Repairs and upgrades to a B & D Workmate

[carpenteire2009]

I've had my trusty Black and Decker Workmate for 14 years or so and it has proved itself an excellent addition to my workshop in all that time, especially in the days before I had a proper shop bench. After a recent house move I noticed that one of the rubber feet had disappeared and two of the spot welds on the bottom step had failed. This gave me inspiration for this project; it took a little time to complete but I am happy with the end result.

1. Replace missing rubber foot with an "adjustable foot"- as found on the original 70s Workmates (my dad has one of these, the one with cast alloy "H" frames). I just cut back the existing steel pressing, filed it to shape and welded on a steel nut, with a corresponding nut on the folding leg. Small tack welds on the step. Wire brush to remove slag and burnt paint, spot prime. So far so quick and easy!

2. The existing particle board jaws weren't in bad shape but they always irritated me as, like most users I'm sure, I would occasionally use the top as working platform to stand on,but never felt comfortable about it's strength. I had a nice piece of hardwood ply which did the job nicely. I doubled up on the mating jaw parts, using polyurethane glue to bond them. Finished the job with a coat of white spirit/ boiled linseed oil/ varnish mix, followed by wax.

3. After final assembly I gave all moving parts a spray with white lithium grease. This workmate should see me right for another 10 years anyway.

 

[bugbear]

Nice job - it's always nice to see something repaired instead of landfilled.

I've always found workmates incredibly useful (although not for handtool woodwork).

BugBear

 

[Racers]

Hi,
Nice job!

I picked up a very early one (Cast aluminium X frame) from a car boot sale for £8 and gave my old one away.
It is in nearly new condition. The only trouble is that is more than twice as heavy as the newer one.
They are more sturdy then the new ones and you can fit a board in the jaws with out it hitting the X frame.

Pete

 

[sheldon]

This section of the forum seems to have been rather sleepy of late, but wondered if anyone had a semi collapsed original cast frame workmate that might be cannibalised, since I have a dual-height with one of the H-frames fractured near to the upper pivot and also one of the latches broken off short to hold it in the raised position. Alternatively, does anyone know of a workshop capable of welding the cast metal. A website claims that it is more readily possible than believed, but it is then a matter of knowing someone willing and capable of doing so.

 

[andersonec]

A little cottage industry springs to mind,,,,,, :idea: ,,,,,,refurbishing Workmates

Andy

 

[NeiljohnUK]

A little cottage industry springs to mind,,,,,, :idea: ,,,,,,refurbishing Workmates

Andy

I started by replacing the tops on one of mine, now I'm on refurbing an old all aluminium one for a friend (was his grandfathers) having done his newer all steel one. There is a market, but some spares are hard to find and expensive to buy, so I keep an eye on the freeads for old ones for spares if not repairs, sometimes I strike lucky, but not so often now.

 

[satstyler]

Still use a handed down workmate to this day... be lost without it

 

[Jamesc]

This section of the forum seems to have been rather sleepy of late, but wondered if anyone had a semi collapsed original cast frame workmate that might be cannibalised, since I have a dual-height with one of the H-frames fractured near to the upper pivot and also one of the latches broken off short to hold it in the raised position. Alternatively, does anyone know of a workshop capable of welding the cast metal. A website claims that it is more readily possible than believed, but it is then a matter of knowing someone willing and capable of doing so.

Try getting in touch with doubleboost on YouTube (John mills) he regularly takes on this kind of repair for people

 

[XTiffy]

Hello Capentereire,
Good job, I have four B&D workmates, including one of the alloy ones. What I would say is that it would have been better to have used "Thames Glides" for the adjustable feet rather than a bolt, (if they are still available!) Thames glides were threaded (M6 or M8 stud with a plastic foot. Similar to the fitting on the early alloy workmate.

 

[Stevekane]

Thats a super job and pops up days after I was thinking of refurbishing one of mine, I have 3, the basic no step blue one was converted into a sawbench for many years but is now just a useful folding workbench, the good one with decent ply jaws is “loaned” to my son and Ive had to resort to number 3, Ive not used it before, it has the step but it has the crappy fibreboard jaws,,and these look very lumpy,,I was thinking of using some hardwood but would decent ply actually be better? Its a job for the spring but I ought to be looking out for suitable material.
Im also a big fan of workmates and wouldnt want to be without one.

 

[carpenteire2009]

Thanks for the generous feedback, I'll look out for one of those glides, but I'm not sure it would work when the folding leg is collapsed- it may be too big. I do think good quality ply is preferable to solid hardwood for the jaws, the laminated construction has got to resist movement better, no? I've purchased a second workmate, since my original post, so long ago. This one had bamboo wood jaws, which I improved with the addition of an additional slim strip of ply to the underside, as before. Both hale and hearty, although they get little use these days since I completed my permanent workshop 10 years ago.

 

[carpenteire2009]

I nipped out for a photo or two!