I enjoy it... lol, I have no enchanting so enchanting my own crap is 100% out of the equation.

I thought 100 smithing was max O.o

can enchant your own gear to have +100% smithing. also can have a potion that does +50% smithing.

you can get the potion from all the potion/ingredient vendors.

also YOU ABSOLUTELY need to get enchanting!!! its freaking amazing. if you look back i have all my gear listed its all self made. 100Enchanting is like 3 hours if you focus on it. and you end up making about 30,000 gold while doing it.

enchanting just seems exploitive ugh... lol

level up alchemy and you can make blacksmithing potions with 120% and enchanting potions with 30%

it isn't exploiting, it's part of the game.
exploiting would be using some money cheat gaining system or even using the alchemy loop to upgrade your gear.
but i do agree that when you get enchanting it makes the game a lot easier, like when i use my 217 dmg bow with sneak attack, it's 600+ dmg lol.
but i've seen people exploit and get a 500 base damage bow...

Yeah, I just mean it'll make the game WAAAAAAAAY to easy, so I am using in game gear I find ahaha.

http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Smithing#Weapon_and_Armor_Enhancement and check out Exploit part if needed
"Using this we would get 5 x 29% smithing gear and 147% smithing potions. Using these, staggeringly powerful weapons and armors can be made and improved."

I didn't want to exploit, just normal mechanics so I used 25% enchant potion before I enchanted my smithing gear, that got me 4x ~28% improve smithing gear. Equipped my smithing gear, used 50% smithing pot and improved my weapons/armor.
I had 100 smithing/chant and all needed perks, anyway game got so easy that I switched back to normal stuff, 1-2 shotting most mobs isn't my cup of tea. You could create even more powerful potions with alchemy 100 and perks.

So wait.

If I fortify my smithing out the but even though its at 100, it will become 'more powerful'? as in my armor I make will then have higher armor?

Yes, you can even use 1 improve smithing potion while at it, I've seen stores selling 50% few times, dunno if it's max.

Eh.

I didn't know the level of smithing had an impact on the armor rating (and damage?)