Black & Decker Workmate

[1oldtimer]

You guys are killing me. I came across a post on the Fordbarn about a car and in that post was a reference to getting help from here to get a vintage Workmate. I remember my grandpa using one, never though I needed one but here I am. After reading the posts here, I decided that I couldn't live another day without one......not just any one but an old one.


Just picked this up for $40 (I found newer ones cheaper $15-$25...but they're new). It says Type 3 on the sticker, but it says type 2 on an ink stamp on the underside of the wood. Also one plank is starting to de-laminate and it's missing the orange plastic clamps.

 

[ptgarcia]

You guys are killing me. I came across a post on the Fordbarn about a car and in that post was a reference to getting help from here to get a vintage Workmate. I remember my grandpa using one, never though I needed one but here I am. After reading the posts here, I decided that I couldn't live another day without one......not just any one but an old one.


Just picked this up for $40 (I found newer ones cheaper $15-$25...but they're new). It says Type 3 on the sticker, but it says type 2 on an ink stamp on the underside of the wood. Also one plank is starting to de-laminate and it's missing the orange plastic clamps.

Nice, it even has all the rubber feet.

 

[gman007]

Hi All
I was not aware that there is a workmate thread here at GJ until Outlaw
mentioned it in vise thread and suggested that I post some photos of my workmate. So for whatever it is worth, here it is.

I bought it some years back in a garage sale for $5. I am guessing it is 1970s vintage (but I am no workmate expert so who knows). In any case while structurally it was sound, it was in a sad shape in the looks department. Among other things it was splashed in many many layers of paint, the boards were all marred, etc.

I figured it has paid its due for so many years and now it deserves a well deserved and cool face lift. So I gave it a Johnny Cash (who was of course a very cool dude ) outfit

PS
workmate and its parts are all OEM

 

[McBrownie]

Up on a wall perhaps?

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They fit nicely behind a door.

View media item 56242

 

[rick carpenter]

"The Workbench Book" by Scott Landis has the last chapter devoted to Ron Hickman and the development of the Workmate. It's a good read, but I'm unfamiliar with the Workmate and what improvements have been made to it since the 1998 printing of the book.

 

[wolfcj]

As Landis says in the book, the quality of the Workmate had already declined at the time of his writing. B&D have continued "to tinker" (Landis' words) since then, but most Workmate fans agree that, again quoting, "the aluminum H-frame represents the apex of the Workmate's design."

 

[Outlawmws]

I think there are pluses and minuses, both ways. I can see some things better, some worse, sometimes with the same feature! it depends on use and need. just some thoughts here:

None of the early units have the swinging jaw for vertical clamping - some of the larger later versions have this and it can be invaluable.

the swinging legs, the originals look cool and I think are lighter for overall weight, but can be fussy to open, less so to close. The "new designs" are much easier to operate.

Having said that the later legs have Terrible Spring designs retaining them and keeping then from swinging freely, both steel and plastic are Prone to either bending (steel springs) or breakage (Plastic) which renders then useless. Both require a "dry" lube to avoid this. (I use door ease and haven't broken a plastic one since I started...

Jaw design and material: I prefer the older laminated ply much better, and the doubled face thickness generally, but there are times the single thickness jaw is what you need... The particle board material is just terrible for longevity and structural strength

The "tool holders" are handy to have on the post aluminum models.

I like the steel inserts for the dog holes on the earlier jaws. BUT they do get rusty, and are then harder to use.

I like the extended jaw positions on the later units, ditto the big, or third plates for a larger work surface, good only for certain uses, it has the penalty of making them bigger and heavier so not so handy... For a "one location" use that's not an issue...

The bottom line is what is your use case? sometimes its better for the earlier aluminum stuff and sometimes not,

Having said all that, for general use my early all aluminum is now my main "go to" for these

 

[gman007]

Outlaw
Thank you for the comprehensive comparison of functional features. It is enlightening.

The one thing that you did not mention was quality of the old vs new. Personally I find the new workmates to be chintzy, rickety and overall meeting my exception of a poorly made product manufactured in China.

I have also read lots of reviews on Amazon by people who have had both the old and new workmates. The absolute consensus seems to be that old workmates are far superior in quality and longevity.

 

[BajaScout]

Outlaw
The absolute consensus seems to be that old workmates are far superior in quality and longevity.

Not much data on the new ones yet. Older ones just by the fact they are older have lasted longer

 

[Outlawmws]

I don't think I've ever had one made in China - Hopefully never will.

 

[BajaScout]

I don't think I've ever had one made in China - Hopefully never will.

Tha certainly would be a very sad day.

Stay vigilant!

 

[y'sguy]

Outlaw, thanks for all the info from someone who obviously speaks from experience! I own, merely two of the early aluminum/steel with laminate tops. And I confess I didn't get them until several years ago after reading on here about the "Lotus" aluminum design connection. I was then hooked and was on the hunt.
Obsessively I payed a little too much for the first mint one I found but averaged it out with the second of equally great shape for way too little.
I used them a lot in my projects, especially both together. They are a little heavier that I would like, but their versatility makes up for it. The cool factor of the aluminum does it for me, which is dumb, I know but I'm a sucker for the look of something like this.
So, these are the type I go for or at least went for. I still look for them and have recently walked away from good ones for 40 bucks. I guess I satisfied my urge.

 

[59apachegail]

I found a sweet type 4 today for $25. Top has a little de-lamination in on one corner but it is all there and in pretty good shape. I bought from the son in-law of the original owner. No pictures yet.

 

[Outlawmws]

I have numerous times re-glued de-laminated ply; it is doable! (wax paper is your friend for these efforts...)

 

[Shiftless]

I’m gonna jump in on this thread to post a “before” picture of my Workmate 400.
I got it really cheap on C/L
I recently picked up some salvaged decking...redwood 2x6s that I suppose would make good top pieces to replace the deteriorated particle board originals. The screw mechanisms still work OK. I plan to store it outdoors under cover. I have 2 nice workbenches in the garage...this one will serve as an outdoor work table.
Has anybody done this?
I plan to paint the steel framework. This is not a rare piece, right? What years were they built?

 

[Outlawmws]

Not too rare, built in the heyday of the BB store growth maybe 30 years ago. I had one from new, sold it a year or so ago. That will have the tilting D jaw, so make sure the new jaw placement does not block the vertical position.

Keep things well lubed as you will get dew even if not direct rain.

 

[Shiftless]

Thanks, Outlaw !

 

[stickshift]

Looking at picking up a used Workmate 400 for a router + enclosure/benchtop I picked up recently. The enclosure/benchtop is 14-1/4" wide. The seller told me he used mounted this on a Workmate. I haven't owned a Workmate in a while, but I don't recall the jaws opening that wide.

Can a typical Workmate (or the Workmate 400), accommodate a 14-1/4" wide tool platform between the front and rear jaws?

Separately, I see a Workmate 525 for sale. With the TV tray legs and wheels, are these just junk? Or are they as stable as the traditional non-TV tray style Workmates?

 

[trijeff]

Mount the desired tool to an appropriate size wood base, then attach a 2x4 to the bottom of that and lock the 2x4 in the jaws. I have grinders, vises, saws and even a 4x8 plywood work table set up like this.

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[wolfcj]

If you prefer not to construct the platform described above ...

According to the Workmate 400 manual:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=11&ved=2ahUKEwiy3IqW58vjAhUDEqwKHcL5B_AQFjAKegQIAhAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdocuments.dewalt.com%2Fdocuments%2FEnglish%2FInstruction%2520Manual%2F741951-00%2C79-041.pdf&usg=AOvVaw3tqOotly5j7clz9KKw2H1Z
the maximum opening of the jaws is 8-3/8", however if you clamp an object between swivel pegs on top of the jaws, the capacity is 19", which is probably what your seller did. (Otherwise, I would think he would have included the mounting board along with the router table.)

The earlier 79-001 models had a jaw opening of 4" for the most part, with the widest swivel-peg clamping at 10" Some, such as the Type 4 went up to 5-1/2" and 12", but I'm pretty sure none of the 79-001's open as wide as some later ones like the 400.

 

[stickshift]

If you prefer not to construct the platform described above ...

According to the Workmate 400 manual:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=11&ved=2ahUKEwiy3IqW58vjAhUDEqwKHcL5B_AQFjAKegQIAhAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdocuments.dewalt.com%2Fdocuments%2FEnglish%2FInstruction%2520Manual%2F741951-00%2C79-041.pdf&usg=AOvVaw3tqOotly5j7clz9KKw2H1Z
the maximum opening of the jaws is 8-3/8", however if you clamp an object between swivel pegs on top of the jaws, the capacity is 19", which is probably what your seller did. (Otherwise, I would think he would have included the mounting board along with the router table.)

The earlier 79-001 models had a jaw opening of 4" for the most part, with the widest swivel-peg clamping at 10" Some, such as the Type 4 went up to 5-1/2" and 12", but I'm pretty sure none of the 79-001's open as wide as some later ones like the 400.

Yeah, you must be right about how the seller clamped it - he must have used the pegs. If he had a 2x4 or similar cleat (and further enclosing elements to center the cleat underneath the enclosure), he wouldn't have removed it when selling this setup.

Pics below (don't have the mods ban me for including HF workmate knockoffs in a pic posted to the GJ Workmate thread!). One cool thing about this setup is the seller used hinges so you can flip the router right side up so you access it without getting under the table.

Kind of surprised this setup is stable when mounted to a Workmate using the pegs. I guess I'll try that because buying a used Workmate is a lot cheaper/quicker than investing time/materials to build a dedicated table. Plus the Workmate can be folded and hung up on the wall when finished and the router enclosure can be placed on a shelf.

 

[wolfcj]

Now that I see it, it seems that it would be quite stable that way. The weight of the router hangs down between the jaws and the top of the router table gets clamped between the swivel grips. I had been picturing the entire box of the router table sitting on top of the Workmate, with the grips clamping it by its bottom. This is much better. Between the clamping method and the hinged insert plate, it's a clever design.

 

[Outlawmws]

This is why you need the 400/425, it has multiple "static": jaw positions...

Probably won't work on a 200/225

 

[stickshift]

Now that I see it, it seems that it would be quite stable that way. The weight of the router hangs down between the jaws and the top of the router table gets clamped between the swivel grips. I had been picturing the entire box of the router table sitting on top of the Workmate, with the grips clamping it by its bottom. This is much better. Between the clamping method and the hinged insert plate, it's a clever design.

Yeah, for sure this design is better than an enclosure that sits entirely on top of the Workmate; much lower center of gravity. And this router is HEAVY, so that probably helps.

This is why you need the 400/425, it has multiple "static": jaw positions...

Probably won't work on a 200/225

Plus the 200/225 is pretty lightweight as I recall. I used to have a 425 and it was fairly stout, especially when I added a shelf underneath and loaded it with ammo.

 

[wolfcj]

Here's an interesting Workmate for sale:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Black-Decker-Workmate-Portable-Project-Work-Table-Folding-Bench/133123092196?hash=item1efec12ee4:g:-qAAAOSw~E5dONgM

First, it's a 79-001, but hard to tell what type it is. Almost everything I can see is consistent with a Type 2. The exception is that a Type 2 would have four round screw-in feet on the legs. On this one, three of the feet are the rectangular rubber boot feet, which is indicative of a Type 4. I suppose someone could have replaced three of the feet, but they look pretty old in the photos, so it must have happened a while ago.

However, the real surprise is the branding. When you look at it from the front, both of the H-braces say "Black & Decker", and from the back, both say "WORKMATE". I have never seen one like this.

On most, the H-brace closer to you says "Black & Decker" and the one farther away says "WORKMATE". The Type 3 is the exception to the rule, where the closer one says "WORKMATE" and the farther one says "Black & Decker".

So this could be a factory mistake, where the rear H-brace was inserted in the wrong direction, or perhaps an owner disassembled it and put it back the wrong way.

 

[trijeff]

On most, the H-brace closer to you says "Black & Decker" and the one farther away says "WORKMATE". The Type 3 is the exception to the rule, where the closer one says "WORKMATE" and the farther one says "Black & Decker".

Wolf, amazing knowledge! Thanks man

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[y'sguy]

Yeah, you must be right about how the seller clamped it - he must have used the pegs. If he had a 2x4 or similar cleat (and further enclosing elements to center the cleat underneath the enclosure), he wouldn't have removed it when selling this setup.

Pics below (don't have the mods ban me for including HF workmate knockoffs in a pic posted to the GJ Workmate thread!). One cool thing about this setup is the seller used hinges so you can flip the router right side up so you access it without getting under the table.

Kind of surprised this setup is stable when mounted to a Workmate using the pegs. I guess I'll try that because buying a used Workmate is a lot cheaper/quicker than investing time/materials to build a dedicated table. Plus the Workmate can be folded and hung up on the wall when finished and the router enclosure can be placed on a shelf.

I like this router application/usage a lot. I have a SEArs craftsman router and table , but I think I would rather ditch it for this kind of setup. It would take up less room when stored AND be a more stable setup when in use. Win Win for me! Thanks for sharing, I just may help myself to this idea.

 

[Zeke]

Hi All
I was not aware that there is a workmate thread here at GJ until Outlaw
mentioned it in vise thread and suggested that I post some photos of my workmate. So for whatever it is worth, here it is.

I bought it some years back in a garage sale for $5. I am guessing it is 1970s vintage (but I am no workmate expert so who knows). In any case while structurally it was sound, it was in a sad shape in the looks department. Among other things it was splashed in many many layers of paint, the boards were all marred, etc.

I figured it has paid its due for so many years and now it deserves a well deserved and cool face lift. So I gave it a Johnny Cash (who was of course a very cool dude ) outfit

PS
workmate and its parts are all OEM

That is way cool. Nice job.

I have 2. One cast AL like that one and the cheaper stamped out steel model. I removed the wood (particle board) from it and welded in some 3 x 3 angle iron for a welding table. I built an extension for the movable jaw and it has slots for all kinds of clamps.

 

[trijeff]

Zeke, I remember you posting pics while building, did you ever upload pics of the finished product? Would love to see it!

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[McBrownie]

Time for a mid-summer action photo. Repainting outside doors. Not the most exciting project, but the workmates make it easier.

View media item 95155

 

[12vx2]

I have a small table saw and other tools mounted to a 3/4" plywood rectangle that has a somewhat smaller rectangular cutout so the sawdust falls through. I set the assembly on top and open the clamping table until the dogs exert enough pressure on the inside of the cutout to hold the saw firmly in place. you can secure a much larger base on your workmate this way.

 

[wolfcj]

Here's an interesting Workmate for sale:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Black-Decker-Workmate-Portable-Project-Work-Table-Folding-Bench/133123092196?hash=item1efec12ee4:g:-qAAAOSw~E5dONgM

I asked the seller about it and solved the mysteries.

He said that he did disassemble it, and didn't notice that he turned one of the H-braces around when putting it back together. He's fixed it and posted new photos.

He says that the rubber boot feet are original, so that makes it a Type 4. What he did install was the aluminum crank arms, because it had some sort of faucet knobs instead of handles when he got it. A Type 4 would have had plastic crank arms, so his substitution made it appear to be a Type 2 instead.

 

[59apachegail]

Thanks Outlaw! It is just a corner, I will glue it up. Also missing adjustable legs that screw into the frame. Can I still get those?

Here are some pictures:

 

[Huntsperger]

This is my first post. My wife and I are visiting family in California and as I passed a dumpster on the way back from an early morning walk I saw some sort of folded metal contraption standing next to the dumpster, obviously discarded by one of the residents in the housing complex. It took me a few minutes to figure out how to unlatch it and get it standing upright but when I did I was thrilled at my discovery. I’d never seen one before but I knew exactly what it was for and wondered how I’d lived so many years without a Workmate in my garage...in my life. At the time I assumed what I’d found was a few years old, certainly still in production by Black and Decker. Then I started my internet search for further information, found this site, and was amazed to discover that I’d found what appears to be one of the earliest Workmates sold in the US, a treasure that appears to have been sitting in someone’s storage locker almost unused for 40 years. If I’ve understood the pictures and posts I found here correctly I think this is the 79-001 type 2 model. Please correct me if I got that wrong. Many of you have mentioned model numbers stamped on the bottom of the jaws but there are none on mine. Anyway, I just wanted to share my excitement and also ask your opinion about whether I need to paint the steel parts of the frame. There was a little surface rust in a few areas but not much which puzzles me. Why don’t these things rust more? Is there a factory paint on them? And if so, did my vigorous scrubbing on my new toy remove that paint and should I attempt to replace it?

 

[Huntsperger]

Some pictures of my dumpster find.

 

[captain14]

Great find! I hope you have room for it in the car going home.

 

[Huntsperger]

I'd duct tape it to the roof if I had to, but yes I've got a place all ready for it. Spent nearly my entire adult life in Alaska before our recent move to the Oregon coast. Built our turned log home in the far north with not much more than my Husqvarna chain saw, circular saw, drill, basic hand tools and my 16 year old nephew. There was no internet back then and no tool stores for several hundred miles. Sure could have used this then.

 

[wolfcj]

If I’ve understood the pictures and posts I found here correctly I think this is the 79-001 type 2 model. Please correct me if I got that wrong. Many of you have mentioned model numbers stamped on the bottom of the jaws but there are none on mine. Anyway, I just wanted to share my excitement and also ask your opinion about whether I need to paint the steel parts of the frame. There was a little surface rust in a few areas but not much which puzzles me. Why don’t these things rust more? Is there a factory paint on them? And if so, did my vigorous scrubbing on my new toy remove that paint and should I attempt to replace it?

Yes, almost everything I can see about it is consistent with a Type 2.

What I can't tell from your photos is what the finish is on the steel parts.

Take a look at the Type 2 in the photo below. The steel parts that form the base of a Type 2, attaching to the bottom of the H-frames, should be painted a medium to dark gray. The steel parts that attach to the top of the H-frame and hold the jaws, plus the two angled side struts, should have a "silvery" plating, possibly cadmium. You should be able to see the distinct color difference between the plated and painted parts in the photo.

In your photos, I can't see much difference between the upper and lower parts, but maybe it's just because of the lighting. Can you confirm whether the finishes are different or the same?

On a typical Type 2, the painted parts don't rust until the paint gets scraped off. However, it almost always gets scraped off in at least a few places, and in those spots the rust can develop pretty quickly. Similarly, as long as the plating is intact, the upper parts don't rust. The plating holds up better than the paint, so it's not uncommon to see a Workmate of this type with no (or very little) rust on the upper parts.

If you have a 79-001 Type 2 with all of its steel parts plated, that would be quite a find. The Type 1 frame was fully plated (but different from yours in a number of other ways), so yours would be sort of a hybrid of Type 1 and Type 2.

 

[Huntsperger]

Thank you so much for your response and amazing expertise! Hope you know how grateful we novices are for your input. I've attached a few more pictures. I can certainly see the difference between the two colors on the picture you attached but to be honest I cannot see that same difference on mine. I've attached a few more pictures of mine, trying to get the best possible uniform lighting on all areas. I would, of course, be very interested to know if your trained eye sees it differently. I did scrub a good bit on the step to clean it up but don't think it would have changed the color that much.

 

[wolfcj]

I would say it's all plated steel, including the base. Is that the way it looks to you? Are there any spots of rust at all? It looks a little like there might be some in the inside rear corners of the lower frame, but maybe it's just the lighting. (And, by the way, what are those two rectangular blocks that show up in some of the photos?)

A lot of my expertise has been built up by finds such as this, that break what up until then I had thought were "the rules". If you read up much about the details of Stanley planes, you learn that Stanley didn't always make a clean changeover between "types" of their planes. When they introduced a new "type" and they had an inventory of one part from the older design, they would keep using the older part until they ran out. This created some "mongrel" planes that confound today's collectors trying to figure out dates of manufacture. It looks as though Workmates have some of these same issues.