Spent 6 hours trying to fix a twist in my leaf spring, turned out the anvil face was off

Had a customer bring in a worn leaf spring for a small repair and kept getting a spiral twist no matter how I worked it. After adjusting my hammer angle, my heat, even my stance, I finally checked the anvil with a straightedge and found a low spot near the heel from years of use. Has anyone else dealt with a hidden anvil flaw that ate up a whole day before you spotted it?

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hannah_williams5d ago

A slight correction there, anvils don't really get a "low spot" from years of use. That face is hardened and ground flat, so it's way more likely the original manufacturer left a slight dip near the heel, or someone did a sloppy refinishing job at some point. The wear marks might look like the problem, but steel doesn't just compress like that under normal hammering. Still, your main point stands, checking the face with a straightedge should be step one, not step ten. I've had a similar thing eat up an afternoon before, and it's wild how much you trust the tool until it betrays you. Next time you resurface it, make sure you go slow and check the whole face, not just the spot you think is off.