Caught my anvil tipping mid-strike and barely saved my foot

I was out in my shop last Tuesday working on a set of gate hinges when I noticed my anvil felt a little wobbly on the stand. I figured it was fine and kept hammering, but about 20 minutes later I took a hard swing and the anvil actually lifted off one corner and started tipping toward me. I had to jump back and catch it with my hip while it clattered onto the concrete floor. Turns out the wedges holding the base had worked loose over time. Has anyone else had a close call with an anvil shifting on you?

4 comments

4 Comments

jordan_hill1d ago

@fionam11 I get what you're saying but 15 degrees sounds like a lean not a tip. I’ve had mine shift plenty and honestly a little wobble is just part of working with a heavy anvil. Seems like folks are making this out to be a bigger deal than it really is.

fionam112d ago

Crossed my arms reading your original post because honestly, I used to be the same way. I'd see guys panicking over a wobble and think "just tighten the wedges, it's not that serious." Then last month I had my own anvil tip about 15 degrees during a heavy hammer strike and my heart stopped for a second. The sound of that cast iron hitting concrete (even just the corner) is enough to make you rethink everything. It's not about the wobble time, it's about the split second where physics decides you're not paying attention. I'm a firm believer now that a loose anvil is way more dangerous than people give it credit for.

laura_black1d ago

Yeah "the anvil actually lifted off one corner" - that happened to a buddy of mine at a demo day. He was showing off and his anvil tipped enough to catch his boot, nothing broken but he limped for a week.

elliot_roberts2d ago

You said "the anvil actually lifted off one corner" and I gotta say, that sounds a little dramatic for a 20 minute wobble. I've had my anvil shift around on me plenty and never came close to dropping it on my foot. Maybe you just need to tighten the wedges once in a while like you check your ladder before climbing. A tip is not a full flip unless you really let it go.