The morning after his talk with Father , he gave tentative approval for his ideas as long as he could draw up some concrete plans for his Ironwood import and export business . So Ned once again hit the books . He researched into the nature of Ironwood , and discovered whatever normal woods can be used for Ironwood can replace it and do better job . While Ironwood is a bit heavier than normal wood , it is sturdier , Ironwood is three times stronger , most Ironwood trees grow straighter and have less knots , it doesn't rot easily , termites and other pests can't feed on Ironwood due to its sturdy nature , Ironwood spear shafts and pole arms don't break as easily as normal ones , Ironwood shields can take more punishiment than normal shields , and it is very hard to burn Ironwood , to ignite it you need to reach high temperatures as melting point of tin , when it does burn , it burns slowly and produces blue flames which are hotter than normal flames , charcoal made out of Ironwood produces same colored flames and steel smelted using this charcoal gains a tint of blue and stronger and more flexible than normal steel .
All of this he learnt from books and series of experiments involving the blacksmith and carpenter . After that is done , it was time to develop a business model for this operation , for this he made inquires of Castle Black about amiable Wildling tribes , and which of the abandoned castle would suit his purposes for this venture and decided on Queensgate , near enough to Castle Black for use of Kingsroad and far enough that Wildlings won't be too distrustful due to Brothers of Night's Watch , and requires less money for repairs than other castles .
He estimated costs to be incurred and profits to be gained , since this venture is solely between House Stark and Night's Watch , their is a greater margin of profit and costs could be recouped in a year .
With his work done , he sought out his Lord Father and submitted to him his research notes and business model . His Father promised to study his notes and double check his work with the Maester , if proved viable , he would grant his approval for this project .