Athol 644 1\2 Vise

[dvdkea]

I picked up a Athol 644 1\2 bench vise this morning. Apparently I didn't look close enough at it before I purchased it and to be honest I don't know very much about Athol Vise's. it appears to be the type where the rear static jaw pivots. But, at some point that jaw was brazed in place. it doesn't appear to be broken. Perhaps someone didn't want the pivot jaw flexibility? It had several coats of paint on it so the weld was pretty well hidden.

I am considering carefully grinding off the brazing and getting it back to its original functionality. It is missing the pin that holds the rear jaw parallel to the from one but I'm thinking that wont be to had to get or fabricate.

Any thoughts on converting the vise back to a pivot type?

Thank you in advance for any help.

 

[zkling]

Some pics would really help. Swivel jaw vise, it is probably broken internally, or one of the previous owners was a ***** and didn't know enough to put a taper pin in to lock it parallel.

 

[CNGsaves]

Welcome to GJ. That's a nice score to find pivot jaw Athol vise. Don't you just cringe when you discover prior owners mucked up great tools . . . sad.

Let's SEE what you got !!

 

[dvdkea]

Pictures are attached. Let me know your thoughts on how to proceed.

Thank you.

 

[1982fxr]

I would just clean it up and use it, no way I would even consider trying to bring that back to original

 

[Mohawk Dave]

Pivot jaws are awesome and super handy. Its yours! Grind that **** off and get the pivot back.

 

[dvdkea]

I'm curious why you would not try to bring it back original? I could go either way. The worse case is if I get it apart and find it is broken internally, I can have it brazed again.

 

[Fretters]

I would just clean it up and use it, no way I would even consider trying to bring that back to original

I second that approach. Easy enough to get another, working pivot jaw, vice later on if need or want dictates.

Never seen the use for them myself, and seeing as I can never recall personally seeing any age of English vice with the feature, I'm guessing none of our engineers over the centuries could either.

 

[1982fxr]

a good working swivel isn't impossible to find, depends on location and budget. Looks like she's had a rough life.

it's just...hard to imagine someone went to the trouble of brazing it all up when they only needed a pin...unless something else was messed up. just my thoughts, nothing more.

 

[exmaxima1]

I'm curious why you would not try to bring it back original? I could go either way. The worse case is if I get it apart and find it is broken internally, I can have it brazed again.

I think many on this forum look at the cost of fixing something vs what it would be worth if sold later. Judging from the pics, that vise could quickly be a money pit and you would never recoup your costs, so the advise was to use it as is.

I would agree that the "worst case" would be to get it apart, find it broken, and spend even more cash to have it re-brazed. That would certainly cost way more than you could ever hope to resell it for. And I think I would avoid that situation completely be just using it as is just as others have said.

McBrownie has a thread somewhere that shows the heroics he went thru to repair an old vise. Lots of shims, etc. I think his consensus was that he wishes he didn't buy that vise in the first place....

May we ask how much you already have into it??

 

[drivesitfar]

i agree that you should leave that vise as it is if it's working and use it as your go to vise for welding things on it and other tough jobs. then spend the time you would have taking it apart on something that will make you a little money and go buy a nice swivel jaw vise if you really want one.

most of the swivel jaw vises I've seen welded were done so for a reason and not just to firm up the swivel jaw that was working fine.

 

[dvdkea]

I paid $80 for it and it came on a nice custom built stand.

live and learn I guess......

 

[1982fxr]

that's not all that bad if it works good. consider the best ************* chinese one $80 woulda got ya. Even brazed probably not 1/10th as strong as that Athol

 

[exmaxima1]

that's not all that bad if it works good. consider the best ************* chinese one $80 woulda got ya. Even brazed probably not 1/10th as strong as that Athol

The Craftsman Pro 4.5" vise is sometimes on sale for near $80, and it's not half bad at all:

http://www.sears.com/craftsman-4-1-2-inch-bench-vise/p-00951888000P

Just saying....

 

[1982fxr]

everyone on here seems to like that c-man except me. jmho but i think it's kind of a ************* once you get over the fact that's it's shiny and new and says Craftsman.

op could maybe get his money back by just re-listing this one and noting the braze ...not sure where he's at though

had no idea their sales too that much off, makes me wish I woulda went there more back in the day

 

[exmaxima1]

everyone on here seems to like that c-man except me. jmho but i think it's kind of a ************* once you get over the fact that's it's shiny and new and says Craftsman.

It's 60,000 psi iron, just like Wilton. I finally saw one in a store and it's very smooth. Not a Reed, but still a very decent vise if you catch it on sale.

 

[sz0k30]

Sometimes its just better to take your lumps and move on. This vise looks like one of those times.

 

[wild cowboy]

I agree with most of the other posters, if it were super sweet condition or really large and valuable, I would say bring back to original, but in this case, if it works well now, just use it and worry about the beautiful restoration on a future vise!

the swivel base + the custom stand are probably worth the $80, so consider the vise as free!

 

[dvdkea]

Thanks for all the advice. Lets say I decide to still go ahead and try to get the rear jaw apart. What is the best approach? Carefully grind? Bring it to someone who has a torch hot enough to melt the brazing but not damage the vise? (Not even sure if that is possible?)Any other ideas?

 

[jakemac]

I have a 644 with the same issue. I'd love to grind the weld off, just to see if the previous owner was an idiot, or if the swivel jaw was really broken (which wouldn't negate the first theory).

I just don't have the balls to do all that work, just to find out that I'd have to pay someone to weld it back up. I only paid less than $17 for it (part of a package deal), so I'm not really out anything for a vise I'm not using anyway.

I'd just keep it as a beater vise, and leave it as it is.

 

[dvdkea]

I ended up grinding off the brazing and pulling the pivot jaw off. The very bottom of jaw stem is broken but still goes into the body of the vise about 1 1\4 inches. I think I can clean it up and make it work. Pictures are below. I have never seen a swivel base like this one. it has an additional plate on the bottom. I'm assuming that is factory but, have never seen this type of setup. what is the purpose of the additional plate on the bottom?

 

[1982fxr]

just a guess here but i think someone added that plate? Can't imagine they were shipped with a gap under the feet just begging to be broken off when tightened...