# Workmate



## HowardM (12 Feb 2011)

Hi,
I was looking at the B&D Workmate.
It looks really plastic these days.
I was wondering if anyone had found an alternative.?
Or maybe a professional version.?

thx
Howard


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## Racers (12 Feb 2011)

Hi,

You need to go to car boots and look for an old one, I picked one up for £8 in fantastic condition.
The old ones with the cast cross pieces are twice as heavy an the new ones, and the cross poece dosen't get in the way so you can stick a boatd right down to the floor.

http://www.realhomesmagazine.co.uk/deco ... ack-decker

Mines like the first blue one 



Pete


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## Paul Chapman (12 Feb 2011)

HowardM":2w1s2kfu said:


> I was looking at the B&D Workmate.
> It looks really plastic these days.



Yes, Black & Decker are the kiss of death to everything they touch. When Ron Hickman designed and produced it, the Workmate was a fantastic piece of kit. But then Black & Decker bought it and it's gone downhill ever since.

As Pete suggests, look for an old one at car boots and second-hand shops.

Cheers :wink: 

Paul


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## Dodge (12 Feb 2011)

Triton Superjaws are far better quality - bigger vice facility etc - Just a thought


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## matt (12 Feb 2011)

I have three  

One of these which is great, albeit repaired a few times over the years:






One of these - also very good and sturdy:





And finally one of these (which is supposed to be the same as the one above but is nowhere near as good):





The older the better. Ply not fibreboard top. The newer the get the thinner the tops seem to get.


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## Henning (13 Feb 2011)

Have a look at Walko benches. They will be the pro version with a cost to reflect that, but I am very happy with mine, which is a Walko 3.


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## thomvic (13 Feb 2011)

Henning":2n8ccbkm said:


> Have a look at Walko benches. They will be the pro version with a cost to reflect that, but I am very happy with mine, which is a Walko 3.



I'd never heard of them before. What a brilliant system! Not for the hobbyist though at that price.

Richard


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## Henning (13 Feb 2011)

thomvic":22e87acg said:


> Henning":22e87acg said:
> 
> 
> > Have a look at Walko benches. They will be the pro version with a cost to reflect that, but I am very happy with mine, which is a Walko 3.
> ...



Pretty expensive but as always, you get what you pay for. Although one could probably argue it's a little OTT for the hobbyist...


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## DeanN (13 Feb 2011)

Also take a look at the Framex system 
Framex


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## jimi43 (13 Feb 2011)

I have three old ones from bootfairs and they are fantastic. 






One of my summer jobs is to restore the last one...they are well worth it. Never paid more than a tenner for one.

Jim


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## HowardM (13 Feb 2011)

Thanks guys,
The al wifey wouldn't let me have a Wako, much as I like them.
It will have to be self-made knocked up outdoor workbbench then.
No more space in the garage.!

Howard


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## Mike Wingate (13 Feb 2011)

I was going to turn mine into a router table, but it is too good for that.


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## Racers (13 Feb 2011)

Hi,

I also have a couple of the £10 ones they are the same height as the B&D. One I turn in to a router table by replacing the jaws with a price of MFC.

Pete


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## bugbear (14 Feb 2011)

Paul Chapman":1gqqhdnv said:


> HowardM":1gqqhdnv said:
> 
> 
> > I was looking at the B&D Workmate.
> ...



Disagree - the original workmate was heavy and ugly, with two sodding great beams on top. The first model for B&S was vastly superior.

BugBear


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## Paul Chapman (14 Feb 2011)

bugbear":ozyy3kyl said:


> Disagree - the original workmate was heavy and ugly, with two sodding great beams on top.



Well, I've been using my original Wormate for 40 years and reckon it's great  

Cheers :wink: 

Paul


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## bugbear (14 Feb 2011)

Paul Chapman":27i2m8gf said:


> bugbear":27i2m8gf said:
> 
> 
> > Disagree - the original workmate was heavy and ugly, with two sodding great beams on top.
> ...



It's always struck me as too much like a "proper" workbench, compared to its successors.

I'll heartily agree that the later B&D innovations and build quality have been downhill all the way, but I've got an alloy frame, steel legs model, and find it very handy (for everything bar planing, at which it's RUBBISH).

BugBear


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## Paul Chapman (14 Feb 2011)

bugbear":36scjdzk said:


> Paul Chapman":36scjdzk said:
> 
> 
> > bugbear":36scjdzk said:
> ...



The only problem with the original Workmate, in my view, was that it was saw bench height but this was solved with the next, dual height version. Nevertheless, I built loads of stuff using my original one.

The build quality of the original one was superb. The only thing that recently broke on mine was one of the plastic knobs for tightening it up but I solved that by replacing it with a bolt and nut. I suppose it was inevitable that B&D would keep on reducing the quality to keep the price down but I think it's now reached a point where it's no longer fit for purpose.

Cheers :wink: 

Paul


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## barkwindjammer (14 Feb 2011)

I can vouch for the quality of the 'modern version', I bought my 'Owl yin' one of these in the early eighties, he worked for Catterpillar and rebuilt transmissions and track motors (homers) on his, its still solid as a rock, I bought one last year, from e-bay, a reconditioned model WM825-its got the front vice jaw that tilts verticaly into a 90' position, its a laminated top (bamboo? possibly) butt, its every bit as solid as one I bought in the early eighties, I don't have the invoice-but the company had a warrant from B&D to re-sell repaired or re-conditioned models-well worth the money even at mid range prices-it will last a lifetime  

dunno if it got any kind of design award-it bloody should have (hammer)


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## Paul Chapman (14 Feb 2011)

barkwindjammer":1rd4yxmj said:


> dunno if it got any kind of design award-it bloody should have (hammer)



I seem to remember that the original version was exhibited at the Design Centre in London in the early 1970s.

Cheers :wink: 

Paul


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## Shane (14 Feb 2011)

I've got a couple of B+D workmates for site, both from the early 2000's, and they are very very useful. The smaller of the two I've replaced the tops with beech, the bigger tilt top one also had a handle come lose which was sorted by a nut and bolt.

I also have the FrameX, which I thought was great in the beginning, but have since fallen out of love with, it is awkward to use, surprisingly limited in application as the worktop fixings protude, and although I thought it would be good for working on doors, it isn't. Also the clamps are terrible and mine broke in no time.

I carry in the back of my van - fold up hop up step to use as a saw horse, 2 x B+D workmates, and a fold up ladder from scerwfix with pse cross rails for working on doors etc, all cheap as chips and there isn't much I can't handle with this set up.


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## DeanN (14 Feb 2011)

Thanks Shane - you've just saved me a bit of cash. I was contemplating buying the Framex, as it seemed a good bet for doors. At the moment I'm using a couple of IKEA wooden stools as hop-ups and saw horses, and also use these to rest doors on.


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## Shane (14 Feb 2011)

Hi Dean, the problem with using them for doors is that if you clamp them from the ends to keep the lips clear, it over balances, and it doesn't open out wide enough for wider doors. You have to be careful with glazed doors on the top of the framex legs. And the system doesn't work if you want the lip kept clear facing up as the frame wants to callapse to the floor, I could go on but you get the idea. I got mine from a mate who had bought it and not used it so I got it for half price, glad I didn't pay top whack.

This is what I use for working on doors, it works the best for me, I quick clamp on 4 x 1m wide cross rails, and obviously it gets used at other times as a ladder as well


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## LeeTurner (17 Feb 2011)

Sadly Ron Hickman died this morning. What a genius - designed both the Lotus Elan and the Workmate.


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## Shane (17 Feb 2011)

R.I.P fella


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## Paul Chapman (17 Feb 2011)

That's very sad news  

A really inspirational bloke.

Cheers :wink: 

Paul


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## woodbloke (18 Feb 2011)

bugbear":ijufhh7y said:


> I'll heartily agree that the later B&D innovations and build quality have been downhill all the way, but I've got an alloy frame, steel legs model, and find it very handy (for everything bar planing, at which it's RUBBISH).
> 
> BugBear


BB, I should think it's a bit difficult to get the sort of edge on the Workmate which will take decent shavings...in fact as far as I'm aware, they were never fitted with blades of any sort, so how you can plane with one beats me :lol: :tool: - Rob


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## Alf (18 Feb 2011)

Mine has managed to plane off a nice layer of skin from my shin before now - does that count?

Generally when some woodworking-related person passes away, I hope there's a good workbench waiting for them in the afterlife. In this case, I imagine Ron Hickman will be bringing his own... Extraordinary chap who really did create something revolutionary.


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## brianhr (18 Feb 2011)

Have you read today that the inventor ofthe Workmate died yesterday?


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## Jacob (18 Feb 2011)

Eez ded innit. The workmate inventor, yesterday. At last we can all now say publicly that workmates are totally craponzo. 
Such a neat idea, such a pathetic product!

_ "I had seldom seen a face of richer promise ; but never was promise so ill kept."_

I've kept one for years - I can't throw it away as it is obviously such a useful thing, although I have hardly ever found a use it.


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## Hudson Carpentry (18 Feb 2011)

The B&D 301 I find there pretty useless unless in pears. Very unstable if you working with anything longer then twice the width of the top. A few year back my local shed was selling them at half price so i brought 3. One I chopped the legs down and used it as portable legs for a site table saw, one I cut a half router shaped hole from one of the jaws and used it as a stand for a portable router table I built and the 3rd I built a small draw that went under the top which housed pencils and tools to use with the chop saw I attached to the top, so it became my chop saw stand. I no longer work on sites so they never get used now. As for build quality there pants. One has its handles missing, all have there rubber feet missing and one as the bolt that keeps the legs to the frame missing.

Best saw horse I have used are two I made from some old solid doors. Best saw horse I have used for smaller diameter round stock is my makita circular saw case, it has a grove perfect for holding round stock into. Thinking about it my Stanley tool chests have a grove similar that would work to.


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## Vann (19 Feb 2011)

Hudson Carpentry":2z4ux5sm said:


> ...I chopped the legs down...





Hudson Carpentry":2z4ux5sm said:


> ...all have there rubber feet missing...


Well I guess you can't blame that on build quality.... (hammer) 

Hat, coat, door...

Cheers, Vann.


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## Hudson Carpentry (21 Feb 2011)

The feet could be attached better and not fall off every time there knocked


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## Bertiedog (23 Jun 2013)

I think plastic is an understatement,! I just bought one ( bought my first one forty years ago) and could not believe how bad it is. The metal finish is dreadful ;sharp edges and as to the assembly instructions... Ikea do better! I guess the price isn't too different from 40 years ago , so how can that be achieved ? Made in China ( badly) 

They have the cheek to offer a warranty on it it's going back to B &Q. I should have known better . Black and Decker ='cheap and nasty always

Gerry


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## kmcleod (27 Jun 2013)

Bosch do a decent one


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## Benchwayze (27 Jun 2013)

Paul Chapman":2z8kp9xw said:


> bugbear":2z8kp9xw said:
> 
> 
> > Disagree - the original workmate was heavy and ugly, with two sodding great beams on top.
> ...



Agree entirely. although I had mine nicked!
I replaced it with one like Jimi's. Still going strong. Just had new handles fitted is all.


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