I am a beginner, I ran closed die forging hammers all my life, never got to work on the open frame hammers, but learned a little watching. You are right, the anvil Stand is way too high, but I can't lower it by myself. I built the forge out of scrap with no plans. I like the height of the hammer. There is only one of me. My kids have no interest in manual labor. Watch for all this stuff on eBay after I die, they always ask me how much is this stuff worth.