Link: https://www.thereloadersnetwork.com/2023/08/27/are-my-bullets-contenders-klowning-around-with-224-swaged-bullets/
As "cold bore" as you can get! - Trying my first few homemade jacketed bullets in a .223 Remington chambered Thompson/Center Contender.

This guide is updated as of: 0.E, Build #10653
Please use ctrl + f to find the particular skill you are looking to train
Original Guide here (outdated)
Join us at Vormithrax's discord Channel
USING BOOKS (at higher levels) INSTEAD IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED when available!
Bartering + Speaking + Computers are trainable through books and are generally un-grindable.
Swimming + Driving can be learned through practice.

SKILL TRAINING GUIDE

* Able to deconstruct to get all materials from crafting back.
** Cut up to retrieve most of the materials.
! Long crafting time, but good exp for low material cost.

CRAFTING SKILLS

(This section mostly refers to items that may be crafted without a recipe. Some notable craftable items, however, are an exception and therefore included due to ease in crafting and acquisition.)
TAILORING
0->1: Makeshift Bandage
1->2: pair of leg warmers housecoat*!
2->3: cloak*! balaclava cotton hat! bikini top! cargo shorts!
3->4: boonie hat
4->5: rolled sleeping bag*! (req. survival 1)
5->6: rolled sleeping bag*! (req. survival 1)
6->7: sleeveless leather trenchcoat **
6->8: sleeveless leather trenchcoat**
Alternative progression (light nomad suit route):
Craft these as the first thing in each level threshold. They should get you the level, or atleast some xp. If xp is needed, or the entry is blank, follow the list above.
0->1: 4x pouches
1->2:
2->3: cargo shorts
3->4: tunic and 4x chest ammo pouch (1 marksmanship)
4->5: drop leg pouch (2 fabrication) (requires plastic and plastic mold - please see materials section)
5: tac vest (2 fabrication)
The above only costs rags, threads, and 16 plastic chunks (2 deconstructed plastic house plants). This starts off the player fairly well equipped.
The next step above the light nomad gear in this instance would be the light survivor suit (or whichever survivor suit the player prefers).
FABRICATION
0->1: cudgel fishing hook
1->2: glass shiv* washboard improvised fishing hook (req. survival 1) wooden shed stick
2->3: stone adze! distaff and spindle
3->4: wooden smoother Wooden Cart Wheel*
4->5: small plastic bottle wooden dog whistle (req. survival 2)
5->6: small plastic bottle wooden dog whistle (req. survival 2)
FABRICATION 5+ (up to 12): FORGING
Create a Charcoal kiln and a stone forge by collecting rocks and using tools from survival.
To obtain rocks, smash small rocks with a heavy stick (or a homewrecker).
Charcoal Kiln: 40 rocks.
Rock forge: 40 rocks.
Cut down a tree with one of the survival 3 tools with tree cutting quality or better.
Cut the fallen trunk down into logs, then throw them in the Charcoal kiln.
Light the charcoal kiln when full or near full. One tree should be fine. If you don't have a source of fire, craft a fire drill from the survival skill. This will take 6 hours.
Search for clay, you will need 5. They may be found pseudo-randomly from digging up random areas with a digging tool. It is recommended to find a clay deposit near a forest and extract clay from the construction menu with a digging tool in your inventory since it is far less time consuming.
With the clay, make a clay crucible.
With a homewrecker, smash the nearest car and to pieces take all the steel items. Remember to bring a backpack or duffel bag. You should have more than enough steel to work with for all the tools and metal gear you would want.
Craft an Anvil, metal tongs, metalworking chisel, and a swage and die set.
From here, you can craft any tools you'd like (including, but not limited to, punch dagger, ironshod quarterstaff, war scythe, hatchet, machete, and the lobotomizer). Once you reach fabrication 9 through various forgings you've done (the max level is difficulty + difficulty/4), crafting the lobotomizer 2 to 3 times should let you reach lv 12 fabrication, but only lv 10 is required.
SURVIVAL
0->1: makeshift sling* bindle* forage underbrush
1->2: tinder digging stick
2->3: stone shovel wild vegetable stems any seeds
3->4: bone flute stone axe
4->5: mushroom spores
5->6: mushroom spores morel mushroom spores
COOKING
0->1: clean water cooked meat cooked wild vegetables
1->2: pine nuts (survival 2)
2->3: dehydrated meat acid water cooked dandelion greens broth
3->4: meat jerky lard woods soup
4->5: bologna maple syrup protein powder methanol
5->6: bologna maple syrup protein powder methanol
ELECTRONICS
0->1: antenna
1->2: electric firestarter
(May make a soldering iron at lv2)
2->3: electrolysis kit*
MECHANICS
0->1: make a light wooden frame, start vehicle construction with it and disassemble the vehicle, repeatedly
1->2: homemade suppressor remove/reattach car parts (60L tanks if possible)
2->3: remove/reattach car parts pipe shotgun
3->4: remove/reattach car parts pipe rifle: 9mm

UTILITY SKILLS

TRAPPING
0->1: Nailboard trap* (craft, disassemble, repeat)
1+: Craft a nail-board trap, place, and disarm it repeatedly. This takes a long time in the real world, so training trapping is best done with a macro. This is feasibly done up to 3 (4 if the player has patience a lot of patience). Useful for lower perception characters since 1 trapping = 2 perception for the sake of trap detection. Recommended only to do to up to a trap detection level of 10 (perception + 2x trapping).
FIRST AID
0->1: applying 6 makeshift bandages
1->2: applying 27 makeshift bandages arm-splints
2->3: applying 81 makeshift bandages
*note: These numbers are obtained from consecutive crafting from 0 to 3 (from 100 focus 0 morale) without refreshing focus to 100 every level. The number of bandages per iteration is significantly reduced by morale and higher focus.
3-4: applying 144 makeshift bandages (from 100 focus and 0 morale consecutively)

RANGED COMBAT SKILLS

Marksmanship + Archery: May be trained up to 3 along with archery by crafting a slingshot, making pebbles with sharp/regular rocks, and holding f on a practice target (should be very quick to train). Alternatively, craft a bow, and shoot arrows at the floor or a marked target.
Throwing: Throw things on the floor or at a practice target to train throwing up to 3 for little in-game time. Recommended throwing thread as they're abundant and rebinding to 't' so the player can just double tap to select.
Handguns: The same as training Archery. Requires crafting the pistol Crossbow (Recipe locked). Viable up to level 3.
Rifles: The same as training Archery. Requires crafting the Crossbow (Recipe locked). Viable up to level 3.
Submachine guns: The same as training Archery. Requires crafting the repeating Crossbow (Recipe locked). Viable up to level 3. (Thanks to Amneiger).
Launchers: No real way to train other than usage and books.
Shotguns: No real way to train other than usage and books.

MELEE COMBAT SKILLS

Dodging: viably train dodge to 6 by waiting while surrounded by rats while wearing full turnout gear or survivor suit. Alternatively, wearing some gear and holding a cudgel also works as a viable alternative if they don't mind taking some damage and repairing clothes. A cudgel has a high block technique which allows the player to use it as a shield.
---------------------------------------------------
For melee combat skills, one can trap a high dodge/high protection enemy that can't fight back in a car and hold down tab. Namely, this resolves to the Amoebic Slime and Gracken.
Alternatively, high dodge paired with a bear trap is good for this. Bear trap a zombie soldieswat cop, and they won't take damage from attacks. This is okay since experience gained is based off misses (up to a cap) and strikes. Using the bear trap approach, 8 overall dodge is highly recommended.
Use as low arm encumbrance as you can. This is important to minimize stamina cost. Also do not use any martial arts since you can accidentally kill your punching bag.
Intelligence is a great resource here since it increases focus by 5 per point above 8 (and reduces it by 5 below 8). This is not displayed, but implicit. Fast Learner is also good here. Base 8 int or below, these combat training methods become very difficult to perform or take far longer than it otherwise would.
In general, the lower the damage (so long as its not 0) the better.
Note*: if the chosen weapon has multiple types, one can opt to disable training the other skill (if desired). This isn't much of a problem at higher int levels or with fast learner above 8 int.
Melee: See above.
Unarmed combat: See above. Use barehanded attacks. This can easily reach cap since unarmed damage is very low.
Bashing Weapons: See above. Scrap copper is great for this.
Cutting Weapons: See above. Any weak knife is okay for this. Preferably with rapid strikes.
Piercing weapons: See above. Plastic Shank, if available, is great for this.
*Note: There are no crafting recipes which train combat. However, there are a few ways to train certain skills up without the need to confront enemies (see ranged combat skills).

WHERE TO GET MATERIALS

CRAFTING MATERIALS
rags: Disassemble sheets for rags and thread. Smash beds and couches. Simple deconstruct beds, then dismantle the mattress for even more rags.
short rope: remove seatbelts from cars.
long string: disassemble short rope or from taking down curtains.
small string: disassemble long string.
thread: disassemble small string, and sheets.
leather: disassemble car seats or butcher leather clothing (this is a highly viable option for players who have soap or detergent).
plastic chunk: Simple deconstruct house plants. A plastic plant pot gives 9 plastic chunks! Disassemble computer consoles, smash trashcans and arcade machines, or butcher plastic clothing (a lot of plastic, nomex, and kevlar may be obtained from butchering a whole firetruck's worth of turnout gear). May also get a lot of them from disassembling TV screens.
kevlar + nomex: Butcher firefighter gear from fire trucks, fire stations, and firefighter zombies. May also be obtained from SWAT zombies, soldier zombies, and other various zombie drops.
two by fours: smash/disassemble wooden furniture (chairs, tables, counters).
nails: smash/disassemble wooden furniture (chairs, tables, counters).
scrap metal: smash/disassemble metal furniture (lockers, ovens) or smash cars (the most abundant way).
glass bottle: liquor stores, bars, or randomly in houses/mansions/grocery stores.
copper: disassemble fridges, then disassemble the copper items within.
bone: Butcher wild animals.
batteries: Devices in electronics stores, zombie drops.
wire: smash wire fences.
Rocks: burn down a house and collect the damage, or run around in a forest and smash small rocks with your highest bash damage weapon. If available, deconstructing charcoal kilns on top of butcher shops also net a lot of rocks.
Nails: Same as rocks, burn down a house.
Solder + copper wire: disassemble alternators and electronics.
FOOD ITEMS
water: infinite amounts can be found in swamps, puddles in forests, rivers, LMOE shelters, mansions (swimming pools), funnel + container.
chunk of meat: butcher animals (full butcher recommended). Very small animals do not give much meat whatsoever. Furthermore, frozen/cold food lasts significantly longer than room temperature food.
wild vegetables: examine underbrush in forests/swamps (better chance with higher survival skill). Best done with auto-pickup rules and auto-forage.
eggs: examine underbrush in forests/swamps (better chance with higher survival skill). Best done with auto-pickup rules and auto-forage.
wild herbs: examine underbrush in forests/swamps (better chance with higher survival skill). Best done with auto-pickup rules and auto-forage.
saltwater: infinite amounts can be found in swamps.
dandelion: found in open fields ([e]xamine to harvest).
chunk of fat: butcher wild animals (better chance with large animals).

Edit:
Added to the guide thanks to Krisu001, Zappowy, and Reasonablepyromaniac
Removed pine nuts
Added to melee combat, and removed tunic

I want to make my own silverware. Any reason a spoon swage shouldn't be made from a sledge hammer? Also any words of wisdom on making silverware?

Verified? (This bot cannot verify AMAs just yet)
Date: 2012-11-01
Link to submission (Has self-text)
Link to my post

Questions	Answers
Do you make money from it or is it something you do for fun? Do you mostly shoe horses or what?	A little off both, mainly what I and into blacksmithing for was for bladesmithing(if its sharp I make it). I hope too expand into many areas as blacksmithing will allow.
Do you do pointy?	Sure.
Bladesmithing? That sounds fun. Are you into Cosplay?	Why yes I am, I have a warhammer 40k costume in the works (grey knight terminator)
Do you ever pop into /Warhammer40k? I play Tau, by the way. FOR THE GREATER GOOD! Your xenophobia will not be tolerated, zealot!	I like the instances where Cajun worked with the tau...if they work together they'd be unstoppable.
Photos?	It's more of in the planning stages due too sheer size and lack of storage space.
Link to www.reddit.com.	Actually that makes a fair amount of sense, "to progress as a country we must invent an internal threat that necessitates further development"
I am having the biggest nerd/fan-girl experience over you right now.	Really? :D.
Any relation to Will Smith?	No relation.
Ever hit two heavy pieces of galvanized steel together really hard?	Any mention of galvanized metal and guest are a bad combination.
Do you ever do casts?	No, I don't have any crucible.
What is your favorite piece you made?	A 5" drop point knife.
What are your favorite pieces to make?	Mainly small tools.
Kind of a niche market you are in. Who are your customers?	My customers have been mainly people who just needed things replaced though now with new equipment I'll probably expand.
What kind of small tools? Ever enchant your blades? Maybe leave little holes so your customers can put runestones or gems in them?	Nah more of small parts for the anvil.
Blades? What sword would you use in a real sword fight: A two handed claymore or a high quality samurai sword?	If versus a claymore I would choose a katana as I feel claymore tend of a slower speed though the fight would be very fast. Each sword has its own fighting style.
I was under the impression a claymore could just break a katana? I suppose modern alloys are a lot tougher...	While using a katana you should dodge instead of a full on blocker even a glancing blow.
So could you make me a sword :D.	Sure, what type?
Wait, seriously?	Why not?
would you send it to me?	Yup.
Wow, I have extreme bro love for you right now, can we continue this convo in private message?	Sure.
Where did you learn your trade? I've been meaning to learn this, merely as a hobby.	The school in historic Washington, Arkansas; outs affiliated with the Texarkana college(I'll see if I can find my brochure for the place)
On average how often do you cause bodily harm (burns, etc.) to yourself?	I haven't been seriously burned but there have been many of close calls, mainly focusing on the black heat phase where the metal doesn't seem hot but it it's still +500 degrees.
Do you ever pretend you're a dwarf?	I'm a bit tall for that
What is the best piece of work you believe you have created? What was the most difficult? What's the easiest thing for you to create? Who's your favorite superhero?	Favorite piece was many first completed knife. Most difficult was making tongs (took me a while to work out the angle to fit together). Easiest would be a drop point knife also the first thing I learned. It would be a tie between green lantern and cable.
For those looking to get into it, or those needing new tools, what is the best way in your opinion to find an anvil, swage block, etc. I'm in a big city, not much call for farm equipment around here so I wouldn't know where to go for farm auctions, any good online resources you know of to help locate that sort of thing? What tools do you have besides what I already saw you post, 75lb anvil, power hammer. Do you have a swage block? Do you find it vita as opposed to using wood to create concave surfaces? Do you use an oxygen/acetylene torch? What tools do you consider vital?	I've thought about making the tools for dishing from wood, as for essential tools I would be a sturdy hammer and anvil and possibly a torch
Where do you get your metal from? I have a good source for generic mild and high carbon steel and 1095 but any more specific varieties of steel I've got nothing.	I mainly get my steel from admiral steel or online metals.
Jeebus, that's a lot of money for that power hammer. I'm hoping I can build one for less, although I don't have access to nice welding equipment so it would all have to be bolted together as opposed to welded. Is there no state group for you to join? No local Abana chapter?	You could look into making a jyh(junkyard hammer(anvilfire has some plans and ideas) I was ging too join bam but their meetings are pretty far apart.
How is it on your joints? Overall health?	Rather stiff but there are plenty of times to recover from any residual soreness.
If I give you the resources can you smith full rune for me?	Sure, do you have anything in mind?
How is your sword making skills and what's the best method of making them? folded vs not folded?	I haven't had the chance to work with folded though I hope to sometime in the near future. Quite frankly forging a sword is a pain as when you get further than 10" away it starts to warp really bad and the vast portion of the time is spent on fixing the problem...though I may try again someday.
Do you shoe horses? If so, how's your back? Also, do you have a freakishly strong grip?	Not assert the moment but I hope to learn and be an expert skill wise in all aspects of blacksmithing. My back is surprisingly intact with my second job dealing with carts, strong hands are a perk of both jobs :)
Proof?	Hat you can only get when you complete the course & knife I made will uploaded more later.
Do you work with titanium?	Sadly no as it its freakishly expensive, raw materials for a small neck knife are around $75 for a tiny chunk...maybe now that I have a power hammer I'll try the billets from eBay.
Shiiit, you have a power hammer, lucky. I get some Titanium from a surpluss stuff, it's expensive, but not terribly so. I can get enough for a 5 inch knife for about 20 bucks.	I know a some point I saw some brick size billets for $50 not site if they are still listed.
I work very well with my hands and I spend hours watching the blacksmith/farrier demos at the fair thinking to myself "I'm pretty sure if someone showed me how to do this properly I'd be pretty good at it."	If you want to save more I'd wait for farm auctions as I got a good 75lb anvil from one, also check out the $50 dollar knife shop book for a good reference.
Where do you work? Do you have your own forge set up?	I work from home with my own gas forge set up, I plan on making another forge soon to work on Damascus steel.
Is Damascus steel hard to work on?	As this will be much first time working with it I believe it will be very difficult.
I'm having a hard time parsing this.	Darn sype texting.
This is something you might like: Link to www.pbs.org. Pretty impressed with how he managed to make a sword with Viking tools & methods. I'm sure you can make something similar?	I was about to watch the exact same thing :D.
Can you make a katana?	I am currently in the process of forging one.
How difficult are they to make?Is it more difficult than say a regular sword?	I believe less so because you don't have to worry too much about the swoop of the blade as you do with regular swords.
What percentage of your time is spent measuring things vs actually making things?	Probably about 50/50.
I'm an amateur knife maker, with a couple of homemade forges (brake drum and brick gas). I frequently use 1095, and 01 tool, for my work. What is your favorite steel to use and treat?	I really like the 1095, I'm currently saving up to buy a few pieces odd D-2.
How accurately can you hard metal? Is the timing of dipping it into oil and all that a pretty exact science? Also, what kind of tools do you need to make something as intricate as a ring? (Google Verragio rings for reference)	It isn't so much of an exact science but rather a very small range. Depending on the shape of the anvil horn its possible to make line there or you could use a bickern
D2 is an air quench steel, right? What's your process for heat treat with something like that? Thanks.	I have yet to check the process but as I scam aware it ours pretty easy.
Interesting. I've been wanting to try my hand at metal work for a long time. I can't wait to do that. I've been working with leather so far.	Where do you get ype leather from, the only place I can find a decent selection is Tandy leather.
Do you like Aquaman?	Recent versions have gotten better.
Do you have any plans for becoming a 17th century pirate or a 12th century crusader? Or is that just Orlando Bloom...?	Might just be Orlando bloom.
How physically tedious is doing what you do? Are blacksmith really as built as they are in the movies?	Tiring yes, tedious not so much because when you are in the zone time just flies past. I'm sure fim built...I just have to work out to find it.
Are there any small portable forges you could reccomend to a potential hobbyist who might want to make small ornamental pieces, like those cool looking roses you see at fairs and bits of hardware like hook latches?	You could check with anvil fire as most small forges might be too small (single brick size)
I have always wanted a sword and would like to have a handmade one. how much do you charge? What blades do you have the most confidence in making and which do you have the least?	I mainly charge based on the materials used. Most of my confidence is in the smaller fixed blade knives, I didn't have to much confidence inn making swords but threat is quickly changing sure to some new tooling in my shop.
General Insane what was it like when you were Captain Insano? This guy: Link to profile.ak.fbcdn.net.	I always knew there was a captain Insano but this is my first time seeing this image.
Can i get you to make me a knife?	Sure, the're are many types if you want to give move the details of it.
How do you feel about factory made swords compared to hand made from scratch swords? I personally think that factory made swords are shit. A proper sword is to be made with honor and care. But that my opinion. Whats yours?	Handmade swords seem to always be a step above the factory made one's, bit there are also some fairly nice(or so I've heard) factory made ones.
True but most are made on assembly lines. I love me a home made sword. Good steel right there. Reliable. I wouldn't trust factory ones to save my life. Id love to get a Gladius or a Scimitar made by hand. Id love to be a blacksmith period lol. How long have you been doing this for?	A few years off and on.
Do people around you ever ask you to make them something? What is the weirdest request you've ever gotten?	Not since I've began school this semester with a job, but since school is winding down I'll pick up business.
Do you love what you do? Could you see yourself doing it for the rest of your life? Caaannn I have a dagger? :3.	Yes, I could do this fid the rest of many life. Sure just message me with the details.
Are you burly with a handlebar mustache?	Burly, maybe Handlebar mustache I am lacking.
Seriously??? How much!?	Depending on materials $160.
How do you keep from hurting your elbow/shoulder with all that pounding?	If anything it's more of sore muscles but wooden handles really help absorb most of the shock...right now I'm working on a new handle design to eliminate further shock.
That's cool, I'm an ergonomic assessment specialist and anything you can do to minimize the impact is great. thanks.	No problem :)
How do modern blacksmithing techniques compare to say, Roman or Middle age tech. Is it true that smithing has regressed a lot ?	In terms of general quenching probably not very much but everything else it has stayed pretty much the same.
What would be the best bet if i were to try and make a living off this or a related metal working job?	It is possible to make a living as I know someone who does really will just making dies for a factory.
Do you have a site where we can check out some of your products?	Most if not all off my work has been word of mouth & when I started I almost never took pictures.
Is there a system for naming/identifying the various types of steel out there?	Yes, you could go according to data sheets, I know online metals has a wide variety of choices.
Do you have any advice about how to make a living by forging iron? I love the trade and won't even be able to stop but I'm not sure how to get anything sold and get customers!	Keep an eye out got any promotional advertising or maybe some guerilla advertising.
Well, if you decide to create a site or some way for people to order your works online, I can think of a certain subreddit that would love them. Just saying :P.	I'm actually subscribed there :D, if anything I wish blacksmithing was m ore active(maybe when I get more free time I'll put up some tutorials)
Ever think about making jewelry? Check out Whiting and David's products.	I thought about it, I'll probably do a balance of items.
Have you ever made a Khopesh?	Nope, but they look really cool.
Do you ever make any great swords?	I'd imagine it would be quite hard to make & also super expensive
This May be an odd question, But how old are you? My grandpa worked as a blacksmith for years so i automatically affiliate that trade with his generation.	I am 22 yrs old.
I kind of mess around with smithing as a hobby so I have to ask, do you use a gas or coal forge?	Gas.
I recently had slag dremeled out of my eye from wanting "just one more hit." 8 years experience too.	Ouch.
"Oh hey, this AMA is pretty interesting. I wonder what's in here...oh. Tons of shitty jokes about the same fucking game that wasn't even that good in the first place."	I know...at first I thought they were serious -_-
I generally love people who can create things :D Blacksmiths are my favorite.	Oh you

Last updated: 2012-11-09 12:57 UTC
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