How do you craft the bellows for forge upgrades?

Crafting the bellows in Valheim is a crucial step for upgrading your forge, which allows you to unlock advanced crafting recipes and improve your gear. The bellows are required to upgrade the forge to level 2, enabling you to smelt higher-tier metals like bronze and iron. To craft the bellows, you will need specific materials and access to a workbench. This guide will walk you through the process step-by-step, including how to gather the required resources and overcome common challenges.\n\nFirst, you need to gather the materials required to craft the bellows. The recipe calls for 5 wood, 4 leather scraps, and 2 bronze. Wood is the easiest to obtain, as it can be gathered by chopping down trees in any biome. Leather scraps are dropped by boars, which are commonly found in the Meadows biome. To farm leather scraps efficiently, tame and breed boars at your base. Bronze, however, requires more effort, as it is crafted by combining copper and tin at a forge.\n\nTo obtain bronze, you must first mine copper and tin. Copper deposits are large, glowing rocks found in the Black Forest biome, while tin deposits are smaller, silvery rocks found near water in the same biome. Use a pickaxe to mine these resources. Once you have enough copper and tin, smelt them in a smelter to create bronze bars. Note that you will need a forge to craft the bellows, so ensure you have already built a basic forge before attempting this upgrade.\n\nOnce you have gathered all the materials, head to your workbench to craft the bellows. Open the crafting menu and locate the bellows recipe under the ''Crafting'' tab. If the recipe does not appear, ensure your workbench is upgraded to at least level 2, as some recipes are locked behind workbench upgrades. Place the bellows near your forge to complete the upgrade. The bellows must be placed within the forge''s radius, so position it carefully to avoid issues.\n\nA common challenge players face is locating tin deposits, as they can be harder to spot than copper. To make this easier, explore the edges of rivers and coastlines in the Black Forest biome, as tin deposits are often found in these areas. Additionally, if you are struggling to find boars for leather scraps, consider building a small pen and luring boars with mushrooms or carrots. Tamed boars can be bred to provide a steady supply of leather scraps.\n\nFinally, here are some practical tips for crafting the bellows and upgrading your forge. Always carry a hammer and enough materials to build a workbench and forge when exploring new biomes, as this allows you to repair tools and craft items on the go. If you are short on bronze, prioritize mining tin, as it is less abundant than copper. Lastly, keep your base well-lit and secure, as the Black Forest biome is home to hostile creatures like greydwarfs and trolls that can disrupt your resource-gathering efforts.\n\nBy following these steps and tips, you will be able to craft the bellows and upgrade your forge efficiently, unlocking new crafting possibilities and improving your survival in Valheim.