After my shop flood, I left the anvil crooked and it works better

The uneven base lets me spot heats and strikes way easier during long sessions.

3 comments

3 Comments

Crazy how that works out sometimes. My old vise got knocked off its bench and now it sits at a slight angle. It really makes it easier to see what I'm doing when I'm filing or shaping metal. The tilt gives a better view of the work piece from where I stand. Guess some accidents end up being better in the shop.

the_thea1mo ago

Thought everything in the shop had to be dead level to work right. But hearing about your anvil and that vise, I mean, it makes sense that a little angle helps you see better. Maybe it's just me, but I'm gonna stop stressing over my bench being perfectly flat now.

oliver_young501mo ago

My workbench has had a wobble for like three years because I never fixed one leg. I mean, I always thought it was just me being lazy, but after reading this, maybe that tilt is why I can see my projects better from my usual spot. Honestly, I spent so much time trying to shim it level with cardboard scraps, and all that did was make a mess. Now I feel kinda dumb for not seeing the upside sooner. It's like my bench found its own perfect angle by accident, just like your vise. Guess sometimes our mistakes work out in the end.