That looks like a vise set up to do assembly work. Anything you drop should be easy to find in the recess. You arent going to do real heavy persuasion work, but, you knew that. Id be very concerned about getting the broken swivel mount repaired. By tightening only one side, you are risking breaking the swivel mount. The vise needs to be fastened properly, from both sides, when it is tightened down in position.
Buzz, how do you know the vise you bought is clean? Did you dismantle it, soak it in solvent and inspect the castings for cracks, and impact fractures? Did you put the lead screw in a set of V blocks, and turn it, while indicating it, to find out if it is true? Are the bushings the lead runs in worn, or distorted? Did you inspect the threads, keeping in mind the steel buttress threads tend to distort when abused, and the bronze threads in a typical nut tend to tear under the same abuse? Is the tightening bar bent, even a little? That bar is almost always bigger than the lead screw (NOT in a Wilton round bar) and if it is bent you can bet the lead is, too. Did you walk the movable jaw in and out, and observe if and where it dog walks, and observe if one side makes contact first on the stationary jaw, and by how much? What kind of shape are the jaws in? Can you service them? Do they need to be serviced? Will you service them?
My ideas of a clean used vise go a bit further than an internet photo.
Good luck with it, by the way. I havent had very good luck with used vises.
Best,
Ted
