Black & Decker Workmate
- Thread starter abstamaria
- Start date
Thanks, that's the original 300 model, the one I'm interested in. Yours is the earliest of three I have dates for so far - June 7, 1982.
Could you explain the break down of the coding?
You can read it at my website, here:
https://h-frame.weebly.com/blog/a-breakthrough-on-production-dates
https://h-frame.weebly.com/blog/a-breakthrough-on-production-dates
Thanks for the information, any guess on the "TY1" following the date?
First, looking at the other stamp, it is the model number 79-033. (Why they stamped it with different spacing, I don't know.) The label on the Workmate and most references in ads called it the Workmate 300, but 79-033 is its more specific official catalog number. It replaced the 79-001, which was the original Workmate for North America, sold from 1974 to 1982.
The TY1 means it is the 79-033 Type 1, i.e. first version. The 79-001 that preceded it went up to a Type 9. The 79-033 Type 1 shares many of its parts with the 79-001 Type 9. I'm not sure how many Types of the 79-033 were made.
The TY1 means it is the 79-033 Type 1, i.e. first version. The 79-001 that preceded it went up to a Type 9. The 79-033 Type 1 shares many of its parts with the 79-001 Type 9. I'm not sure how many Types of the 79-033 were made.
Black & Decker Workmate
I received this between 1979 and 1982. It was sent to my workplace with my name on it. There are no numbers under the wood platforms. It is a 79-001.
This is on the top but is illegible.
Sent from my iPad using Garage Journal
I received this between 1979 and 1982. It was sent to my workplace with my name on it. There are no numbers under the wood platforms. It is a 79-001.
This is on the top but is illegible.
Sent from my iPad using Garage Journal
Thanks. I started at that location in May of 1979 so those dates make sense. It is amazing how much I use it. Miter box saw, vise, bench grinder and just the simple portable work bench.
Dan in Pasadena
Well-known member
Way back when (eyes averted in shame!) I asked about replacement jaws for my otherwise great condition Workmate 550 I got from a Craigslist free ad. Never got around to doing anything with it.
Now I happen to have some spare 3/4" OSB. If I laminated two thicknesses of it together, sanded it, finished it, etc would it 'work" as replacement jaws or am I just being a cheap ******* and should go buy a full sheet of 1" hardwood plywood?
Now I happen to have some spare 3/4" OSB. If I laminated two thicknesses of it together, sanded it, finished it, etc would it 'work" as replacement jaws or am I just being a cheap ******* and should go buy a full sheet of 1" hardwood plywood?
LS6 Tommy
Well-known member
I am no carpenter, so I may be 100% wrong, but I'd think OSB would chip/fall apart at the clamping edges unless they had some sort of protective metal jaws like on my 79-021 drop leaf workmate.
Tommy
Tommy
Dan in Pasadena
Well-known member
So....I AM being a cheap ******* huh, Tommy?
Ok, yeah, I kinda figured I was being cheap. Even ordinary fir plywood is pretty soft. I suppose I can use 3/4 oak? If not then I'll be in the market for a half sheet (if anyone sells it) of 3/4 or 1" hardwood plywood.
Outlawmws
Well-known member
They sell 2X4 sections of ply in the big box stores.
Or, go visit a cabinet shop and ask about scraps?
Or, go visit a cabinet shop and ask about scraps?
madison069
Well-known member
Seems like it's either hang on hooks:
View media item 56242
put them on a dolly:
or just leave them out as movable benches:
I guess you could hang them from the ceiling in the folded flat against the ceiling way if you don't use it much. Kind of a pain to get it down though.
"Someday" I plan on making a rolling holder that will store two workmates and a Keter folding bench and perhaps even a folding welding table. It'll also have a drawer for all the accesories. The design keeps getting bigger in my head, probably why it isn't built yet.
Out of those options, I think the hook idea is what I will use. but I might do one of those roll around cause I've been thinking about getting a cart for awhile, so why not use what I already got and just add some wheels to it!
That's the exact situation I'm in now! LOL
But currently they are all in use holding various parts of the camaro waiting to get painted. But when I'm done it will go back to leaning on the wall or whatever until I get it up on the wall with hooks!
madison069
Well-known member
So....I AM being a cheap ******* huh, Tommy?
Ok, yeah, I kinda figured I was being cheap. Even ordinary fir plywood is pretty soft. I suppose I can use 3/4 oak? If not then I'll be in the market for a half sheet (if anyone sells it) of 3/4 or 1" hardwood plywood.
I acquired a new workmate afew weeks ago and the wood on it is not in good shape. I actually thought about replacing it with 2x6 or 2x8 and when I drill the holes, I'll enlarge the hole on the bottom side to the proper depth so the dog cleats can still latch in place. My cleats pulls out easily enough that I'm not worrying about pinching it from the underside, so this would work for me.
This would give me more surface area to clamp what ever I'm working on in the jaw, and make it a little more robust.
I rebuilt a WM 300 for my son-in-law earlier this year and used 5/4 x 4 inch pine from the blue box store. I think the wood came from New Zealand or thereabouts, but it worked great. Thicker than the original particleboard and machined nicely. I added dog holes and v-grooves then finished with some BLO. I'll need to dig up the pics.
Found the pics.
The dogs were original. I had to replace the plastic leg catches.
The WM was dusty and had a little rust that turned into a lot of rust once it was cleaned up. I wire brushed and sanded the rusted areas to clean metal, primered and painted with Rust-oleum.
The dogs were original. I had to replace the plastic leg catches.
The WM was dusty and had a little rust that turned into a lot of rust once it was cleaned up. I wire brushed and sanded the rusted areas to clean metal, primered and painted with Rust-oleum.
Attachments
Thanks again, you are a wealth of knowledge!
I have spent a lot of time studying vintage Workmates the last few years, but it has been a fascinating pastime to see what I could uncover. And a large amount of what I have learned has been thanks to stories, photos, descriptions, etc. shared by the members here, so - Thanks, everyone!
Chris
Dan in Pasadena
Well-known member
Looks excellent. Mine is in pretty good condition but has no wood so I need to make new. Looks like you made new jaws too(?) Are those 1x or 2x lumber?
Why the groove in the jaws and the little v's cut into them? By any chance did you find dimensions for making new jaws somewhere online?
fartymarty
Well-known member
Attachments
Dan in Pasadena
Well-known member
Thanks!
There's a 79-001 Type E in an online auction in the Los Angeles area:
https://ctbids.com/#!/description/share/679212
The metal surfaces aren't in great shape, but it appears to be complete, and with nothing broken. It's unusual to find one with all eight feet and the four blue dogs. The sale just started and runs until 12/16. It has been bid up to $3!
https://ctbids.com/#!/description/share/679212
The metal surfaces aren't in great shape, but it appears to be complete, and with nothing broken. It's unusual to find one with all eight feet and the four blue dogs. The sale just started and runs until 12/16. It has been bid up to $3!
Bugeyed Earl
Well-known member
I found this Workmate either at a yard sale or a thrift shop, and it's been with me for more than a decade. The little swiveling hobby model probably arrived the same way, and the ShopBox was an Offerup purchase, I was specifically looking for one of those to carry my electronics repair tools.
The jaws on the full size model are pretty badly delaminated, and I have some nice old oak jaws ready to go, but I've been thinking about just repairing the originals, which will be a lot lighter (this early version is pretty heavy already.)
The jaws on the full size model are pretty badly delaminated, and I have some nice old oak jaws ready to go, but I've been thinking about just repairing the originals, which will be a lot lighter (this early version is pretty heavy already.)
Attachments
Hey could you find the production code number stamped in ink on the bottom of the jaws and post a photo or tell me what it is? I have the codes from only seven Type 1's, and need more. Thanks.
You're right, the 79-001 Workmates from late 1974 to late 1976 were the heaviest. In late 1976 they lost about 3.5 pounds.
Last edited:
I went back and found his recommendation:
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=6928432&postcount=876
Bugeyed Earl
Well-known member
This is the best I can do until the natural lighting improves (it's raining...) Appears to be "504?3" or "504 3?" I'll try to see if I can locate the missing digit, but the first 3 definitely get us in the ballpark. Thanks for putting together your great site by the way, fantastic resource!
Does anyone know how to straighten out these leg clips? I've tried to reshape them with some needlenose pliers, but the spring steel snaps right back to the misshapen state. Maybe I need to apply some heat?
Attachments
Thanks, it's just "504 3". The Type 1 was stamped with only four digits.
I have a Type 1 that was made just five days later.
Bugeyed Earl
Well-known member
Haha, how cool is that?!
I don't know much about working with metal, but I think heat might be necessary. I have one leg clip that is bent and I have worked on it at least ten times with pliers, but just like yours it won't stay fixed. Another owner sent me photos of how he fixed his bent clips by cutting about 1/8" off the end. His was bent the same way as mine is, so I'm planning to try that fix myself. Your bend is different, so shortening it won't help.
I have collected production codes for 157 Workmate 79-001's now, covering 396 weeks from late 1974 to mid 1982, and it's interesting to see how they are scattered and grouped in time.
I have five pairs with codes that match each other exactly, same year, week, day, and shift. Four other pairs were made on the same day, different shift. In one really dense period, I have ten observations in a span of just over 4 weeks in 1977.
At the other extreme, there's a span where ten consecutive Workmates cover a period of a year and a half, from late 1979 into 1981. The longest gaps with no documented codes are 37, 21, 15, 14, and 12 weeks.
I can't tell if the distribution of the codes is just random, or if the pattern indicates times when production was running at full capacity vs. other times when it was perhaps shut down completely.
Last edited:
...
Does anyone know how to straighten out these leg clips? I've tried to reshape them with some needlenose pliers, but the spring steel snaps right back to the misshapen state. Maybe I need to apply some heat?
I'm not a metallurgist but I would strongly suggest not using heat to work on spring steel. That is unless you can re-heat treat it back to original. I've not bent one of these particular springs but I have bent flat springs and they need to go seriously past where you want them to end up. But there is always the possibility that they will break since spring steel is hard. They will invariably break at the screw hole, or in this case the rivet hole.
I think the needle nose pliers are your best bet, just need more 'bending' to get them back to where they work. Use a crescent (adjustable spanner) wrench to help twist the pliers if necessary. Try to get it done quickly (in one fast bend) because hard steel only gets harder the more times it's bent. By one fast bend I mean just bend it once. Not a snapping type bend. Just bend it and watch how it's working closely, you might need to re-adjust where you have grabbed it with the pliers to get the best radius.
Another edit- It looks like this one needs to be lifted with the radius almost a smooth arc? I'd suggest not lifting any while bending it. Use the frame to hold the bottom of the spring steady and push down slightly while bending the kinked portion up. An alternative bending method would be to use as big of a crecsent wrench as will fit on the spring clamping the spring slightly between the jaws from the end or the spring and slipped on to the kinked area and then twist out and down. You might need to use both ways to get it right. The crecsent wrench will afford a lot of leverage.
Last edited:
I have a special new page on my website—together for the first time ever, ten different Workmate 79-001's from the earliest Type to the latest, a family portrait in 17 photographs.
https://h-frame.weebly.com/family-portrait.html
https://h-frame.weebly.com/family-portrait.html
Attachments
DaveT
Well-known member
I've seen these fail in three different ways. Does one of these describe how yours behaves?
1) The end of the clip doesn't align with the slot in the leg, so the end of the clip hits the leg as soon as you start to close it.
2) The clip goes into the slot okay, but then the leg gets hung up when it tries to slide over the curve in the clip.
3) The legs slides over the clip properly, but then the end of the clip jams against the inside of the leg.
I hope those are clear enough; it's tricky to describe them.