Blacksmithing 101: Dark Iron Crafting/Smelthing/Mining
Well I'm back! Strange times these are, but never the less I'll once against bestow you with the enlightenment of the blacksmith! 
As requested by Arunsun amoung others, I'll try to elaborate the whole "Dark Iron" secret.
Part 1: What is Dark Iron, and where can it be found?
Part 2: How do I get the Smelting: Dark Iron skill?
Part 3: How to: Mine Dark Iron Ore, Smelt Dark Iron?
Part 4: How to forge Dark Iron items?
Part 5: And last but not least, The Map!
Part 1:
What is Dark Iron, and where can it be found?
Originally Dark Iron was the material of the third Dwarf Nation, which is now known as the Dark Iron Dwarves. It is the essence of the Blackrock Mountain and therefore can be found in Blackrock Depths and Molten Core, After patch 1.8 Blizzard added Dark Iron nodes in Searing Gorge. These ore's are extreamly rare and must be harvested in masses to make an actual product. This is a painstaggering and longdrawn quest, but in the end you will end up some of the most-wanted items, such as one of the two known Legendary weapons discovered. However it cannot be found in the Blackrock Spire (L & U)
But enough with all the babble.
How do I get the Smelting: Dark Iron skill?
Grab a pen and paper cause this one is tricky.
You'll need the following components;
20 Gold Bars
10 Truesilver Bars
2 Star Rubies
Next Step;
Go deep into the Blackrock Depths, fight your way to the chamber of the Seven (If you do not know what this is, it is the chamber where you will have to fight the Seven Dark Iron Dwarf ghosts, also the place where the Chest of the Seven is located).
Now BEFORE you trigger the event that'll cause the 7 ghosts to attack you, speak to Gloom'rel, he's the second ghost on the right as you enter the room. He'll demand a sacrifice of the above mentioned items before he'll teach you the skill. Once you have donated the items and learned the skill, you can proceed as you desire.
How to: Mine Dark Iron Ore, Smelt Dark Iron
To mine the Dark Iron veins you'll need a Mining skill of minimum 230. As you advance in BRD (BlackRock Depths), MC (Molten Core) and Searing Gorge, the Dark Iron Ore veins will apear on your minimap like any other vein.
This guide; http://www.koden.org/wow/dark_iron_ore_mining_guide.php - Will show you how to farm Dark Iron most effeciently if you have the aid of a level 60 Rogue/Druid. (Note: The guide provided by this link is *NOT* written by me and belongs to owner of www.Koden.org)
And now to the smelting part:
Once you have aquired the skill to smelt Dark Iron Ore's, there's a few things you need to keep in mind.
A) You can ONLY smelt Dark Iron at the Dark Iron Forge INSIDE the Blackrock Depths instance
B) it takes SIX Dark Iron Ore's to make one Dark Iron Bar (So just forget about making the Dark Iron Hammer)
How to get to the Dark Iron Forge:
You'll need to fight your way through most of the Blackrock Depths instance, right untill the Bridge which leads to the Molten Core portal. There, after the Chamber of the Seven, there'll be a crossing. To your right, the MC portal, and infront of you the door that'll lead you to the end of the instance. Inbetween those who there's a bath running behind the back pillar of the bridge. There, sticking out of the lava waterfall, is the Dark Iron Forge, guarded by a single Fire Elemental. Once you stand infront of it you can smelt all you want to.
How to forge Dark Iron items
Once you have the materials for the item you want to create (also including the recipe) You'll need to go back to the very start of the instance. Instead of heading for the Chamber of the Seven, head to Lord Incendeous. This elemental boss guards the Dark Iron Forge, and you simply can't miss it, It's gigantic. Once you have cleared Lord Incendeous and are free of all mobs, you can begin the crafting.
And last but not least, The Map!
http://wow.52pk.net/map_52pk/fuben/Blackrock_Depths.jpg
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Gee's that was alot of things!
Yup, it's complicated I know, so I'll sumerise the key things.
1) Blacksmithing 230
2) 10 Truesilver Bars, 2 Star Rubies, 20 Gold Bars.
3) Map over Blackrock Depths
4) Re-Read or/and Print this guide.
5) 6 Dark Iron Ore's = 1 Dark Iron Bar
7) If mining in Searing Gorge, do it when there's not alot of people around. Mining Dark Iron while there's too many people about searching for the same is just a waste of time in my oppinion.
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The End! Enjoy.
~ Yours, Groktal. (Gee it's good to be back 
)
Notes: I deliberately left out the Dark Iron Faction = Thorium Brotherhood, in this thread. It is a different part and much, much, much more complicated. I will however try to write a somewhat comprehensible guide on it in due time.
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Dark Iron
Having just completed the smelting at the Dark Iron forge on my main character, I can attest that it required 8 ore to smelt one bar.
Some good points in the above guide, I would add that you do not have to fight your way to the forge through all the mobs if:
If you have the ShadowForge Key, have lockpicking skills or are a blacksmith that can craft skeleton keys. If you are in the above catagories, on entering the instance open the gate to your left, then the gate to your right, then the door to your left.
Once inside the next room, before advancing up the stairs, the large wheel needs to be turned using, you guessed it, another key/lockpick. This then rolls back a door you need to go through further ahead.
Up the stairs, then make your way to the 'Grim Guzzler' bar, via the East Garrison and Manufactory. You may need to dispatch pats and mobs in the corridors on the way to the bar. Once in the bar, the patrons are showing yellow or green, if they are agro'ed they all go red.
You need to get the door at the rear of the upper level opened. There are a few ways to do this, my preferred way has been to do the Succubus quest and get her to open the door for me, taking her lover with her outside. This will not aggro the room and can be done on subsequent visit. Otherwise you can break the barrels downstairs and deal with the patrol that rushes in.
Once through the door, down the stairs, clear the mob at the bottom, first exit on the left, down into Shadowforge City, through Chamber of Enchantment,the Mould Foundary and into the Summoners Tomb. Depending on your level, you may or may not pull mobs through this lot. This is your chance to speak with Gloom'rel and hand in your mats if you have not done so previously.
You will need to fight the seven ghosts to have the next door opened, but they come one after another so its not a big rush to deal with. Once through the door you can head for the Lyceum to bump off the Emperor get the BRD acheivement, or head for the Black Forge, and deal with the fire elementals who guard the bridge that leads to the MC instance.
The forge itself is to the left of the bridge, you do not cross it, rather take the pathway to the single fire elemental who needs to be dispatched before you can smelt your dark iron.
Not sure, so do not yell at me plz
When I last asked someone who smelted Dark Iron often, he told me it took eight bars, requiring 160 ores for 20 bars. I am not positive of this myself, seeing as I have never been in a good enough group to make it all the way to the forge, but that is what I heard straight from someone who does it all the time. June 03, 2007