AM CO Anthol Mass. #22 vise

[Bungler]

Well I decided to go ahead and drill out the bolts. As soon as got them out the jaw started to move a bit.With a little acetone and atf mixed it became quite free. The pin I thought held the swiviljaw to the static body was not it. That was the one I had said had the factory crimp on both ends. Wrong like someone else said they looked like a tap.It was one on each side. One side I was able to use a punch and then vise grips to remove it,the other side I could not budge. They were used as stops to stop the jaw from swiveling. I guess that didn’t work so the bolts or pins went in. I found the proper pin that he’d the jaw in and tapped it out quite easily with a punch.With a little extra work the jaw came out.The one tap that I couldn’t remove gave me a little problem but I persevered and out it came.There may also be tap broke off in the hole for the locking pin on the back of the vise. Strange I could not see any treads. I wonder if they just stuck in there in place of the regular pin and it broke off?

 

[wrenchguy]

Nice! Now what? BTW, i would not do any welding on it.

 

[drivesitfar]

Bungler: if you do weld just be careful and guessing you’ve got the skills to weld on cast. Some of the guys mentioned nickel rod but I’m not much of a welder so ask if you need help. Great work getting it apart!!

 

[Bungler]

Nice! Now what? BTW, i would not do any welding on it.

Wrench why would you not weld the holes? I know it’s not all Original now,but I would just like to pretty it up and make it functional. I don’t have the know how to weld cast myself. I would try and find someone who knows how.
Does it take even more value away from what I have left?
Bungler

 

[wrenchguy]

2me the risk of damage is greater than cleaning out the holes and filling with jb weld. You can leave the holes open and use it just fine, damage not that bad. Clean up machine surfaces for easy swivel action, maybe rebore rear hole and make a new pin for it.

 

[Bungler]

Thanks Wrench and Drives and Fierl. Appreciate your comments and time. Bungler

 

[drivesitfar]

Bungler: this vise doesn't sound like a good fit for you even if you do spiff it up cause of the old bolt thru swivel's base. or do you have another way to mount it?

if it was mine I'd set it on a shelf until i could trade it for something I like better or until I had the brazing or welding skills and maybe some machinist skills to fix it right.

I guess you can fill the holes with Tecton (sp?) or JB Weld since they are just cosmetic and you could make a pin out of a bolt on a bench grinder pretty quick.

as far as mounting it if you really like it's looks and are not worried about it being a collectible you can drill a hole in each side of the base and bolt it down to the top of your bench.

if you put it on your shelf and work on it later that's fine with us and just remember to post up more pics if you do some more work on it cause I (we) would like to see it if you don't mind sharing.

congrats on getting to this point!!

 

[wrenchguy]

He got it this far i'm sure he can make bench thru bolt with handle. Use the ******* thing!

 

[drivesitfar]

Wrench: his workbench has drawers or something preventing a thru bolt from working

 

[Shiftless]

Drives is right.
I guess you missed post #40

“I really can’t use this vise properly became my work bench is not open underneath.Drawers and cupboards.”

I would be happy to trade one of my top mounted old vises for that #22
Too bad you’re 2000 miles away.

.

 

[Bungler]

Check post #13 I do have the handle and bolt.
I am going to stop by a machine shop today and see if they have any suggestions.I guess I have got to a point now I just want it to look pretty and also functional.
I will keep you up to date as time goes.
Bungler

 

[KMScott]

You do know that it is missing a support shelf on the swivel area. Kind of important since it helps to support the swivel pin on the swivel jaw when tightening something. Light use only in my opinion. Drill a couple holes in the Static base, remove the center spud underneath and bolt it to your bench with all the drawers.

 

[drivesitfar]

KM: I see what you see now that I look a bit closer and good eye. while I agree that would hurt the use of this old vise swivel jaw vises in my opinion should never be used for heavy duty even though maybe they were built pretty well.

if it were yours would you weld a fix or really just start drilling more holes in this old vise?

Bungler: as Shiftless mentioned there are several members here that would probably trade you a decent bench vise for your old swivel jaw athol so PM me if you'd like me to maybe help you find a good machinist not too far from you so you might not have to ship it.

after seeing that broken cast on the back of the static jaw now it makes more sense why the 2 bolts were installed. so many of the old shops used their old vises as an all in one tool so to speak so having one with less options that could still work was maybe their only priority. not sure how that ledge would have been broken, but guessing maybe a big hammer or maybe a pipe on the handle might have been involved.

 

[KMScott]

DF, having many vises and if I owned that vise it would be used for parts. If someone wanted to restore it since it is rare and have it sit on a shelf then maybe the hours of fitting a radial insert might be worth it and plugging the bolt holes.

 

[Bungler]

I am not to sure if that cast is actually broken.If you look at the centre there is a stop which only let the jaw go so far from left or right.To me it looks like just a crude way to have the stop protrude.But who am I to say.

 

[drivesitfar]

Bungler: you have the vise in front of you so you might be right. Can you put swivel jaw back on and put a triangle shaped piece on the vise and tighten it up to see if the vise can hold it?

 

[Shiftless]

I think Drives has a good idea for a test. Try that and report back.

 

[Bungler]

Sorry Drives it is at my shop at the lake.I have to go back down to the lake tomorrow to work.Not for myself but for someone else.If I have time later I will try and stop by my shop and give your idea a try.

 

[KMScott]

Of course it will hold, it has a maybe up to a 3" diameter swivel block. Guys, you need more then that, other swivel jaws have a second backup support. Just look at other swivel jaws. the pictures that Bunger showed after he removed the swivel jaw clearly show the broken casting and the missing support. I just fixed a swivel jaw with a broken pivot block. This will happen if clamping on something hard, tends to lift the swivel jaw when there is no support in the rear.

 

[Shiftless]

Good point, Kevin.
That aspect didn’t occur to me.

That Athol #22 might be best consigned to retirement as a shelf display unless it’s got some sentimental value and/or an owner bound and determined to put it back to work.