preferred orientation?

[Wolf's Den Armoury]

I'm re-organizing/re-orienting the layout of my smithy. Obviously part of that endeavor will be moving some things around, including the forge and the anvil (don't have a post-vise yet, but I'm workin on it)

For those who've been doing this for a much longer time that me (for a definition, a much longer time would be more than three months.), what is your preferred orientation for the anvil?

[Wolf's Den Armoury]

ok...so I'm an idiot that can't remember there's a search function on a forum site. This is already been addressed several times.

Please disregard (Glenn, can you delete this post for me please? I tried but seem to be having a blind moment or a brain cramp )

David

[David Einhorn]

Most setups that I have seen, including the various historic shops I have seen, have the side of the anvil more or less parallel to the forge with the horn facing to the smith's left.

This is a picture of TheCivilWarBlacksmith at the Union Mills museum shop. There is one anvil facing left and one facing right, with the sides of the anvils facing where a smith can take one step from where he/she is at the forge to the anvil. :D

[ThomasPowers]

Where is "All of the above" got 5 anvils around the forge and they pretty much are pointing everywhere but up and down and sometimes they get tilted that way too.

The preferred orientation is the one that works best for YOU and what YOU do and how YOU do it.

[Don A]

I'm right handed, and I have grown acustomed to (clockwise from my left):

blower (crank or bellows), forge, horn of anvil, face of anvil

I think the horn preference is more habit than anything. I have a EuroAnvil with a cone-shaped horn, and I find myself occasionally moving to the opposite side of the anvil when I'm doing a lot of horn work.

[Fe-Wood]

My anvil moves to accomodate the project at hand but I usually have it (when facing the forge), one step away and to the right with the horn facing 45 deg. away from the forge. I usually hammer with my right hand.

[Glenn]

Top of the forum page, look for the green bar, and count 3 options from right side toward the left. SEARCH. You can then click on advanced search to have many more options and refine your search even more.

The general opinion is the anvil, vise, blower, etc should be one step from the forge arranged in a orientation that works best for the way YOU operate at YOUR forge. Place the anvil so you can stand on either side of the anvil and still use the anvil.

Being left handed I rotate CCW (counterclockwise) from the forge to access the anvil. The anvil gets turned which ever way it is needed for the work at hand. That is to say horn left most of the time, but it is turned horn right if that is required for the current project.

The vise is located CW (clockwise) from the forge.

Beyond the circle of one step, is a work table accessible between the anvil and vise. There is a piece of RR track standing on end next to the work table (toward the vise) so when using the vise and table, I can use the RR track with no steps or 2-3 steps to get to the anvil. There is also a small HOT table next to the forge (between the forge and vise) where all hot metal is placed.

This is what I have found to be convenient for me at my forge. YMMV

[divermike]

My anvil and stand weigh near 700 lbs, so they don't move much, and I have a gasser and a coal forge within 1 step of it, my leg vice is about 3 steps away, and my tire hammer about 3 steps away, not ideal, but it works for me.