Black & Decker Workmate

[wolfcj]

Wolf: This is the only writing I see on the bottom of my Type E. I can’t make out the top line, maybe 79-? 15. Bottom line TYPE E

The attached photo shows a Type E with a clearer stamp.

Yeah, I haven't found much of interest on the bottom of the jaws on the Type E. They weren't made in Brockville, so there's no Brockville production code. Those are found only on the Type 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 9.

Some Type E's have the part number for the jaw, such as 899746, stamped there along with a couple of pairs of letters, such as RG/DF, whose meaning I don't know.

 

[wolfcj]

My only issue is their price. They are a little pricey for a simple clamp.

I notice that they're in the same price range as the vintage Gripmate clamps. One drawback is that the dovetail clamps are not as flexible, since the clamp can't be rotated. The clamp head can only be positioned over the slot, not over any desired spot on the workbench.

 

[Jonathankamm]

I notice that they're in the same price range as the vintage Gripmate clamps. One drawback is that the dovetail clamps are not as flexible, since the clamp can't be rotated. The clamp head can only be positioned over the slot, not over any desired spot on the workbench.

Dovetail clamps are professional grade and have 10 times the clamping power of the gripmates. Gripmates are a friction type clamp and can be troublesome to get them to hold tight. But with one dovetail groove you can also add dovetail clamps and use them both for all sorts of clamping possibilities.

 

[wolfcj]

Dovetail clamps are professional grade and have 10 times the clamping power of the gripmates.

But do dovetail clamps really make sense on the Workmate?

The jaws of the Workmate are practically an ideal clamping surface for the professional-grade clamps that most of us already have. There is full access to the top and bottom surface. The jaws are narrow enough that standard-reach clamps can reach to the middle of the jaw from either of its sides. So with standard clamps you can choose almost any spot anywhere on the jaws to clamp to. As I mentioned already, the dovetail clamps can't do that. And there's no need to rout your top and buy new clamps.

When I look at Microjig's site, every illustration of the use of their dovetail clamps is either 1) in the center of a large work surface, or 2) on a surface where there is no access to the lower side. Of course they're a great option for those situations.

But how often does either of those things happen when clamping to a Workmate? Your example photos could certainly be handled with standard clamps.

I do see one advantage to the dovetail clamps, an advantage shared with the Gripmate -- you can loosen them and they will stay in place until you tighten them again. With a standard clamp, you may have to remove it completely and set it somewhere.

On the other hand, I also understand why someone who already has the dovetail clamps (presumably because they have one of the tricky situations I mention above) would be looking at every other surface in the shop to see where they could put another groove!

 

[AceofSpad3s]

Free workmate. Curb Alert. Near Appleton WI.

https://appleton.craigslist.org/zip/d/neenah-curb-alert-black-and-decker/7216355640.html

Never a day I wish I still wasn't still in Ripon,another free workmate would just be icing on the cake

 

[Glemon]

I just read the first page before realizing this was an old and long topic, I am a newby here. Anyway, couple observations.

Didn't know about the the Lotus connection, how cool, I am a lifelong British car guy, but never knew this.

I certainly don't look down on the Workmate, always wanted one, now I do more than ever, need to go check Craigslist...

 

[RandyIA]

Hello everyone,
First post here. I was researching an aluminum and steel H-frame Workmate I just got at auction and found this discussion. It's on the very rough condition side but it appears complete and works good and smooth.

All I can find in the way of ID was a post about the tread rib lines, this one has three as opposed to the earlier four ribs. It has nice clean looking white plastic bushings for the frame ends, it has all metal cranks roll pinned to the screws and has plastic knobs. It also has four rubber leveling feet on it. What I noticed in some pictures of these was that many had the dual height feet for support when the legs are folded, I don't think this one has those but I'll double check just to be sure I didn't miss them.

Are all of these steel and aluminum types marked with a production code? This one is so rusty I didn't see one. Again, I'll double check again tomorrow.

I read WolfCJ's - "H-frame: dedicated to the vintage Black & Decker Workmate 79-001" and determined mine is a later production type 2. It is missing the step height rubber feet.

Well, it's nasty but the price was acceptable at $7.50. I'll get around to taking it apart and walnut blasting what I can fit in my blasting cabinet sometime. I'll put it the queue anyway...maybe next spring.

Thanks.

 

[Jonathankamm]

But do dovetail clamps really make sense on the Workmate?

The jaws of the Workmate are practically an ideal clamping surface for the professional-grade clamps that most of us already have. There is full access to the top and bottom surface. The jaws are narrow enough that standard-reach clamps can reach to the middle of the jaw from either of its sides. So with standard clamps you can choose almost any spot anywhere on the jaws to clamp to. As I mentioned already, the dovetail clamps can't do that. And there's no need to rout your top and buy new clamps.

When I look at Microjig's site, every illustration of the use of their dovetail clamps is either 1) in the center of a large work surface, or 2) on a surface where there is no access to the lower side. Of course they're a great option for those situations.

But how often does either of those things happen when clamping to a Workmate? Your example photos could certainly be handled with standard clamps.

I do see one advantage to the dovetail clamps, an advantage shared with the Gripmate -- you can loosen them and they will stay in place until you tighten them again. With a standard clamp, you may have to remove it completely and set it somewhere.

On the other hand, I also understand why someone who already has the dovetail clamps (presumably because they have one of the tricky situations I mention above) would be looking at every other surface in the shop to see where they could put another groove!

You can do a lot with dovetail grooves. Jigs can be made that screw into the grooves. Specialized stop blocks and hold downs can be made. Cross grooves could be cut. Regular hold down clamps with T bolts can be switched to dovetail bolts and work as well. The grooves don’t affect the natural working of the workmate. You can use it as normal but always have the ability to add specialized attachments. It opens a lot of possibilities.

 

[wolfcj]

Gripmates are a friction type clamp and can be troublesome to get them to hold tight.

I notice in your photo that you're using mismatched plastic bushings for the Gripmates. The orange bushing is the standard 20mm size, but the black one is the smaller 3/4" size, intended solely for use on the 79-001 Type 1. That would almost certainly make it troublesome to get the clamp tight.

 

[wolfcj]

You can do a lot with dovetail grooves

But you're still showing examples like those on the Microjig site that I mentioned already. These last ones in particular both show the grooves in a moving jig or fixture, where a standard clamp can't get to the bottom surface. That's great. But, the grooves are not in the actual work surface such as the top of a Workmate, where the jaws are ideal for standard clamps.

I'll wait to see photos from a Workmate owner showing a real-world use that makes sense for the dovetail clamps on the jaws of a Workmate.

 

[wolfcj]

Hello everyone,
First post here. I was researching an aluminum and steel H-frame Workmate I just got at auction and found this discussion. It's on the very rough condition side but it appears complete and works good and smooth.

Welcome to the forum, and it's great to see another Workmate rescued and put back to work. it's amazing to see how beat up they can be in appearance and yet still work properly.

We don't really know whether the production code was left off some 79-001's. We do know that the ink fades with time, especially when exposed to the weather.

The feet for sawhorse height came in a plastic bag and had to be installed by the purchaser. I'm quite sure that didn't always happen, and some feet got lost.

 

[RandyIA]

I notice in your photo that you're using mismatched plastic bushings for the Gripmates. The orange bushing is the standard 20mm size, but the black one is the smaller 3/4" size, intended solely for use on the 79-001 Type 1. That would almost certainly make it troublesome to get the clamp tight.

A small point of confusion- I'm reasonably sure mine is a type 2, but it has 2 black ones. I can't post pictures yet until I do some thread manipulations to get to five.

Update- I went down and did some more sleuthing. The holes appear to be 20mm but the wedges are black. Still, they fit the holes tightly.
Never mind- rookie mistake. I was comparing apples to oranges. Mine are something else. Since I'm not a woodworker I don't know the names of them.

 

[wolfcj]

I think you're referring to the swivel pegs, which would be black 20mm ones for the Type 2.

I was referring to the adaptor bushings Jonathan showed in post #1723 on his Gripmate clamps. You can see and read about the Gripmates and the adaptor bushings here:
https://h-frame.weebly.com/gripmate-79-011-79-016.html

 

[RandyIA]

Welcome to the forum, and it's great to see another Workmate rescued and put back to work. it's amazing to see how beat up they can be in appearance and yet still work properly.

We don't really know whether the production code was left off some 79-001's. We do know that the ink fades with time, especially when exposed to the weather.

The feet for sawhorse height came in a plastic bag and had to be installed by the purchaser. I'm quite sure that didn't always happen, and some feet got lost.

Thanks for the Welcome! It seems to be a good forum so far. I've wandered around here in the past and found good info, when I bought this Workmate it seemed to be the place for more info on it too.

 

[RandyIA]

Well, I verified a few things with the workmate.

It has two of the black dogs still with it. It does not have the frame leveling feet with it. It opens the jaws to roughly 4-1/4" and it has the doubled working faces with 9 holes. And there are zero discernible markings under the wood.

I have one question at this time - is there supposed to be a spring assist on these?

 

[McBrownie]

I think you're referring to the swivel pegs, which would be black 20mm ones for the Type 2.

I was referring to the adaptor bushings Jonathan showed in post #1723 on his Gripmate clamps. You can see and read about the Gripmates and the adaptor bushings here:
https://h-frame.weebly.com/gripmate-79-011-79-016.html

I posted this a while back and it's easier to repost than to try to find it. Anyone with access to a 3D printer might have some fun with this:

View media item 93241

 

[wolfcj]

I have one question at this time - is there supposed to be a spring assist on these?

I think you're asking about the spring shown in the seventh and fourteenth photos in the gallery on this page:
https://h-frame.weebly.com/79-001-type-2.html

 

[BearsFan315]

I posted this a while back and it's easier to repost than to try to find it. Anyone with access to a 3D printer might have some fun with this:

View media item 93241

hmmm, would not be a hard print. would probably print them upside down, to avoid overhangs. only issue would be the small 6 radii on that surface, but could sand that with not problem.

designed and printed many little tools/pieces like this for things i need or am working on just do not have the clamps

 

[LS6 Tommy]

I posted this a while back and it's easier to repost than to try to find it. Anyone with access to a 3D printer might have some fun with this:

View media item 93241

hmmm, would not be a hard print. would probably print them upside down, to avoid overhangs. only issue would be the small 6 radii on that surface, but could sand that with not problem.

designed and printed many little tools/pieces like this for things i need or am working on just do not have the clamps

I stumbled across this a while back. I thought I had posted it. I don't do any 3D printing, but someone should be able to do it.

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2701802

Tommy

 

[y'sguy]

Not mine or any association with it. https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1199870950390788
BUT thought it might serve as a reference point for others. I can't help but chuckle at the copy where they say - "$440 will NOT respond to stupid low ball offers or trades"

Okay… just what is considered stupid and low ball!?? too rich for me and I'm not starting THE WORKMATE MUSEUM.

Enjoy

 

[wolfcj]

I posted here about that $440 one back in May. I asked the seller a few questions about it at the time. He didn't know the model number. I told him what it is, but he never added that to the listing. I asked about the lettering on the H-frames that would normally be blue; he didn't know anything about that either. I pointed out the missing foot and a missing part on the Mitremate. He said it "came from his dad's stuff". He didn't want to use it at this point and "mess it up" because he thought a collector would like to have it. He asked me what I thought it was worth, but I didn't try to answer that.

 

[y'sguy]

I posted here about that $440 one back in May.

I guess I may have missed that post or didn't realize it was in my hometown!

He maybe be working on his retirement plan.

 

[Jonathankamm]

I notice in your photo that you're using mismatched plastic bushings for the Gripmates. The orange bushing is the standard 20mm size, but the black one is the smaller 3/4" size, intended solely for use on the 79-001 Type 1. That would almost certainly make it troublesome to get the clamp tight.

I actually got both those bushings off TYPE 2s. I’ve never had a TYPE 1. So the owner must of had a TYPE 1 at some time and got them mixed up. That’s another plus for dovetail clamps. They are readily available and no parts to loose. Look back at the pics I sent. You can use regular hold down clamps that swivel. Just switch out the T bolt for a dovetail nut. I’m thinking of widening the board in the back and making a full table with criss cross dovetail slots. Custom jigs would fasten quickly in the slots and easily positioned. I don’t think the workmate has yet to see its full potential.

 

[wolfcj]

I understand the mixup with the Gripmate bushings. The 79-011 Gripmate came with one bushing of each size and the instructions told how to choose the right one for your Workmate. Of course today when they are found second-hand there are no instructions, and it's hard to tell that there's a difference. I suspect many of the 3/4" black ones are being used in the 20mm holes, with unsatisfactory results.

You can read about them at:
https://h-frame.weebly.com/gripmate-79-011-79-016.html

 

[wolfcj]

Regarding the Matchfit clamps, as I said already, none of your photos from product advertising show an application that makes sense on the jaws of a Workmate. The use of the dovetail clamp that you show on your Workmate could be done as easily and with more flexibility with a standard shop clamp.

However, I don't have a closed mind about it. Maybe my imagination isn't good enough. I'm willing to be convinced when you show us an actual useful, working application of a Matchfit clamp on your Workmate that can't be handled adequately with a standard shop clamp.

 

[wolfcj]

I understand the mixup with the Gripmate bushings.

And I'll add that Black & Decker compounded the confusion surrounding the Gripmate adaptor bushings by what they did with the swivel pegs.

The first 79-001, the Type E made in England, had blue 20mm swivel pegs. It was followed by the made-in-Canada 79-001 Type 1, with black 3/4" swivel pegs for its down-sized holes. Different colors, different sizes. So far no confusion.

But then the Type 2 came out, changing back to 20mm pegs (and holes), but sticking with the black color. So now there were black pegs of two different sizes.

Next, the Gripmate was introduced, supplied initially with both 20mm and 3/4" adaptor bushings, but in orange and black for easy identification (as long as you knew the color code).

After only a short time, B&D stopped including the black adaptor bushing with the Gripmate. If you happened to have a Workmate Type 1, you could still get one, but there were relatively few Type 1's sold, so it was not much of an issue.

Then jumping ahead, to the late 1980's I believe, they changed the color of the now-established 20mm swivel pegs from black to orange. Now there were swivel pegs in the same two colors as the adaptor bushings, but in the swivel pegs the two colors were the same 20mm size. As time went by, towards today, owners got used to the fact that there were two colors of swivel pegs, and that the color didn't mean anything--they were interchangeable. (The black 3/4" swivel pegs for the Type 1 are pretty rare.) The Gripmate had probably been discontinued by this time, and wasn't real well known anyway.

So anyone who has gotten into Workmates in the last 25 years, and comes across a Gripmate isn't going to have the slightest suspicion that the orange and black adaptor bushings are different sizes. If they're really observant, they may notice that the black one wiggles around a little more and doesn't seem to work as reliably.

 

[fullthrottle24]

Regarding the Matchfit clamps, as I said already, none of your photos from product advertising show an application that makes sense on the jaws of a Workmate. The use of the dovetail clamp that you show on your Workmate could be done as easily and with more flexibility with a standard shop clamp.

However, I don't have a closed mind about it. Maybe my imagination isn't good enough. I'm willing to be convinced when you show us an actual useful, working application of a Matchfit clamp on your Workmate that can't be handled adequately with a standard shop clamp.

To each their own. How we use our workmates and modify them to suit our needs is perfectly acceptable in my book. I personally like when people post new products or uses for them. Just get them out and build cool stuff.

 

[wolfcj]

I'll second that. In case it wasn't clear, my comments on the Matchfit clamps come from a "show me" skepticism, not negativity. I'm all in favor of innovations that enhance the Workmate. I do truly look forward to hearing from anyone who can come up with an inventive use of those clamps that provides new capabilities to the Workmate.

 

[y'sguy]

wolfcj, opps , I just realized all these photos I shot this eve are not the WM you requested! I'll post them anyway just in case they are of some help to someone. This is the WM with no # as far as I can tell. I'll get the others tom.

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[wolfcj]

... This is the WM with no # as far as I can tell.

That one has all the features of a mid-production Type 2, made about July-October 1976. It's likely among the first North American ones with the orange-finished jaws.

 

[Jonathankamm]

Is this the first workmate?

 

[wolfcj]

According to my reading of Scott Landis' book, page 213, that is the Model 3 Minibench, Ron Hickman's first collapsible prototype. The Model 1 prototype was completely fixed construction. The Model 2 prototype could be knocked down for easier transport.

 

[RandyIA]

I think you're asking about the spring shown in the seventh and fourteenth photos in the gallery on this page:
https://h-frame.weebly.com/79-001-type-2.html

Correct. I haven't been home today so I haven't been downstairs to look at it and see if it has the attachment points stamped in it. I assume they are there to assist with the holding clips? To make certain they snap positively up over the stud?

 

[wolfcj]

I thought I could see at least one of the springs in your photos, but it's hard to tell with the lighting and the angles shown. Or are your top-release levers just flopping around loose?

The attachment points are shown pretty clearly in the fourteenth photo I referred you to.

 

[wolfcj]

Interesting. Thanks. I pick one up tomorrow.

Did you get this 79-004 you were going for? I'm curious what the production code and the Type number are on it. The one you show is generally later production, judging by the single-layer jaws. I would expect a date in 1979.

 

[Jonathankamm]

Did you get this 79-004 you were going for? I'm curious what the production code and the Type number are on it. The one you show is generally later production, judging by the single-layer jaws. I would expect a date in 1979.

Just says TYPE 1 and the number 13? Let me know if you need any more pics.

 

[Jonathankamm]

Here’s one like the Workmate 2000 but it’s called a 79-035 TYPE 2

 

[DaveT]

Did you get this 79-004 you were going for? I'm curious what the production code and the Type number are on it. The one you show is generally later production, judging by the single-layer jaws. I would expect a date in 1979.

Wolf: I have 2 of the 79-004’s. I thought you were only looking for markings on the 79-001.

Both of mine have double thickness laminated wood at the jaw edge. One of them is in pristine condition and the markings are very clear. The other one not so much. I can make out the Type1 but the other marking is a blur.

 

[wastedcosmonaut]

Not Black & Decker but todays roadside find was interesting ...
Works surprisingly well

I got a similar one. Scotty's hardware branded. But the jaws are different. Look original, nice hard wood, square with 2 holes, and pipe v notches both vertical and horizontal. The ones on yours looks replaced. I'm basing that off the US Patent Pending number. Mine is at least 35 years old since it was before the patent was granted. An asian design imported. Not even a speck of rust on mine.

 

[wolfcj]

Here’s one like the Workmate 2000 but it’s called a 79-035 TYPE 2

The 79-035 is from roughly the early 1980's, but it didn't last long. You can see it and read what Black & Decker had to say about it from the "1982 Black & Decker catalog excerpt" link on my Documents page. In the 1983 catalog just below that, you can see that it had been dropped from the line. The weight of 45 pounds was likely part of the problem.