Athol Machine Co.

I was having a sort out of my tool box the other day and I came across a tool I didn't know I had ! I've got several sets of Engineers Dividers and like most people I have my favourites which are by " Moore & Wright ". Right at the back of the box was I pair I don't recall purchasing. They are 5" long, the usual design with the curved spring on top but the legs are more slender than normal. They are in very nice condition and the makers name is "Athol Machine Co. " I've never seen any by the company in the U.K. before, are they common in the U.S. ? Regards Tyrone.

Very common.

Athol Machine Company was a precursor and probably later adjunct to L.S. Starrett in their less "precise" measuring tools. Big into calipers and perhaps even vernier stuff. Might have made some micrometers at one time too, but not of the quality of LS Starrett.

They were located out there in Athol, MA just off of Route 2

"Athol, MA" entries on Wikipedia mentions both AMC and Laroy Starrett.

Quote[The Athol Machine Company was established in 1868 in order to manufacture a chopping machine invented by Laroy S. Starrett. In 1881, Mr. Starrett established the L. S. Starrett Company, known for making quality precision tools. The company remains the town’s largest employer to this day, and thus does Athol live up to the nickname “Tool Town.”]Unquote

More on this at http://www.roseantiquetools.com/id97.html

Joe in NH

Thanks Joe, The quality of the dividers is as good as Starrett. They are very nicely made. I can't think we're I got them from, maybe a retiring workmate. Regards TYrone

Somebody on PM once wrote:

"Who are you calling an Athol ? "

I've a number of Athol dividers and calipers in my collection......er accumulation......er whatever ya'd call it. I agree they are about the same level as Starrett's.

Perhaps someone who owns the CURRENT (CD-ROM) version of the Early American Industries Association (EAIA) Directory of American Toolmakers (DAT) could chime in with dates of operation for Athol Machine & Tool.

At one time, Starrett made an enormous variety of calipers in any given size. They had ones with round legs, ones with square legs, and ones with legs stamped out of steel plate. There were various styles of screw-adjust (Fay, Yankee, etc.) and various styles of friction joint, some with fine adjust features. I surmise that this internal redundancy resulted from buying up other companies.

John Ruth
P.S.Somehow, it does not surprise me that you like Moore & Wright, as they are very well made and British through-and-through. I've an M&W surface gauge whose color case hardening would bring tears to your eyes!!!

My memory could be playing tricks, but I think Starrett took over the Athol Machine Co around 1900. I have an original Athol catalogue. Besides calipers, they made wrenches, vises, and grinders, among other things. I have two machinist's bench vises from them and a 30" treadle grinder that's been motorized. They also had a patented (1871) quick acting bench vise. I have one on my workbench.

It's nice to see that Athol Machine Co. treadle grinder all done up and apparently functional. Mine is still in pieces (literally) and in fact it seems the cast iron legs were of a particularly "fragile" cast composition (I'm hard put to call it cast iron.)

Mine came out of the remains of a paper mill in Monroe Bridge, MA which some may remember (or would care to forget) was that small town just downstream of Yankee Rowe Nuclear Plant. I plan to reconstruct the broken leg using weldments, but similar to the original.

You're fortunate to have a very LARGE stone to fit.

Joe in NH

Thanks, Joe.
Mine was in the yard of an antique shop. I believe it came out of the Goodall knife factory in Antrim, NH. Fortunately I saw it before it went through a winter and froze. When I got it someone had already added the big pulley to the stone spindle, and the treadle was long gone. I grabbed some pillow blocks I had lying around and made a countershaft/motor plate for it. The stone was in very good shape.

I know what you mean about the legs. I have mine bolted to maple skids to protect them.

Now you have me going. Went up into the attic of the barn to look at that trough and those legs. Maybe that is the value of forums like this - they get you going - and thinking.

This grinder came to me as a flat belt driven version - very cobbled together, however. Not the first time I've seen brass pipe used as a bearing. I think I'm going to restore it as a treadle driven version since I need to re-execute a rather badly worn main spindle anyway.

Thanks for the mental jab.

Joe in NH