Black & Decker Workmate

[guyl]

My 79-006 has the same square tubing as the one in that ad. But no tool box (or it's missing). I made new jaws for it, and it's missing one of the plastic feet (I'd like to find one).

 

[rancherbill]

Here is an ad from the Vancouver Sun newspaper, November 30, 1977 for the Workmate 79-006. A bit later it was revised to use round tubular steel for the frame.

That is a good price. I threw the part number into to google and found ads. This is the best price by far, I wonder whether they will still honor it today.

 

[captain14]

Is the store Lumberland still in operation? Just curious since HD and Lowes have pretty much taken over the market in my area. The smaller regional chains and the independent lumberyards are pretty much non-existent.

 

[wolfcj]

I've never heard of Lumberland, but I'm in the U.S. I assumed they were a Canadian chain.

 

[fartymarty]

I've never heard of Lumberland, but I'm in the U.S. I assumed they were a Canadian chain.

I think they were at one time, but now I can only find them in New Zealand.

Lumberland Building Supplies

Lumberland Building Supplies is a proud member of BuildLink Group.

www.lumberland.co.nz

 

[wolfcj]

It has been brought up here a few times that the Workmate is not tall enough for some work. The application of some angle iron can take care of that.

 

[RTM]

You guys with 3D printers, AutoCad, and Workmates should look into developing the mounting plug for the GripMate.
These things are worthless without the bases

Black & Decker Gripmate

progress-is-fine.blogspot.com

I suspect a few people, myself included, would pay for an extra or two to bring them back to life.

Hey all, Way Late in responding to this post.

Over the course of the winter, @Grimpala made some sample pieces on his 3D printer, and sent them to me to test. I took some videos of the tests, and uploaded them (finally).

There was a definite winner among his 3D models, his Rev E, but the winner performed equally with the factory version. There was one that did not fit, but he was pretty sure of that going in.

For those who care to dig into the highly scientific test procedure, which involved its ability to stop a board from sliding, as if one was planing on the Workmate, look here.

The various samples that Grimpala made. The Rev E worked the best

Welcome to My SmugMug site. I'll always be adding to it, as people around me continue to participate in things of interest. I live in the SF Bay area, and spend lots of time photographing the sports my kids are participating in. These images are my attempts to document what they're doing...

kirkhmb.smugmug.com

In other tests, like lifting, they all worked fine as well. I would not trust them as much as a C-clamp, but they are faster to adjust.

So a big thanks to Grimpala, and my apologies for being so dang slow in posting these. Hoping he will share the 3D printer files with others to eliminate this loss of the GripMate piece's functionality.

 

[Grimpala]

Glad at least one of the rev's worked out.

I'll share whatever files I can if anyone is interested.

 

[wolfcj]

Glad at least one of the rev's worked out.

I'll share whatever files I can if anyone is interested.

I would be happy to host your 3D file(s) at my site for download by users. Let me know if that interests you.

 

[Grimpala]

I would be happy to host your 3D file(s) at my site for download by users. Let me know if that interests you.

I've just responded to DM's from people in the past, but if you want to host I'd be glad to send them to you too.

 

[Jeff Ivers]

PSA - Parts Bag

After restoring my 79-001 type 2 and type 6 last year, I decided to tackle my WM 300 (79-033) next. To that end, I ordered a "parts bag" just in case I had breakage that I was not aware of. The parts bag looked like this:

A couple of days ago, I started the restoration of this WM 300 and was really disappointed when I opened the parts bag. First off, the white pieces are pivot nuts. The ones in the bag are left thread. My WM125s, 79-001 type 2, 79-001 type 6 and WM300 all require right thread. (In other words, turning the crank to the right tightens the jaws.) Were any workmates made with left thread? Secondly, the two rectangular black pieces are block slides for under the jaws. The part included in the bag is 243024-00 and, again, will not work with the WM300. The parts bag was only about $16, but half the parts are unusable. Since I bought this last year, I am sure I have no recourse with respect to a return. So, PSA announcement: If you order one of these parts bags, check compatability right away.

Progress on the restoration:

 

[wolfcj]

I've just responded to DM's from people in the past, but if you want to host I'd be glad to send them to you too.

Thanks! Putting them on my site would reach way beyond those people who might DM you here, making your work easily findable by any Workmate owner in the world, most of whom do not frequent Garage Journal.

My web page about the Gripmate clamps:
https://h-frame.weebly.com/gripmate-79-011-79-016.html
is the number one Google result that a Workmate owner will get by searching "gripmate clamp", "black & decker gripmate", or "workmate gripmate", and it's the number three result for "workmate clamp".

When you have a chance, send me whatever you want to make available, preferably with a technical description that will help those who want to use them. Since I don't have a 3D printer, I won't be able to answer questions about printing the replacement bushings.

 

[RTM]

Is that the e replacement parts bag? It’s not listed as WM300 compatible if so. But that’s beside the point

On mine (79-001s and cheap junkie single level) the pivot nuts are black and right hand. I can’t find the leftovers from my kit right now, which should include the pivot nuts. More later.

The black pieces look like my single level junkie one (WM125?), which as you can see, needed a handle. And I got extra dogs in the kit too, which are big and ugly, but functional.

 

[Grimpala]

Thanks! Putting them on my site would reach way beyond those people who might DM you here, making your work easily findable by any Workmate owner in the world, most of whom do not frequent Garage Journal.

My web page about the Gripmate clamps:
https://h-frame.weebly.com/gripmate-79-011-79-016.html
is the number one Google result that a Workmate owner will get by searching "gripmate clamp", "black & decker gripmate", or "workmate gripmate", and it's the number three result for "workmate clamp".

When you have a chance, send me whatever you want to make available, preferably with a technical description that will help those who want to use them. Since I don't have a 3D printer, I won't be able to answer questions about printing the replacement bushings.

I'll put something together.

 

[Jeff Ivers]

Is that the e replacement parts bag? It’s not listed as WM300 compatible if so. But that’s beside the point

On mine (79-001s and cheap junkie single level) the pivot nuts are black and right hand. I can’t find the leftovers from my kit right now, which should include the pivot nuts. More later.

The black pieces look like my single level junkie one (WM125?), which as you can see, needed a handle. And I got extra dogs in the kit too, which are big and ugly, but functional.

I did not order this parts bag from E-Replacement Parts. I ordered over a year ago from an Amazon vendor and can't remember if I checked the compatibility with the WM300, but that would be my normal mode of operation. Your suggestion that the block slides might fit the WM125 is a good one. I will check that out, since I have 2 that may need parts in the future. What really flabbergasted me was the left thread pivot nuts.

 

[Jeff Ivers]

I finished refurbishing my WM300.

Upon further research, the block slides included in my parts bag are part # 243024-00, Both my WM125 and my WM300 require block slides with part numbers 242436-01 and 242436-02. Can anyone shed any light on what model the pivot nuts and block slides in this parts bag will fit?

 

[wolfcj]

See the list of 31 compatible models for part # 243024-00 at the bottom of this page (expand the list).
https://www.ereplacementparts.com/slide-index-bracket-p-95715.html
They are compatible with the Workmate 300 starting with the Type 9, so it seems likely that yours is earlier. I looked back at your messages and I couldn't find any mention of what Type your Workmate 300 is, or the part number on the replacement pivot nuts in your parts bag.

 

[Jeff Ivers]

See the list of 31 compatible models for part # 243024-00 at the bottom of this page (expand the list).
https://www.ereplacementparts.com/slide-index-bracket-p-95715.html
They are compatible with the Workmate 300 starting with the Type 9, so it seems likely that yours is earlier. I looked back at your messages and I couldn't find any mention of what Type your Workmate 300 is, or the part number on the replacement pivot nuts in your parts bag.

My WM 300 is a 79-033 Workmate 300 Type 9. Based on your provided info, the slides in my parts bag should be compatible. However, I could not figure out a way to make them work in either the fixed or sliding position. Further, the parts that were on mine matched the part numbers I posted which did work as direct replacements. Perhaps someone on here can post a pic of the parts bag sliders installed and provide the model number installed on? wolfcj have you ever heard of left thread pivot nuts on any model?

 

[wolfcj]

If I'm reading it correctly, the part diagram for the Workmate 300 shows that 242436-01 is for the front jaw and 243024-00 is for the rear jaw. It shows the pivot nut as 5140047-14. What is the part number marked on your original pivot nut, and what is the number marked on the replacement pivot nut from the kit?

No, I have never had a Workmate that closes the jaw with a counter-clockwise rotation, but I have only owned the oldest models. However there are (were) a number of odd (to me) models that had different jaw arrangements, such as the one that would pivot to clamp vertically, and one that had a third jaw piece.

 

[Jeff Ivers]

If I'm reading it correctly, the part diagram for the Workmate 300 shows that 242436-01 is for the front jaw and 243024-00 is for the rear jaw. It shows the pivot nut as 5140047-14. What is the part number marked on your original pivot nut, and what is the number marked on the replacement pivot nut from the kit?

No, I have never had a Workmate that closes the jaw with a counter-clockwise rotation, but I have only owned the oldest models. However there are (were) a number of odd (to me) models that had different jaw arrangements, such as the one that would pivot to clamp vertically, and one that had a third jaw piece.

Perhaps there is a way to use the 243024-00 on my WM300 and I just am not able to figure it out. Or, perhaps they made a mid model change that used different wood jaws with this part #? As for the pivot nut, I don't know the part number on the existing ones that I did not need to change. The parts kit pivot nut is marked "425", which is the left thread one.

 

[wolfcj]

Yes, there were, in the UK at least, some Workmates that closed with a counterclockwise rotation. Customers complained, so Black & Decker changed the mechanism on those four models and in October 1997 issued an upgrade kit with an accompanying 14-page product bulletin for owners of the "backwards" ones. How's that for a bit of Workmate trivia!

However, to the best of my knowledge none of those four models were sold in the U.S., so it doesn't seem to quite explain the parts that you have.

Here are the first two pages of that bulletin:

 

[wolfcj]

There's an interesting and pretty desirable vintage Workmate for sale on Facebook in the San Francisco area. It's a model never sold in North America, the WM625 E07Z with cast aluminum H-frame and blue-painted steel frame.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/427657109326529/
It looks as though it's in pretty good condition. but there is currently only one photo.

 

[slowtwitch73]

^^^^Here it is:

 

[tonyturley]

I picked up an Irish-made WM536 "Smurfmate", as someone else called it, from a UK seller last week. Excellent shape, and price including shipping was about the same as a new current model. I've already made an auxiliary top with a cleat underneath that clamps in place to give me a little larger area for my benchtop tools. My other WM, a 225 Type 2, resides in my basement shop as a permanent stand for my Rikon sharpening station.

Tony

 

[Oldsmobile]

Found an old Black and Decker catalog, and thought these scans might be of interest. The back of the catalog has an order form for books on it, dated 03/80, so I imagine this is the 1980 lineup.

 

[wolfcj]

Found an old Black and Decker catalog, and thought these scans might be of interest. The back of the catalog has an order form for books on it, dated 03/80, so I imagine this is the 1980 lineup.

Black & Decker usually marked the date of the catalog itself as well, separately from the order form, so you might look for that. I have a version of that same catalog from 1982 without the order form, and the marking at the bottom of a page is "Form 323 1/82 Part no. 740394".

It has exactly the same pages for the Workmate; you can see them in the"Brochures and Catalogs" section of the Documents page on my Workmate web site. For those who like seeing this sort of thing, that page has a couple dozen Black & Decker brochures and catalogs showing the Workmate from 1974 to 1983, as well as many more dozens of other Workmate-related documents.

Black & Decker pretty much disregarded the changeovers between the different Types in their advertising and other literature. The Workmate 79-001 shown in that particular catalog is the Type 4, which would have no longer been available in 1980. They were selling the Type 7 during the first half of 1980, and then the Type 8 during the last half. Apparently they wanted consumers to think of it as "the Workmate" and preferred to de-emphasize the continuous changes they were making in design and components without changing the model number until 1983.

 

[Oregon rock crusher]

I took a trip to a central Oregon swap meet over the weekend and picked up a pretty nice Type E at one of the area junk shops. I have been hoping to find one to match up with one I found a couple of years ago for use in the wood shop. This one looked a little rough at first and had been sitting outside and unloved for at least the summer but will clean right up. Had enough feet to make the upper position but lacking two push in fronts for the lower position. Here are a few pics of the newest find and one of the two together. Ed.

 

[wolfcj]

Nice find! Looks darn good to me, especially the metal frame.

 

[Oregon rock crusher]

Thanks Wolf, the frame on the newer type E is definitely in better condition than the first one I found. While starting a clean up and foot replacement project I noticed on subtle difference in the two workbenches. At the center of the footboard, where the two front leg supports attach, it appears that there was a factory improvement to the frame at some point.

Here are four pics that show the change. I assume the first two pics are of the earliest version with a small center tab held by a single rivet. The second two pics show a wider center tab held with three rivets that helps to reinforce the front leg mounts. Perhaps more importantly it reinforces the foot board in the center where it is most vulnurable to buckling under a heavy foot. The reinforced wider tab is a significant improvement to the design. If this has been mentioned upthread I missed it. Ed.

 

[wolfcj]

Thanks Wolf, the frame on the newer type E is definitely in better condition than the first one I found. While starting a clean up and foot replacement project I noticed on subtle difference in the two workbenches. At the center of the footboard, where the two front leg supports attach, it appears that there was a factory improvement to the frame at some point.

That's a very cool discovery! I have owned four Type E's and I never noticed that. The two I have now both have the smaller tab, but I have photos of the ones that I sold so I know that one of them had the larger tab.

I don't know of a reliable way to date Type E's or the UK model WM325 Type 3 they are based on, but the suggestion that the larger tab came later seems right. I checked my photo collection, where I have photos of 15 Type E's and seven WM325 Type 3's. Among the Type E's, ten have the small tab and five have the large tab. This is reversed for the WM325's, where two have the small tab and 5 have the large one.

 

[4xdog]

Has anyone made replacement jaws from phenolic-faced birch plywood? This stuff isn't common in the US, but I used to see it all the time in high-wear surfaces in the Nordic countries, especially in central Finland where there was a plywood plant in the same town as my company's chemical plant. Seems like it would make a very durable, highly weather-resistant decking for Workmates whose original boards need to be replaced.

It's available in different colors and different laminate patterns from a number of producers. Here's an example.

Metsä Wood Form XL

Metsä Wood Form XL is a large shuttering panel for demanding formwork applications. The durable and tough-surfaced overlay ensures multiple uses, and large panel sizes guarantee a high-quality concrete finish with fewer joints.

www.metsagroup.com

 

[Oregon rock crusher]

I don't know of a reliable way to date Type E's or the UK model WM325 Type 3 they are based on, but the suggestion that the larger tab came later seems right. I checked my photo collection, where I have photos of 15 Type E's and seven WM325 Type 3's. Among the Type E's, ten have the small tab and five have the large tab.

I looked through a lot of photo's on your site as well and could see examples of both tab designs. I also took a browse through the owners manual and the parts sheet but the tab detail is not shown in either. I did notice on my small tab workmate a slight deformation of the footboard in the center where the longer tab might have prevented it.

Also if I were in need of replacement jaws that metsa wood would certainly be something to look into 4xdog. Looks very durable and the plies look about right too. Ed.

 

[wolfcj]

Has anyone made replacement jaws from phenolic-faced birch plywood?

I haven't heard of anyone doing that, but it would certainly be an excellent choice. I've seen it commonly recommended in U.S. woodworking magazines for surfaces in the shop such as router table tops, outfeed tables, drill press tables, etc. Obviously a Workmate top has similarities in function to those.

A drawback for many Workmate owners is the cost. Most owners I hear from about upgrading or repairing their Workmates want to spend as little as possible. This 24"x32" piece from Woodcraft would make two complete sets of jaws with some scraps left over, but it costs $70 plus shipping:
https://www.woodcraft.com/products/phenolic-faced-plywood-18mm-3-4-x-24-x-32

 

[wolfcj]

I looked through a lot of photo's on your site as well and could see examples of both tab designs. I also took a browse through the owners manual and the parts sheet but the tab detail is not shown in either.

You can't find it in the owner's manual because the illustrations in the owners manual for the Type E show an earlier UK model, the WM325 Type 1. For the footrest, instead of galvanized metal the Type 1 has a wood panel set into a cast aluminum frame. You'll see that they refer to it as the "Baseboard" with a pointer to the front center indicating the "Baseboard boss". It's correct to call it a boss because it's cast right into the aluminum frame. When they switched to the galvanized footrest, that feature became the tab that we're talking about.

 

[Snip's]

I met up with a fellow this evening that was selling a motor I needed for my Craftsman Classic DP....
He had 8 Workmates, two were the aluminum H frames and one of the Canadian only Jobmates, including the metal top covers...
He was selling them for $25 each, including the Jobmate, which now lives in my garage....

 

[wolfcj]

A Jobmate 3980—that's a rare find!

Although the Jobmate was marketed mostly in Canada, through regular retail stores, I was able to determine last year that it was also marketed in the U.S. for about a year as a professional tool, entirely through distributors. On my Documents page you can see the only appearance I have found for it in a U.S. catalog.
https://h-frame.weebly.com/documents.html

 

[4xdog]

Did your Jobmate come with the steel vise "cladding", @Snip's? Or are they someplace on your site, @wolfcj that I've missed? Those things are an interesting variation within the Workmate ecosystem.

 

[wolfcj]

I show the cladding in several photos on my Jobmate page:
https://h-frame.weebly.com/jobmate-3980.html

I also have a page for the aluminum cladding that was sold as an accessory in the UK:
https://h-frame.weebly.com/metal-vice-claddings-wm120.html

 

[4xdog]

Thanks @wolfcj! I did miss both of those links.

 

[RTM]

While at an estate sale today, I saw a Craftsman labeled Grip Mate, without the base. I passed due to the $15 price tag, for one, without the base. A less annoyed me (at wasting a 20 mile round trip) may have gotten a picture