For some reason, smelters are very rare in this game. Most of the cities do not have one, even though they have an otherwise fully functioning smithy. It's very frustrating.

They aren't all too common, but you can still find them.

Agreed

I agree..my first two-three days playing Skyrim, I didn't even know a smelter existed. I thought ore was just a novelty item that you could look at and sell.

Its a p.i.t.a. to need to smelt in Markarth and have to go to Kolskeggr Mine (and fight Forsworn when you get there) or Karthwasten to do it and THEN head back to Markarth to do the actual smithing. Yeah, they need to add a smelter to each city or large settlement.

Hmm, I can throw a rock from the Markarth smith to the smelter. Time to explore some more?

Whiterun FTW.

Solitude mod adds one into the basemant of the house.

Riverwood definitely needs a Smelter.

Oh, and don't mind the two guys near the smelter; they're only using it if they have a shovel in hand, which is infrequent enough that you should have no problem using it yourself.

I hope you are aware of that you can force npc's away from smelters, enchanting tables, grind stones etc by double pressing the use key.

If you're based in Riverwood, you have to go all the way to Shor's Stone for a smelter. There's no reason for a major town not to have a smelter.

And now it has one!

http://img126.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=87904_ScreenShot189_122_250lo.jpg

Heh, PC only of course. Definitely agree with the thread topic, smelters are indeed far too rare for how useful they are in this game.

Especially Riverwood, a place where the player should have a chance to learn how to use these devices.

/egg on face. "sigh". I even did the little relationship quest for the one worker and promptly forgot. OK, since that's a bad example how about Solitude, Windhelm, Riften, Morthal, Falkreath and Winterhold. They don't have smelters in town, right?

Windhelm has one, right next to the workbench.

Winterhold has one somewhat near the town, not too far south along a usually deserted road at Whistling Mine.

Of the others you list, you are correct none of them has a smelter in what I would consider "close" range of the city/town. Falkreath Hold is the worst as you have to go all the way up north to Bilegulch Mine to find one. You're practically in The Reach at that point as it's right on the border for the hold. Being a serious miner is about the only time I can see getting lots and lots of stamina, heh.

Riften has one somewhere........I think.