Well, I've decided I would like to go for a quest cape, and the only skills I need are 69 smithing and 66 crafting. Now, I don't want the fastest way per se, just the way that is reasonable, and won't kill my bank. Right now I am using coifs for crafting, and I'm absolutely clueless for smithing.

Buy iron ore/bars, smelt them if they're ores, and make them into knives. I think you even make a small profit that way. If you're willing to spend money you could buy steel bars to smith into plates, and either alch or sell those.

The Blast Furnace is awfully helpful.

 

 

 

You make some profit too.

mith crossbow bolts could be smithed for a profit with blastfurnase a when the quest first came out, not sure about prices now though