If you’ve hit the mid-game wall in Palworld, you’ve probably noticed all the good gear, sturdier workstations, and raid-proof base defenses require a resource you don’t have unlocked yet: refined ingots. I spent three hours running around confused the first time I tried to figure out how to make refined ingot Palworld players swear by, because I skipped a few critical crafting unlocks early on. This guide breaks down every step you need, from unlocking the right tech to farming materials fast, so you don’t waste time like I did.
Pre-Requisites: Unlocks and Tools You Need First
You can’t just make refined ingots as soon as you spawn into the world, unfortunately. First, you need to reach technology level 20 to unlock the Improved Furnace from the tech tree, which is the only workstation that can craft refined ingots. To build the Improved Furnace, you’ll need 50 Wood, 20 Stone, and 10 Flame Organs, which you can get from hunting fire-type Pals like Foxparks and Rooby.
For the fastest crafting speeds, use a Pal with Kindling work suitability level 2 or higher, like Arsox, to cut crafting time by nearly 40% compared to a level 1 Kindling Pal. You don’t need any extra tools beyond a pickaxe to mine the required materials, but a metal pickaxe (unlocked at level 12) will make farming ore and coal way less tedious. I made the mistake of using a stone pickaxe for my first batch of materials, and it took twice as long, so don’t skip that unlock if you can help it.
Exact Steps to Make Refined Ingot Palworld Players Use for High-Tier Builds
Once you have all your pre-requisites sorted, the actual crafting process is straightforward, if you follow these steps exactly to avoid wasted materials. I’ve tested this process across three playthroughs, and it works every time, even if you’re running a small base with limited Pals.
That’s really all there is to the core process, but there are a few common mistakes new players make here. For example, if you put only ore in the furnace, it will make regular ingots instead of refined ones, so double check you added coal before you start the batch. I once forgot to add coal and waited 20 minutes for a stack of refined ingots, only to find I had 30 regular ingots and zero coal left. So always double check your inputs first. If your Pal stops working, it’s almost always because they’re hungry, tired, or have wandered off to do another task. Locking your furnace Pal to only furnace duty in the Pal box menu will fix this issue 90% of the time.
Fastest Ways to Farm Required Materials for Refined Ingots
You need a lot of ore and coal if you plan to make dozens or hundreds of refined ingots for base upgrades and gear, so farming them efficiently is key. If you’re farming specifically to make refined ingots, aim for a 2:1 ratio of ore to coal per run, so you don’t end up with a surplus of one material and a shortage of the other.
The best spot for early to mid-game ore farming is the mountain range just north of the starting plateau. There are dozens of ore nodes clustered close together, so you can farm 100+ ore in 10 minutes if you have a metal pickaxe. If you don’t want to mine yourself, you can build a mining outpost near these nodes and assign Pals with Mining work suitability like Digtoise or Tombat to collect ore for you automatically. That frees you up to explore or do other tasks while your ore stockpile grows.
For coal, the easiest spot for mid-game players is the area west of the desert biome, where coal nodes are scattered alongside ore nodes, so you can farm both at the same time. Again, assigning mining Pals to a nearby outpost will cut your farming time in half. You can also get coal as a drop from fire-type Pals if you’re already out hunting for Flame Organs to build more furnaces. A tip I picked up from my first playthrough: Build two or three Improved Furnaces and run them all at the same time with different Kindling Pals. You’ll be able to make stacks of refined ingots in the time it takes to make one stack with a single furnace.
Smart Uses for Refined Ingots to Progress Your Game Faster
You don’t want to waste all your hard-earned refined ingots on random low-tier items that don’t move your progress forward, right? Every high-tier item from assault rifles to electric workbenches requires refined ingots, so building a steady supply chain is one of the most important mid-game goals you can set.
The first thing you should spend your first 20 refined ingots on is the High-Quality Workbench, which lets you craft metal armor, better weapons, and more advanced workstations. This single upgrade will make your mid-game way easier, as you’ll be able to take on higher level Pals and boss fights without getting one-shot. Next, use refined ingots to upgrade your base walls and defenses. Regular wood and stone walls get destroyed instantly by high-level raider Pals, but refined ingot reinforced walls can stand up to even alpha boss attacks if you’re raided while you’re away from base.
You can also use refined ingots to craft better Pal Spheres, like the Mega Sphere, which lets you catch higher level Pals with a much higher success rate than regular spheres. One mistake to avoid here: Don’t waste refined ingots on decorative items early on. I spent 30 refined ingots on a fancy lighting set for my base during my first playthrough, and then had to grind for three hours to get enough to make the High-Quality Workbench I needed to progress. Save the decorative builds for after you’ve unlocked all the core mid-game tech.
Once you get the hang of how to make refined ingot Palworld runs become way less grindy, as you unlock access to all the best gear and base upgrades the game has to offer. Don’t rush the process: take the time to set up efficient farming outposts and multiple furnaces, and you’ll have a steady stockpile of refined ingots before you know it. If you run into issues with your furnace not working, double check you have the right materials, a working Kindling Pal assigned, and that you unlocked the right tech tree items first. Most importantly, don’t forget to have fun experimenting with all the new builds you can make once you have a steady supply of this critical mid-game resource.