As they get crusty or rust, they get stuck and then I suspect the typical owner just kicks the legs and bends the clips.
I almost wish I didn't open this thread....now I want one, and I certainly don't need it! Or do I?...
Lot of great ideas here, I never knew the history of the workmates
Initially you said some of your catches are broken, which I have seen a couple of times and which is a real problem. If they're simply bent, they can probably be fixed—if you have some patience. Starting from some advice from an owner here, I've successfully rebent a couple myself, and I illustrate the basic idea on my web site:
I saw that page, thanks!
You may find (if you haven't already) that the standard Workmate dogs don't fit the holes in the top. First of all, the 79-001 Type 1 was the only Workmate that had 3/4" holes rather than the standard 20mm holes found on all other Workmates. Second, many owners who make new jaws don't have 20mm drill bits, so they use a 3/4" bit instead. (Some use a 13/16" which makes the holes a little large.) If you want 3/4" dogs that have a strong resemblance to the black original Black & Decker ones, I can recommend some I found a few months ago—the Powertec 71037. You can read about them at my web site:
I haven't examined the clips closely with that in mind, but my impression is that the clips are the same on the Type 1, 2, 4, and 6. (The friction hinge came in during late production of the Type 6.) The part diagrams on my Documents page have the part numbers, so you could see if they are the same.
I'll do that... checking...
Thank you!
You can 3d print the plastic ones--
www.thingiverse.com
The original metal spring clips, such as those on the Workmate 79-001 that Vintage Veloce has, are not interchangeable with the later plastic ones. The design of the legs on the Workmates after about 1983 is very different so there is no reasonable way to retrofit an early Workmate with those 3D-printed ones.
Post a photo and we might be able to tell you a little about it. I have several pages at my web site about the earliest UK models:
I strongly prefer the ones with aluminum H-frames, but the steel H-frames are more durable for heavy-duty tasks. I have seen many examples of broken cast aluminum ones. For the tasks I do I don't need the extra strength of steel.
Do you still have it? Were you offering to ship it, or did you require pickup? I have sold quite a few on eBay. It usually requires patience for the right buyer to find it, espcially if you offer it for pickup only.$20 for just the clips? I must be doing something wrong. I listed an unused, almost mint Type 2 79-001 for $100 and never even got a nibble.
It was just as much as I paid for the whole workmate that I was repairing... But the clip price was perfectly fair! I drilled out the rivets to remove the old broken ones, and it wasn't trivial, the originals were steel rivets.
I just bought a 2nd 79-001 for $15 in good usable condition. Seems to be an endless supply of them around here for sub $40.$20 for just the clips? I must be doing something wrong. I listed an unused, almost mint Type 2 79-001 for $100 and never even got a nibble.
If MP is Facebook Marketplace, yes, prices are much lower there. There are few serious tool buyers. Marketplace works well for mass-market items, which as you said can sell within days, but not so well for a specialty item like a rare early Workmate in nice condition. To get a good price there you have to be prepared to possibly list it for months before the right buyer finds it. I've sold three 79-001's via Marketplace for $20 to $69, but they were not the most desirable Types or had damage. In contrast, I've sold three nice aluminum H-frame ones on Craigslist recently for $89 to $109. And I've sold four or five on eBay over the last eight years or so for as much as $249.Yeah still have it. I had it on MP, I don't do ebay specifically because I don't want to ship anything. I totally expected it might take awhile, but based on most stuff I've listed being sold within a day or two, I figured it would go fairly quick. I had it listed for a month and I thought at a very good price.
I used to use two 6 ft ladders with a long board across them back when I indulged - you double the light show getting them up high....
Thanks -- That's the one with the power strip, right? Where would that have been mounted on this one?
It also has the small surface-mounted bumper feet for sawhorse height, the black bushings on the H-frames, and the one-piece catches for the folded position, none of which are found on the 79-001 Type 4 with cast H-frames. The power strip was mounted on the left-hand side-stay, with a single screw through the hole. The holes in the side stays are not found on the 79-001, only the 79-004.
I have found the one-piece and the earlier two-piece clips both work well. I've seen a few instances where they get bent so they no longer engage and are hard to fix. I recently bought a beautiful Type 1, one of the best I've ever seen, that unfortunately has one bent catch like this that doesn't latch.
I don't see any advantage to the plastic latches. Because they are thin, they have too little surface area to be comfortable when I pull on them, and I have more trouble finding them easily. I've never broken one, but other owners have. There is no replacement available. I heard from one owner who tried 3_D printing, but since the thin part of the lever has to flex every time you pull on it, he couldn't find the right material to be strong enough and also have enough flex.
The 79-035 Clampdown 35" Workmate was the largest one made, sold from about 1979 to 1983. A very similar, maybe identical, model was sold in the UK as the Workmate 2000.
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