Athol Vise Model 32 with quick adjust

[gregthor]

Dear Friends at GJ,
I picked up my first Athol Vise the other day. It is an old model 32. I went to buy a 1940 Atlas drill press from CL and the seller asked if I wanted to buy a radial arm saw. I said no but asked about this vise. She said she would check with family and let me know. A few days later she called and said I could buy it.

When I got it home I c-clamped it to the bench and noticed this big gap between the dynamic slide and the main body. I thought “oh **** I just bought a vise that is made up of wrong pieces”.

Then I began to inspect it further and noticed a bolt on the bottom of the vise. (ignore the Wilton in the background) The bolt holds an additional part under the dynamic slide.

Well after playing with the vise a little bit I discovered this is a quick adjust model. When you pull up on the dynamic jaw, it disengages from the main screw and you can simply slide the dynamic jaw in or out.

Drop the dynamic jaw back down and it instantly is engaged with the main nut and tightens like a normal vise.

This is one of the coolest vises I have ever owned!!
Does anyone know what Athol called this model??
Did I miss one like it in the 228 pages of “the Vises of Garage Journal?... Or are all Athol vises like this and I just didn’t know it?
Thanks for any input,
Greg

 

[bigcaddy]

There have not been any quick adjust Athols on the entire 228 pages of the Vises thread. Thats a pretty cool one you found there.

I sent another member a lead about a Athol with a rear swivel jaw and those are somewhat rare from what i've seen. This is the first time i've seen a quick adjust Athol.

 

[Catalyze]

Grats on that very unusual Athol. The only other quick adjusting vise that I have seen is a Record. I would have been in a panic if I had seen the gap also.
Craig

 

[Outlawmws]

Cool score!

Are you going to tell us what you paid for the shot at a Usuck?

 

[gregthor]

Hi Guys,
Thanks for the info. I was so excited about the technical features of this vise I forgot to mention the price. I paid $35 and drove 24 miles round trip to get it. It will go in the waiting to be restored pile for now. When I restore it I will post picture of the parts inside.
Greg

 

[Catalyze]

Athol made some vises with "unusual" features. I have a 4" Athol swivel base/jaw with a crazy main handle. It is notched internally so you don't ever have to rotate it in a complete circle to move the dynamic jaw. It has a handle sticking out of the ball and you pull out, rotate, push in and tighten/loosen. It's like an answer to an unasked question. Oh well....it's an Athol so it's fine.
Craig

 

[gregthor]

Hi Guys & Gals,
Old thread I know but I finished the Athol 32 Quick Adjust Vise and thought I would post the “after” pictures and pictures of the working parts. Here is the finished vise.

Here are all the parts; actually this was the simplest vise to rebuild. Basically, 2 screws, no pins to hammer out and back in. No stubborn clip. Note the machined diameter at the tail end of the main screw.

Here is a close up of the screw. It has buttress threads that work with the split nut.

Here is where this vise differs from the normal vise. Look at the center of the photo there is a machined bore to support and locate the tail end of the main screws in the dynamic jaw. The main screw is not allowed to float like a normal vise.

Here is another view

Assembling the vise was easy. After you insert the main screw, you simply slide the retainer in the groove and insert the small screw.

Then you slide the nut into the dynamic jaw. I inserted the bolt into the nut so I could hang onto the nut.

Then the bolt goes thru the bottom of the static jaw into the main nut to secure the main nut to the static jaw.

Thats it!! Very simple, to use, you just lift up on the static jaw, slide it in or out to the position your work piece, drop the jaw back down to engage it in the main nut, tighten the handle and the work piece is tight.

Greg

 

[Outlawmws]

Very nice Gregthor! and yes! you do ****!

(big low pressure depression in Michigan!)

 

[87Pomona]

Nice color choice.

 

[SweetD]

That is a really cool, unique vise. Nice job!



Dave

 

[KSwiss]

That looks very nice. Congrats

 

[gregthor]

Thanks for the kind words Guys!

Wow!! my first you ****! It is going to be a great day now

Greg

 

[Packard V8]

Nope, never seen a quick-adjust Athol. Mine is plain as plain can be.

Quick adjust is always a trade-off. Much more convenient for a fab shop bench where it is being used all day every day. However, the half-nut and thread is not as strong and wears much more rapidly than does a straight acme thread and nut.

jack vines

 

[gregthor]

Jack,
I agree. A half a nut must have less strenght than a whole nut.
However, when I put something in it and tighten it, the screw feels no different than a standard vise. If you blindfolded me I couldn't pick this vise out from others. I think this vise had an easy life though.
Greg