Steel Ingots are brutal...

[Kagato]

I don't know what it's like for everyone else, but on balmung... Steel Ingots aren't even worth the materials that are used to craft them. Bomb Ash is worth as much as the ingots.

Where's a good place to farm a lot of Bomb ash? Or... is there a better item to craft in this level range?

[HiirNoivl]

You can try to farm Bomb Ash in the mines north of Black Brush...

You can also try leves in Limsa Lominsa.

[Leo_Hart]

end of the northwest @ Camp Horizon.

[Akubikumo]

end of the northwest @ Camp Horizon.

thats the spot. spent weeks and weeks there >>< also theres a hallway in Nanawa with Bomb Embers, bit more confined so a little easier so group them up and AoE

[Orophin]

I can't tell what level your BSM is because Lodestone won't show it for some reason, but I'm pretty sure I did leves focusing on quality synths until I got to 28, then spammed cobalt ingots. Granted, I had a lot of cobalt on hand from grinding out a bunch before they changed it to where you could only gather one. I'm not sure if it's worthwhile to craft ingots to sell if you have to buy the cobalt.

[Darkillumina]

The old recipe's are your friend for armorer. Basically 20ish to 50 I was using the old recipes to level. Lot's of people know about the Iron Visor/Polyns/Greaves from 35ish to 50 but few know that you can ride old reicpes from basically level 20 with armorer. Read below to find out in my handy mini-guide.

When you are 20 you can do silver squares until around 25-26. Save the squares. Squares cost 3 nuggets which are produced in 12's. Level goldsmith to 10 to make the nuggets (4 silver ore = 12 nuggets, 3 nuggets = 12 squares so 12 nuggets = 48 squares) or just buy them off the AH. They should be ridiculously cheap since they are pretty much worthless.

From 25-32ish craft silver toes using the silver squares. NPC them to make back the money you spent on the silver ore if you are too lazy to mine. (Alternatively, you can do Iron Barbut Visor but it is recipe rank 34 as opposed to the silver toes at 33. In addition you can carry mats over from the first synth which makes the silver option superior, but if you have an ass-load of iron lying around feel free.) As you get closer to the recipe rank focus on quality over production to make up for the exp loss.

At around 33/34 you can do Iron Celata Visors until 38-40. NPC these as well. All they require is 2 iron squares which are produced easily and in sets of 12. As you get closer to the recipe rank replace production with quality.

At 38-40 start making Iron Polyns. All they require is 2 iron squares and a buffalo leather strap. Buy a stack of straps on the AH or find someone to make a stack for you. Production/quality again.

From 43-50 do Iron Greaves. Same recipe as above. Production/quality again and mix it in with leves if you get bored. You get good rewards and mats from the 40+ leves, especially in Limsa.

Congratulations you have hit 50 armorer and spent less than 70k. The only issue with this method is these synths require tons of shards. For most this isn't a problem since they drop like candy but if you ate powerlevels non-stop you might be short of shards and crystals so you might have to head to the AH and buy some. (Still cheaper than the other leveling methods.)