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Yes. Working on best way to word that. Maybe actual manufacture date and refurbish date. Along with model and type. Thinking of using letter punches to stamp it into wood.

I make the tops myself. I’ll continue the tradition of marking TYPE and manufacture date on the under side.

Laquer thinner works well on the early black plastic handles.

My latest restore. This one was destined for the garbage. I got it for free and took my time carefully restoring it to like new condition. Missing and broken parts replaced. New top with traditional cherry stain. Should be good for another 40 years. See above post for before pic.

I’ll keep what I want and sell the rest. Here’s the (Type 2) I picked up today. Pics and numbers for your research. Did you get my emails with the others?

I have no experience with the E models. But this current Type 2 I did there was one H frame screw and one foot that were corroded solid. I ended up breaking off the bolt. Drilling and retapping a new hole. I haven’t had any cracked frames yet to deal with. If I couldn’t fix it I’d scrap it for...

I get the majority of mine on Facebook Marketplace. Check your area. I’m in Illinois. They seem to be regional. I wish I lived in Michigan. There are probably a dozen right now on the marketplace there. But I also watch eBay, Craigslist, garage and estate sales. I’m picking one up today...

Here’s my latest Workmate restore. I got this one for free. It was going to be thrown out. More pics tomorrow in the sun. Late here. Going to bed. 🙂

Painting the lettering on the “H” frame has been a problem. Aluminum is hard to paint. I tried an enamel paint pen and that paint cracked over time. I could sand and prime but that’s way too much work for these letters. Most of the time the simplest solution is the best. What I ended up using is...

For rust removal start with wire brush to remove any big loose pieces. Than I’m a big fan of Krud Kutter products. I use their rust removing gel. Then two coats of etching primer and two coats of dark gray gloss.

By far. The earliest ones were almost all metal. Much heavier gauge metal as well. They started making them lighter. Thinner metals and plastic parts became more common. The earliest ones from the mid seventies are still holding strong today. I love fixin up them into new condition. Haven’t...

Cool thanks.

I now have a matching pair. Found a mate to my 79-002 (Type 1) today. I’ll fix it up so they look identical.

Did I miss what the last 2 numbers are for?

Yes. The aluminum cleanser removed the black paint. I’m searching for the right paint right now. But you can use a foam brush. Wipe off excess paint. Lightly brush across top of letters. Let dry. Do a couple coats til desired finish.

Glad I could help.

One issue with restoring is cleaning up the aluminum. I’ve tried wire brushes. Wet/dry sand paper. Painting. But the technique that works the best and is actually the easiest is a powder by Brillo called Cameo. Made specifically for cleaning and polishing aluminum. Sprinkle it on, add a little...

I love the 79-001’s but my favorite workmate for usability is the 79-002 Type 1. Same heavy gauge steel and handles as the 001’s but only single height. It makes it easy to just pop open and use. Wide stance. Very sturdy. If you can find one cheap you’ll get a lot of use out of it.

A cheap way of getting those is simply buy a cheap WM 200 or something. Any workmate that uses those will be the same part. I buy cheap or free workmates all the time just for the parts. 🙂👍🏼

I’m staining tops today. This is the closest I could find to the original color. I made a sample piece.