6? I've been out workmated by Roadking! Thanks Buddy. I missed one locally. I saw it in a back garden but it went for scrap before I was able to speak to the owner.
Good save Mart. I also got mine off the side of the road. It's the version without the foot rest thingy, but works well. Same issue as yours, the wood was all stuffed and I replaced it and found another crank handle for it and it works great. Very useful bit of kit. Makes you feel good to save stuff from the dump. I didn't paint mine either. Cheers Rob
Cheers Rob. Great to see your name pop up on one of my vids. Yeah, no need to paint 'em. With the rivetted construction it would actually be quite hard to actually "restore" one properly. Sometimes it's good to do a quick fixit job. The projects can drag on a bit. Mart.
Hey Mart, a great trick is to screw a length of 2x4 to the bottom of a 3’x3’ or 4’x4’ sheet of plywood right down the middle. Clamp that in the workmate and there you have a quick break-down work table for upholstery or other table top projects. Works a treat and they are easy to break down and store. I love those old ones! Wish they were still made. Have some cheap Harbor Freight versions and they are no comparison.
Thanks for the comment, EH. I had been thinking about a removeable larger table top. I didn't realise the one was heavier built until I looked and saw the ply was thicker. I think they must have gone through endless rounds of cost saving.
Ronald Price Hickman invented the workmate but, failing to get an established manufacturer to take it up he started making and selling them himself. His original design had an alloy frame. Eventually he got Black and Decker interested in making them. They cheapened it, making the frame out of steel, and as 805ROADKING says, "the early ones weighed a ton". My father bought an early B & D one which I recently inherited. It is really sturdy, but does indeed weigh a ton!
@@MartsGarage My own workmate I've had since I got married and is like your dad's, except it's black not blue. The top is 21mm quality plywood. It is labeled Workmate 2. My dad's one is not aluminium, and I remember dad grumbling about this. The frame, is steel, is a different design to yours. The screw nuts, handles and top mounting pads are in aluminium, not plastic. It is heavy (37lb). It's top is good plywood, only 19mm thick but double thickness along the jaw edge. I'll email you a picture.
at first i was put off by the weight of a steel workmate, about 28 pounds. but then I realized its solid and doesnt slide around. So i see why it has a heft to it.
Hello Mart. I found your channel by chance tonight. I am a long time fan of the Workmate. I got my first one at age of 14 & I am still using & abusing it at 59. Obviously it carries battle damage. But its a early dual height one made of die cast alu, with the H frame. I have had later ones that have come & gone & plenty of dumbed down Asian copies. Not too many people grasp what a great bit of kit it was before accountants took over the program. Really nice to of found you.
Thanks Rich. I'm glad you liked the video. It was just a one-off for me, a side job to my normal content. Maybe I should do more stuff like this! Thanks a lot. Mart.
@@MartsGarage Amen to that Mart, I love me a good afternoon project! My 31 coupe/8BA project is ready to be pulled apart for painting the chassis and suspension, after some finish welding. I'm not looking forward to disassembly as it pretty much looks like a whole car at this point.
@@artpam You'd be surprised how quickly and easily things can be taken apart. It's putting them together in the first place that takes the time. All the little details on the final build can lead to a lot of project creep as well!.
Nice repair on the workmate Mart. I 've got one that was my dad's. They are a handy tool in the workshop but mine is usually loaded down with some other junk when I want to use it.
Ha ha yeah, Ralph. I suffer from horizontal surface-itis too. It was so bad at one stage I'd walk in with a cup of tea and couldn't find a 3" circle of clear space to put it down!
Yeah, P. H., that would be nice, but my core projects are my early Ford V8s. The workmate is just a tool and is perfectly serviceable just like it is. This was nearly 2 years ago. The Workmate gets used regularly. I picked up another one more recently and that is in great condition. Thanks for watching.
nice refurb job. I think the newest models use compressed bamboo instead of the awful particle board. I wonder how the bamboo stands up over time, I guess it will be more resistant to moisture anyway
I'm sorry Andrew, I'm not a workmate expert. It was just a little video I did as a side job from my normal content. I think there are sites which do discuss the workmates. Have you tried googling?
Yeah, thanks Leslie. You did watch THIS video, right? Lol. It's been proving really useful lately and I did clip it with the circular saw so probably good I didn't go mad on the wood.
Hi Paul, not that I know of. I have seen replacement top pieces for sale on ebay though. These were in the UK though, don't know where you are based, but they might be available where you are. I could get some dimensions off mine, if that would help. The overall dimensions and bolt holes would be easy, but the holes for the stops would make it a bit more complicated. Yours would need to be the same model, though, some are a bit different. Mart.
Try a search for Workmate. I found a ton of information, plans, parts,and photos when I was rehabbing an old 80s workmate. The history of these little tables is fascinating and it was fun trying to identify models, years, and plants where these were made.
2:31 If you had cut the board once.., right down the center, you probably would have been able to grab the cut ends and easily pulled up on them. That material was in such poor condition that enough would have broken off to expose the bolts without you having to do all that chiseling.
Hi Merc. It was just a bit of fun and outside my normal content. I could have done it like you say, but took a cautious approach. Didn't want to bend the metal of crack the plastic. Thanks for watching. I use the workmate a lot so the time and effort (which wasn't much) taken has paid dividends. I did pick up another that is mint by comparison and only paid a tenner for it. Cheers!
Well done! But you put all the time and effort in, why didn't you use proper wood for the benches instead of these crapp, pallet boards? I get it, cheap, but I'd used multiplex or any other better quality laminated ply. Anywas, still a great build and vid!!!
Thanks for the comment, Helmut. Actually the Pallet wood, being "real wood" has stood up remarkably well. I'll be the first to admit I'm no woodworker. Actually it was not a lot of effort, and it was more of a rescue mission than a restoration. If you watch any of my other videos I do a lot of work on my old cars and the workmates are a very versatile addition to the workshop. Thanks for watching and commenting. Mart.
The 4th one is the vastly inferior "Bench n Vise" from Screwfix. I reworked it with a fixed top and used the screws off it to hold the garage doors open. Paint? What is that?
Well done Mart!! I have 6 of them!! You can tell how old they are by the weight, the older ones weigh a ton!!☺
6? I've been out workmated by Roadking! Thanks Buddy. I missed one locally. I saw it in a back garden but it went for scrap before I was able to speak to the owner.
Thanks buddy, my dad has one of these and I want to restore it for sentimental value. Appreciate you taking the time to walk us through the process.
Thanks very much. Hope it goes well for you. Mart.
Good save Mart. I also got mine off the side of the road. It's the version without the foot rest thingy, but works well. Same issue as yours, the wood was all stuffed and I replaced it and found another crank handle for it and it works great. Very useful bit of kit. Makes you feel good to save stuff from the dump. I didn't paint mine either. Cheers Rob
Cheers Rob. Great to see your name pop up on one of my vids. Yeah, no need to paint 'em. With the rivetted construction it would actually be quite hard to actually "restore" one properly. Sometimes it's good to do a quick fixit job. The projects can drag on a bit. Mart.
Good catch and recyling Mart.
Thanks Christopher. I'm always on the lookout for anything that might be useful.
Mart, you fine some Kool stuff on the side of the road
Just a born scrounger, Brendan.
Hey Mart, a great trick is to screw a length of 2x4 to the bottom of a 3’x3’ or 4’x4’ sheet of plywood right down the middle. Clamp that in the workmate and there you have a quick break-down work table for upholstery or other table top projects. Works a treat and they are easy to break down and store. I love those old ones! Wish they were still made. Have some cheap Harbor Freight versions and they are no comparison.
Thanks for the comment, EH. I had been thinking about a removeable larger table top. I didn't realise the one was heavier built until I looked and saw the ply was thicker. I think they must have gone through endless rounds of cost saving.
Ronald Price Hickman invented the workmate but, failing to get an established manufacturer to take it up he started making and selling them himself. His original design had an alloy frame. Eventually he got Black and Decker interested in making them. They cheapened it, making the frame out of steel, and as 805ROADKING says, "the early ones weighed a ton". My father bought an early B & D one which I recently inherited. It is really sturdy, but does indeed weigh a ton!
Nice to see your name here, Andy. is yours an aluminium one, or the steel type like my Uncle's?
@@MartsGarage My own workmate I've had since I got married and is like your dad's, except it's black not blue. The top is 21mm quality plywood. It is labeled Workmate 2. My dad's one is not aluminium, and I remember dad grumbling about this. The frame, is steel, is a different design to yours. The screw nuts, handles and top mounting pads are in aluminium, not plastic. It is heavy (37lb). It's top is good plywood, only 19mm thick but double thickness along the jaw edge. I'll email you a picture.
at first i was put off by the weight of a steel workmate, about 28 pounds. but then I realized its solid and doesnt slide around. So i see why it has a heft to it.
Hello Mart. I found your channel by chance tonight. I am a long time fan of the Workmate. I got my first one at age of 14 & I am still using & abusing it at 59. Obviously it carries battle damage. But its a early dual height one made of die cast alu, with the H frame. I have had later ones that have come & gone & plenty of dumbed down Asian copies. Not too many people grasp what a great bit of kit it was before accountants took over the program. Really nice to of found you.
Thanks Rich. I'm glad you liked the video. It was just a one-off for me, a side job to my normal content. Maybe I should do more stuff like this! Thanks a lot. Mart.
Looks to be a satisfying project, good save!
It was, Art. A fun quickie. Lots of times a project can linger on for too long. It's nice to do something that can be done quickly for a change.
@@MartsGarage Amen to that Mart, I love me a good afternoon project! My 31 coupe/8BA project is ready to be pulled apart for painting the chassis and suspension, after some finish welding. I'm not looking forward to disassembly as it pretty much looks like a whole car at this point.
@@artpam You'd be surprised how quickly and easily things can be taken apart. It's putting them together in the first place that takes the time. All the little details on the final build can lead to a lot of project creep as well!.
@@MartsGarage Thanks for the inspiration, I got out there and pulled the body off!
Well done Mart. It’s got a limp leg but will work fine.
Thanks Dave. I sorted out the limp leg problem with new D clips.
You really like those little workmates! Great resto(?) keep it up!
Thanks Eddie.
Handy tool, I have had one for decades(since new).
They are, aren't they, Mike. I really like 'em.
Nice repair on the workmate Mart. I 've got one that was my dad's. They are a handy tool in the workshop but mine is usually loaded down with some other junk when I want to use it.
Ha ha yeah, Ralph. I suffer from horizontal surface-itis too. It was so bad at one stage I'd walk in with a cup of tea and couldn't find a 3" circle of clear space to put it down!
What do you think of a new paint job and sand and stain the boards. For your free work mate? Good work there.well done.
Yeah, P. H., that would be nice, but my core projects are my early Ford V8s. The workmate is just a tool and is perfectly serviceable just like it is. This was nearly 2 years ago. The Workmate gets used regularly. I picked up another one more recently and that is in great condition. Thanks for watching.
Fabulous devices; I don't know why anyone would scrap one of those.
nice refurb job. I think the newest models use compressed bamboo instead of the awful particle board. I wonder how the bamboo stands up over time, I guess it will be more resistant to moisture anyway
Bought some D clips for a WM 625 (40 years old) but found they don`t fit. Any suggestions
I'm sorry Andrew, I'm not a workmate expert. It was just a little video I did as a side job from my normal content. I think there are sites which do discuss the workmates. Have you tried googling?
My opinion is that you should’ve got a nice piece of oak after re-spraying the item after putting so much time to take it apart
Yeah, thanks Leslie. You did watch THIS video, right? Lol. It's been proving really useful lately and I did clip it with the circular saw so probably good I didn't go mad on the wood.
Is there a video or website to find plans with measurements for replacement top wood pieces? I found in in a trash bin without the top pieces.
Hi Paul, not that I know of. I have seen replacement top pieces for sale on ebay though. These were in the UK though, don't know where you are based, but they might be available where you are. I could get some dimensions off mine, if that would help. The overall dimensions and bolt holes would be easy, but the holes for the stops would make it a bit more complicated. Yours would need to be the same model, though, some are a bit different. Mart.
Try a search for Workmate. I found a ton of information, plans, parts,and photos when I was rehabbing an old 80s workmate. The history of these little tables is fascinating and it was fun trying to identify models, years, and plants where these were made.
the ultimate test would be to set a small block chevy engine on it.
They do have a weight limit and I don't think it would stretch to that. I have had a Mini engine and box on one though.
I think the Workmate 400 is rated at 550lbs iirc. @@MartsGarage
2:31
If you had cut the board once.., right down the center, you probably would have been able to grab the cut ends and easily pulled up on them. That material was in such poor condition that enough would have broken off to expose the bolts without you having to do all that chiseling.
Hi Merc. It was just a bit of fun and outside my normal content. I could have done it like you say, but took a cautious approach. Didn't want to bend the metal of crack the plastic. Thanks for watching. I use the workmate a lot so the time and effort (which wasn't much) taken has paid dividends. I did pick up another that is mint by comparison and only paid a tenner for it. Cheers!
Well done! But you put all the time and effort in, why didn't you use proper wood for the benches instead of these crapp, pallet boards? I get it, cheap, but I'd used multiplex or any other better quality laminated ply. Anywas, still a great build and vid!!!
Thanks for the comment, Helmut. Actually the Pallet wood, being "real wood" has stood up remarkably well. I'll be the first to admit I'm no woodworker. Actually it was not a lot of effort, and it was more of a rescue mission than a restoration. If you watch any of my other videos I do a lot of work on my old cars and the workmates are a very versatile addition to the workshop. Thanks for watching and commenting. Mart.
Was a weimaraner just passing by?
Hi Random. Yeah, that's Meggie our beautiful Weimaraner. Thanks for watching.
@@MartsGarage best dogs ever, I have 1 too
Hi mart did you get my email regarding my flathead sent a photo or two regards Jim NZ.
Hi Jim, apologies, the emails are there but I don't regularly check that account. I will have a proper look and will reply.
my Dad Had one when I was a Kid, I can't remember what happened to it
Yes, they were very popular.
Maybe you also have been made on it?
Mart, are your benches originally from the UK?
I think so, Brendan, I know the inventor was based in the UK.
Pretty sure I can see a 4th workmate (without a capital W) at the start of the Vid. By the way, Debbie says you should have painted it :)
The 4th one is the vastly inferior "Bench n Vise" from Screwfix. I reworked it with a fixed top and used the screws off it to hold the garage doors open. Paint? What is that?
SUBSCRIBED!
Thanks Jean Paul.
At the end you said, “that’s a wrap”....how American, weren’t you supposed to say, “bob’s your uncle?”
..and Robert's your father's brother!
Fanny's your Aunt
Nice job, but a coat of paint wouldn't do it any harm.
Thanks Mike. In real life it don't look too bad in the weathered original blue. It's kept indoors so it hasn't deteriorated.