So, I have a line on an Athol 624 1/2. Pic of one in this post in the VICES of GJ thread. The asking price is fairly high, but the vise looks to be in pretty good condition. The handle is slightly bent, but only on one side, and the handle slid easily. There is smidge of damage on the top back of the slide, but not even enough to cause a moments hesitation, much less binding.
I do have a concern about the action though. The vise opens smoothly, albeit a bit sluggishly since it needs a cleaning & lube. When closing the vise, the handle would progressively get more resistance, then it would suddenly release, repeatedly. I think it would be about 3-4 revolutions in the cycle, and it happened throughout the range. When I first felt it, I thought perhaps there was a burr on the screw or in the main nut, but after a bit of working it back and forth, I concluded it was some sort of spring action, similar to what I've felt on a QR woodworking vise.
The seller allowed me to pull the dynamic jaw and look at the underside, and there is a spring around the main screw, which explains what I was feeling. I found a pic of the bits of another 62 series vise somewhere or other last night, and a spring was part of the pic. My first question is whether or not the loading/unloading cycle is normal when closing the vise?
My second question relates to how the main nut is kept in place. I wasn't able to find any pics of the back of the dynamic jaw UNDER the slide. On this vise, there was some sort of semi-encrusted stud (it actually looked more like a super crudded dowel marker), for want of a better description, right behind the main nut. Is this normal for these vises?
Final question relates to the jaws. It looks to have hot pressed jaws, in fair shape. What is the best way of cleaning the jaws up and if possible, restoring some bite to them?
I'm a hairs breadth away from pulling the trigger on it, in part because I've run into some boogered jaw thread problems on my Wilton NotABullet. I'd like to have a big honkin' (not BIG HONKIN') vise. Just because.
I do have a concern about the action though. The vise opens smoothly, albeit a bit sluggishly since it needs a cleaning & lube. When closing the vise, the handle would progressively get more resistance, then it would suddenly release, repeatedly. I think it would be about 3-4 revolutions in the cycle, and it happened throughout the range. When I first felt it, I thought perhaps there was a burr on the screw or in the main nut, but after a bit of working it back and forth, I concluded it was some sort of spring action, similar to what I've felt on a QR woodworking vise.
The seller allowed me to pull the dynamic jaw and look at the underside, and there is a spring around the main screw, which explains what I was feeling. I found a pic of the bits of another 62 series vise somewhere or other last night, and a spring was part of the pic. My first question is whether or not the loading/unloading cycle is normal when closing the vise?
My second question relates to how the main nut is kept in place. I wasn't able to find any pics of the back of the dynamic jaw UNDER the slide. On this vise, there was some sort of semi-encrusted stud (it actually looked more like a super crudded dowel marker), for want of a better description, right behind the main nut. Is this normal for these vises?
Final question relates to the jaws. It looks to have hot pressed jaws, in fair shape. What is the best way of cleaning the jaws up and if possible, restoring some bite to them?
I'm a hairs breadth away from pulling the trigger on it, in part because I've run into some boogered jaw thread problems on my Wilton NotABullet. I'd like to have a big honkin' (not BIG HONKIN') vise. Just because.