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[EliProphet]

im a bit confused on how to set these up. i never dug down to the magma seas because on my way down i run into so many annoying caves that i just get frustrated and quit before i can get down there. i also heard to set up magma pumps but they sound so expensive to make and im still not sure how to set those up. whats the best way to get these running because i have no fuel on my map besides wood and i dont want to burn it all up. thanks for the help!

[elf-fondling human]

I had some trouble figuring them out before. Each forge has an unusable tile, right? you really just need to build it so at least one tile is directly above open space with magma one z level underneath it, and that tile works best.

[Girlinhat]

Magma workshops are unique, in that they don't need a 3x3 floor.  I think they only need a 1x2 floor, enough room for the dwarf to walk to the center.  The other 7 tiles can be "empty space".  If there is magma under any of these empty tiles, then the forge is working.  This works best using the impassable tiles, to make sure that no dwarves fall in, and no creatures crawl up.

[Jiokuy]

As for actually getting the magma; magma pumps have to be made out of magma safe materials eg copper. It's generally easier to embark next to a volcano, or build your forges next to the sea; than to pump lava 150-200+ z levels. Though pumping is dwarfyer.

[Aachen]

Copper is magma safe?

[Carnes]

i've yet to pump magma back up to the top of the fort.  I usually dig up/down stairs down until reaching magma.  If i breach a cavern, just build walls around the staircase going down.  At the bottom i'll setup two smelters and two forges with stockpiles for all the raw materials.

[Cuppsworth]

I think iron and pig iron is magma safe. I'm willing to bet that steel is too.

Just build your smithies down by the sea. Having dwarves live up to hundreds of levels down in the earth, haulers nearly starving to death on the way down, etc. That's dwarfy.

[Quadricwan]

Really though, travelling 100 z levels straight down takes less time than traveling 101 tiles horizontally.  Building your forges right on top of the magma sea should really be thought of like you're building your forges at the end of a hallway.  It just goes vertically instead.

Pump stacks are way dwarfier, and I prefer to imagine the magma sea as being deep down in the core of the earth, but fps and time  concerns really make it easier just to build your forges at the bottom.  Just be sure to wall off any intersection with the caverns to avoid unwanted guests and reduce the load on the pathfinding algorithms.

[RCIX]

Copper is magma safe?

Apparently, for like the lower two thirds of the magma temperature spectrum at least. (i had this question too )

[celem]

Ive melted copper block pumps though im sure of it. 

Also it may seem daunting to pump magma 100+ z-levels...it is.  Instead try raising a portion of magma something like 25 levels to a holding tank.  You can build forges there for a compromise or use what you've learned to extend the stack

[EliProphet]

from what i read, it sounds most effective to just build my forges down there. im digging down and being patient with the caves and its working so far so thats good, ive never scene what the seas look like so hopefuly i can handle them. i know magma is dangerous but when my dwarves are digging, is there a chance they might fall in since they are digging out the floor on the way down? thanks everyone so far!

[celem]

Sure set up forges down there.  I always do even if building a stack as a stack will take a couple of years. You can always change your mind later and deciude to knock some levels off the round trips.

If forging at the sea make sure to move bar/ore stockpiles down, thats a hell of a hike for hauling and smelters/forges generate alot of hauling jobs.

also no they wont fall, they dig from the tile beside the target

[elf-fondling human]

Usually dwarves dig channels from a tile over, so they shouldn't fall in as long as other dwarves don't dig out from under them.

[celem]

lol yeah that.....dwarves love to spleef each other.

if you are digging a stair then the dwarf digs from the tile directly above but still wont fall as hes standing on the stair

[Number4]

Magma workshops are unique, in that they don't need a 3x3 floor.  I think they only need a 1x2 floor, enough room for the dwarf to walk to the center.  The other 7 tiles can be "empty space".  If there is magma under any of these empty tiles, then the forge is working.  This works best using the impassable tiles, to make sure that no dwarves fall in, and no creatures crawl up.

This advice is FUCKING important! You DON'T want some Fun! creatures crawling up into your undefended workshops! Always, always make sure there's no entrance from the magma right into the heart of your fort!