Leveling an anvil

[Glenn]

An anvil face should be leveled horn to heel, and side-to-side.

Rather then just spread another "piece of advice" I would like to hear some discussion on the matter. What are the advantages (disadvantages) of using an anvil with a level face, and what if any are the advantages (disadvantages) of using an anvil with a face that slopes in one or more directions ?

[easilyconfused]

For me, I try to keep it level but it's like a hammer handle or face. It all comes down to your individual swing and customizing it to match your tastes.

[rthibeau]

I suppose that if the angle off level was severe enough, one would have difficulty using the anvil; however, almost anyone can by eye alone set up an anvil close enough to level that it wouldn't make any difference one way or the other. And certainly not worth the time and effort to get it "perfectly" level. You simply are focusing on the hammer and steel to get what you want and a few degrees off level (the anvil) won't make any difference in the result. Having said that, if you mean the levelness of the anvil's face, as in is it a really messed up anvil, with a big valley in the middle, now that is something different altogether. That would be a difficult surface to work consistently with to get flat, level, straight, etc, of the work piece. I took your question to mean a relatively flat faced anvil and the need to have it level as in the common use of the term.

[Chris Pook]

do whatever feels good and works for you. i like ot have mine level to my eye, but in reality when I move it another spot in the shop, I just use it without much thought of it being level.

[yesteryearforge]

it probally really doesnt matter but being a machinist it just bugs me to no end if something is out of level or out of square

Mike

[Sam Salvati]

As evidence by your immaculate shop Mike:D.



I like an anvil face that is as CLOSE to level as possible, it feels much better to my arm and work style when it is level. Off level BUGS me.

[ThomasPowers]

I take a forge on campouts, SCA events and Demo's so I get to set up on various non-level situations fairly often. Being close to level helps a lot but I seem to naturally adjust my hammer grip/swing to get a blow that is normal to the face of the anvil, new people seem to have much more of a problem. I have even slanted the anvil for one student who just couldn't hit flat and wanted to finish their first and probably only project.

[primtechsmith]

Maybe I should really consider putting my anvil out of level.....not only to bug the crap out of Mike, but to offset my poor hammer control...this seriously may be a consideration for those who may be disabled or impaired in some way to compensate for their limited mobility/movement.

May also be neat to have a swage block on a 45 or so degree angle for dishing out bowls and such....may make it more comfortable and easier to use. That is only a thouht becuase I have never made a bowl.

Peyton

[Dutchmancreek]

I didn't purposely set out to get a perfectly level anvil, but I just went out and checked my main anvil and found it is very close to true both edge to edge and end to end. Just luck I guess. It's a 300 pounder and never gets moved. I move my smaller anvil (131#)around and outside and only set it up so it "looks OK" and never have a problem.

Steve

[John B]

Anvil level or not, the important thing is the relationship of your hammer face to the anvil face,
I find one of the other important feature is when students are forging, the anvil face is within what I call the comfort zone, that is if the anvil is too high, then crescents (or indentations) are formed at the nearside if the work, too low and the crescents are formed away from the smith, the crescents being formed by the edges of the hammer

[Frosty]

I've done a lot of campfire forging and unless it's really out of true I hardly notice. The only time I can think a really true anvil would be important would be if you have an Oliver mounted to work on it.

Solid is FAR more important, to me anyway.

Frosty

[DocJohnson]

One advantage to having the anvil level is that when punching or slitting, the tool can be held plumb. That is a lot easier than trying to hold it two degrees off plumb in one direction and four degrees off in another. Makes for better hammer eyes, mortices, many things. The floor in my shop is nine inches higher in one corner but both my anvils are level.

[jayco]

I try to keep my anvil fairly level,though I never go to the trouble to actually get a 'level' out to check it.If my round punch tends to roll off the side or end of the anvil, it might be time to re-level a bit. That's the short answer.
When I asked myself "Why would anyone want their anvil tilted one way or another?" ,it occurred to me that there might be sound reasons for tilting the anvil in certain situations. (I realy hadn't thought about this until I read this thread).
A specialist who uses the horn a lot might want the horn upturned a little to help him both see and hammer under the horn.
Let's say.....perhaps a bladesmith wants to keep a portion of the anvil cool and wet(with water) but needs a dry section also for drawing a taper. Tilting the anvil and making the low side the wet side allows the high side to remain dry.
At my skill level, I have not done these things....and yeah...I'm sticking my neck out!
But I do believe there are possibilities for a tilted anvil.
Two strikers.....hammering something wedge-shaped like an axe or cutter-stalk or froe......each standing on opposite sides of the anvil.....might be able to strike more squarely if the anvil is set in a 'compensating tilt'.
But then again I could be wrong.......I was just thinking out loud!
James

[skunkriv]

My anvils are level. I do remember reading in a book one time about tilting your anvil away from you just a bit so the scale would vibrate off as you work.

[John Martin]

My anvil isn't level, but it is fairly flat, I just adjust my swing or hammer grip. As long as I hit square it doesn't really matter. I think.

[tbrforge]

My anvil maynot be as level as my lathe or knee mill however the area I work the anvil (where I stand) is the same level as the anvil. I have never looked at a piece of work and noticed a problem or even an attribute that could be identified by an anvils level.

[Chris Pook]

just checked my eye leveled anvil its very close to level according to to my 4 new 4' foot level. So close a few beers or stiff drinks would probably through me off more...