Fabrication of a high-strength steel article with inclusion control during melting

A steel article (20) is fabricated by providing an iron-base alloy having less than about 0.5 weight percent aluminum, melting the alloy to form a melt, adding calcium to the melt, thereafter adding aluminum to the melt to increase the aluminum content of the melt to more than about 0.5 weight percent aluminum, and casting the melt to form a casting. Other calcium additions may be made simultaneously with the adding of aluminum, and after the adding of aluminum but before casting the melt. The calcium additions deoxidize the melt to minimize the formation of clustered aluminum-oxygen-based inclusions.