I'm a level 76 in smithing and I'm looking for a faster more efficient way to get to 100. Ive already hit up what I think is most of the trainers and skill books. Also I can't just spam iron daggers as it does next to nothing. Right now what I'm doing is using the transmute spell and turning my iron ore to silver and my silver ore to gold, then making gold jewelry which seems to still level up my smithing quite a bit. The problem is i only have a cap of 100 magicka so transmute is a very slow process. Any ideas or alternatives that I could use?

Patch 1.6 fixed it, so you won't be spamming anything.

However, steel and iron ingots, leather, and strips will get you a tad more of a boost in steel armor.

Personally, I did leather armor. Not only were materials easy to get (both in Skyrim and shops), but the leveling went faster than I thought it would. It's so easy to craft leather armor.

Well I am level 78 at smithing now, and what I do is finding a new follower everytime and creating a whole set of armor and weapons for them. Of course it is slow, but at least I do something that helps others and might prove useful for the future.

If your magicka is so low, then restore minor magicka potions should fill you up with what, 3 bottles? They're only 7 gold to buy and incredibly easy to make. You can spend 10 minutes outside Whiterun gathering materials, make 20 potions, and be able to spam through your magicka for a fair bit before having to do it again.

I also used Iron daggers until I got to about level 60. From there on this is what I did:

1. Get a follower to accompany you. You will need the extra carrying weight.
2. Head to a Markarth and gain access to the Dwemer Ruins.
3. Pick up as much dwemer scrap medal s possible. Use your follower until she can't carry anymore weight.
4. Buy iron ingots at a blacksmith.
5. Smelt dwemer metal into dwarven ingots.
6. Create as many dwarven bows as possible and sell them back.

Follower Tip: If your follower cannot carry anymore metal in they're inventory. Talk to them and ask them to do something for you. Tell them to pick up the metal. (This method works extremely fast using the Kinect voice command "Ally Retrieve"

Also this will make you quick cash due to the fact your getting the dwarven ingots for free.

I hope this helps.

Just make stuff

If you have the cash, hit up the merchants looking for armor/apparel that will give you buffs in Magicka, Magicka Regen, and/or Alteration. Look for ones that you can stack (i.e. wear all at the same time). Put them on when you are using the transmute spell.

If you also enchant and can learn the Fortify enchantments for those three things, you can just buy some Grand Soul Gems and get or make cheap unenchanted stuff and enchant it yourself.

I have a "smithing wardrobe" that includes items buffing those three things and it makes a huge difference when I'm using the Transmute spell to convert ore in large quantities. As already noted, potions that Fortify the relevant abilities can also help.

Yeah, I just bought the hell out of leather/leather strips and fur from various vendors; I also leveled my smithing up by forging every new weapon and armor type I could and then kept enhancing those weapons and armors along the way, but using leather/leather strips was still my primary method-It also helped to have the bow skill and I kept leveling that up (Without touching upon it's perks until smithing was at 100 mind you) so I could go out and hunt wild game, wolves, bears and saber cats for their fur to turn into leather as well. Simple, thoughtless and effortless.

This is what I did.

-Warriors Stone, and well rested for those bonuses will help a lot.
- Breezhome for resting/shop reloading. There are 3 merchants in Whiterun that sell smithing supplies. I bought all the iron/leather/steel and crafted the chest armor, then simply rested for another 48 hours (again, rest for the bonus). You should have enough leather leftover to make some leather armor too.
- Improving enchanted items is *very* powerful. If you have the sould gems, or money to buy them, enchant what you make then improve it.

I repeated this for my push from 80-100. At the 90s I was getting 2-3 raises per "rotation" so to speak. I think I spent about 10-15k.

I've found that Glass smithing levels you up very rapidly. Best thing to make is Glass Battleaxes, which consume 2 Malachite and 2 Moonstone to make, and another Malachite to refine. Use smithing boosting items (if you have them), to produce legendary-level items. I would thing that Ebony would be comparable, once you hit Level 80.

I focusesd of Glass, though, and was at Level 100 almost before I wanted to be. Probably be at L111 or 112 or so by now, if I was allowed to Level up beyond 100.

Agreed. Go bear hunting in The Rift.....there are gobs and gobs (sorry for the technical term) in the area. Saber cats, wolfs everywhere......hunt for the leather and save some coin while also giving a mild boost to archery or the weapon of your choice. Then make loads of leather items.