*.

Is this _vital_ piece of information somewhere in the Wiki?
Also, can I browse the stock screen filtering any of the above?

Yes, certainly
http://df.magmawiki.com/index.php/DF2010:stocks#Color_Code
Don't know about filtering i think you can not.