#5: To break things apart on the anvil, you need to hit the anvil, not the thing you want to break apart. It took me a while to notice this, and it worked every time since.
If you have a part (usually grip or guard) that refuses to connect to anything, take it to the anvil and separate it from whatever it thinks it's attached to. This, as well as your #4 issue usually happen shortly after the #1 issue.