I had a couple of old workmates where the original tops failed. I modified them to just foldable work surfaces with 19mm plywood and one I welded a metal top so it became my portable welding table. I made a heavy steel horse with my vice at one end and a pipe vice at the other, yes I don’t have the variety of bench dog clamping abilities but in what I’d I don’t need it. I do like what you have done with your top.
Hey mate ... I'm a Bala lad myself and spent many a Saturday watching Wrexham back in the 70's (the family did a fair of shopping there back then too and many a time we used to have a picnic on the way back because the 32 miles was such a 'long' way away 🙄- but whatever, they were happy times ... I've been down under for the past 40 odd years and earlier this year had a beer or four at the Turf and a couple of weeks later serendipitously caught up with some South Walian Dragon fans at the Blind Beggar in London before the Orient game and had a great time 🍺🍺🍺🍺but that's another story ... anyway, just picked up an old-school Workmate (79-001 Type 7 - $20AUD) which I'm pretty stoked with for when you compare it to the other brand workmates around today, it just blows them away quality wise but as life has it, I'm always prone to updating, improving and beefing things up and all that (as in TV's 'Home Improvement' style) so here I am - apart from that, I have no intention of being patronising but reality is, even though I'm fully sighted, you're a sh*t load more capable and talented than I am 👌
I have a few Workmates. They're all different models. I don't have one where the vise flips up though. They made so many different models of Workmates.
No pattern , I just replicated the original and extended it outwards over the extra work surface, then added an extra one or two on the ends which were more useful to my requirements.
Looks like an excellent upgrade. I'd really like to do something like this on my own workmate plus but the problem I have currently is the only storage place is up on a wall and even at stock weight it's pretty tricky to put it up and down. I made a separate worktop that clamps into the workmate jaws to extend it's working surface. This works well for some projects but of course I lose the function of the workmate vice and I have to store the extra worktop separately.
Sun glasses are a way of trying to let people know I'm blind, hat wise I'm always wearing a hat, if I'm not wearing my Aussie hat then I'm wearing my top hat.
I had a couple of old workmates where the original tops failed. I modified them to just foldable work surfaces with 19mm plywood and one I welded a metal top so it became my portable welding table. I made a heavy steel horse with my vice at one end and a pipe vice at the other, yes I don’t have the variety of bench dog clamping abilities but in what I’d I don’t need it. I do like what you have done with your top.
Thanks for the update, good discussion of the variables when fiddling with the original design
Hey mate ... I'm a Bala lad myself and spent many a Saturday watching Wrexham back in the 70's (the family did a fair of shopping there back then too and many a time we used to have a picnic on the way back because the 32 miles was such a 'long' way away 🙄- but whatever, they were happy times ... I've been down under for the past 40 odd years and earlier this year had a beer or four at the Turf and a couple of weeks later serendipitously caught up with some South Walian Dragon fans at the Blind Beggar in London before the Orient game and had a great time 🍺🍺🍺🍺but that's another story ... anyway, just picked up an old-school Workmate (79-001 Type 7 - $20AUD) which I'm pretty stoked with for when you compare it to the other brand workmates around today, it just blows them away quality wise but as life has it, I'm always prone to updating, improving and beefing things up and all that (as in TV's 'Home Improvement' style) so here I am - apart from that, I have no intention of being patronising but reality is, even though I'm fully sighted, you're a sh*t load more capable and talented than I am 👌
cool outlook 🎉
I just made new jaws for mine out of 5 x 2, been like it for 25 years and been a great success. Enjoyed your process.
I have a few Workmates. They're all different models. I don't have one where the vise flips up though. They made so many different models of Workmates.
Thanks for the video. Nice discussion of considerations for upgrading. Can you share the dog hole patterns that you used?
No pattern , I just replicated the original and extended it outwards over the extra work surface, then added an extra one or two on the ends which were more useful to my requirements.
Looks like an excellent upgrade.
I'd really like to do something like this on my own workmate plus but the problem I have currently is the only storage place is up on a wall and even at stock weight it's pretty tricky to put it up and down.
I made a separate worktop that clamps into the workmate jaws to extend it's working surface. This works well for some projects but of course I lose the function of the workmate vice and I have to store the extra worktop separately.
That's the same thickness and wood I used to upgrade mine. Works great. Thanks for sharing.
I like that new work surface.
picked up a free B&D clone bench. I liked & sub'd
would prefer no sun glasses & hat
The name of this site is Visionless Designs. Think about it, he is blind so might be a good reason for the sun glasses.
Sun glasses are a way of trying to let people know I'm blind, hat wise I'm always wearing a hat, if I'm not wearing my Aussie hat then I'm wearing my top hat.