Black & Decker Workmate

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Ed in Tampa
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Re: Black & Decker Workmate

Post by Ed in Tampa »

I think I have an older one it looks just like Farmers but it has a wood top not MDF. Mind is approx. 40 years old, got it from my dad 20 years ago.
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ChrisNeilan
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Re: Black & Decker Workmate

Post by ChrisNeilan »

According to Wikipedia, the first Workmate was sold in 1974. That's a long run- not as long as Shopsmith, but a long run!
Chris Neilan

Shopsmith Mark 7, Shopsmith Mark V 1982, shortened, Shopsmith 10 ER; Craftsman table saw (1964); Powermatic 3520B lathe
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reible
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Re: Black & Decker Workmate

Post by reible »

I pulled my paper work on mine. It is a model 70-001 Type 7. I got it 06-16-81 making it 36 years old. Not sure how this worked out but from the site it said my model was discontinued 10-19-79 so clearly mine was new old stock. Sorry I didn't leave the sales slip with it so I knew how much I paid.

I have the Routermate (79-013-04) for it. That has not been used in years now. I also have the Work Center & Vise Attachment Clamp (79-011) and extra Swivel Grips (79-010). Had they had the mitre saw attachment I might have picked that up too but it is a little late for that now.

Ed
{Knight of the Shopsmith} [Hero's don't wear capes, they wear dog tags]
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dusty
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Re: Black & Decker Workmate

Post by dusty »

robinson46176 wrote:I believe that my oldest one is the original style. The later ones were all steel frame. My old one has a cast aluminum center frame.

My old style B&D workmate.jpg


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Do you know the Model # or any other identify information about this one. Mine is a copy of what you show.

You don't happen to have an extra leg there in the barn do you.
"Making Sawdust Safely"
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robinson46176
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Re: Black & Decker Workmate

Post by robinson46176 »

I just have the two Workmates and don't just use them constantly but I do grab one several times a year for support. I have taken one along for years when doing a remodel on a rental house (happens waaay more often than I like :rolleyes: ). A Workmate just seems very natural at that job. We only have one rental house left (thankfully) and don't expect to sell it since it is part of a 17 acre mini-farm over in the next county. That property belonged to my great grand parents in the late 1800's and some of it by my grandparents in the early 1900's. It was out of the family for about 50 years then was acquired with three separate buys over a decade or two. The whole little community is rampant with my family history including a cemetery full of family.
I've just let that house sit empty for over a year now but I now need to put it on the plus side of the ledger... :rolleyes: I don't just "have to" but I can find someplace to spend the money. :D I'm feeling much better now so I need to get at it while I still can. I also have to do some very serious roof reconstruction on a 43' x 30' concrete block shop/garage building beside the house. Sometimes renters are not very good at telling you when things are failing...
I would about kill to have that old block building (former auto repair center and Sinclair station) here at the house. :rolleyes: 43' across the front with an overhead door at the right front and a herd of big windows all around for light.
I could just "spiff up" the house a bit and rent it but I want to do it over a little better this time and make some improvements to improve its rental value.
I will definitely take a Workmate to that job and a Shopsmith as well. I have some handy smaller table-saws on roller bases and I could take one of those over there but given the range of work required I want a Shopsmith. I might pick up a second compound miter saw to keep there too.
As I plan the work I keep thinking that I maybe want to buy a Rockwell Jaw-horse to use there too. Does anybody here use one of those? Do you find it useful? One just looks like a natural for such work.
I plan to just "set up shop" there for the summer... I won't just dedicate my whole summer to the job but will work there in spurts all summer as I feel like it. I may get it done by late summer or maybe not finish until 2018. I have a lot going on this year but I refuse to let the load force the schedule. I fully intend to enjoy my summer including part of the time I spend at that wooded river property. :p :)
I have been dragging my feet waiting for a little warmer weather (I have plenty else to do anyway).
Sitting here thinking about it... One of the things I need to replace there is the AC and I should probably do that fairly soon to get that empty house dampness out. I have a couple of extra window units and I might stick the larger one in the shop building there. It might speed me up a little.

OK, so I ramble a lot in my old age... :p :p :D


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Francis Robinson
I did not equip with Shopsmiths in spite of the setups but because of them.
1 1988 - Mark V 510 (bought new), 4 Poly vee 1 1/8th HP Mark V's, Mark VII, 1 Mark V Mini, 1 Frankensmith, 1 10-ER, 1 Mark V Push-me-Pull-me Drillpress, SS bandsaw, belt sander, jointer, jigsaw, shaper attach, mortising attach, TS-3650 Rigid tablesaw, RAS, 6" long bed jointer, Foley/Belsaw Planer/molder/ripsaw, 1" sander, oscillating spindle/belt sander, Scroll saw, Woodmizer sawmill
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robinson46176
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Re: Black & Decker Workmate

Post by robinson46176 »

dusty wrote:
robinson46176 wrote:I believe that my oldest one is the original style. The later ones were all steel frame. My old one has a cast aluminum center frame.

My old style B&D workmate.jpg


.
Do you know the Model # or any other identify information about this one. Mine is a copy of what you show.

You don't happen to have an extra leg there in the barn do you.


I went to the basement and looked it all over but no tag or sticker. It does have a number that looks like it was rubber stamped on the bottom of the front vise board. That is "540 32" (shrug). While I was there I looked on the newer one and it also was tag and sticker free. All it had is an apparently silk screened area on the top of the front vise board with a small "Black & Decker" and a much larger "Workmate 200" below it.

Leg pain this morning?
I do have several sets of crutches in the attic as well as several walkers (Zimmer frames :) ) several aluminum ones and one wooden one that my grandmother used in the 1940's. :) I also have a 3 wheeler with brakes...
Actually there is a pair of legs in one loft... :D :rolleyes: Many years ago my father got a gag gift of a pair of inflatable legs probably from some place like Spencer gifts. As you enter the farm shop through the double service door there is a 4' x 4' hatch in the floor of the loft above that stays open all summer to let heat out. He put a pair of nylon stockings and old high heels on those legs and hung them up above that hatch. When visitors dropped by he would say something to get them to look up through that hatch which was just shadowy enough to prevent clear vision. There was usually a reaction... :eek: Yeah, it was corny but he had a good time with them. :rolleyes: :D The silly things are still up there somewhere, but badly deflated these days. :)


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--
farmer
Francis Robinson
I did not equip with Shopsmiths in spite of the setups but because of them.
1 1988 - Mark V 510 (bought new), 4 Poly vee 1 1/8th HP Mark V's, Mark VII, 1 Mark V Mini, 1 Frankensmith, 1 10-ER, 1 Mark V Push-me-Pull-me Drillpress, SS bandsaw, belt sander, jointer, jigsaw, shaper attach, mortising attach, TS-3650 Rigid tablesaw, RAS, 6" long bed jointer, Foley/Belsaw Planer/molder/ripsaw, 1" sander, oscillating spindle/belt sander, Scroll saw, Woodmizer sawmill
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rpd
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Re: Black & Decker Workmate

Post by rpd »

robinson46176 wrote:.....I could just "spiff up" the house a bit and rent it but I want to do it over a little better this time and make some improvements to improve its rental value.
I will definitely take a Workmate to that job and a Shopsmith as well. I have some handy smaller table-saws on roller bases and I could take one of those over there but given the range of work required I want a Shopsmith. I might pick up a second compound miter saw to keep there too.
As I plan the work I keep thinking that I maybe want to buy a Rockwell Jaw-horse to use there too. Does anybody here use one of those? Do you find it useful? One just looks like a natural for such work. ......

OK, so I ramble a lot in my old age... :p :p :D


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I have a couple of Workmates, an original with the aluminum frame that I bought new back in the 70's and a newer one that I inherited from my father in law. They seldom get used anymore.

I also have a Trition Superjaws, (like the Jaw horse), and I really like it, I think the Jaw Horse would be a real asset for doing your renovations.
Ron Dyck
==================================================================
10ER #23430, 10ER #84609, 10ER #94987,two SS A-34 jigsaws for 10ER.
1959 Mark 5 #356595 Greenie, SS Magna Jointer, SS planer, SS bandsaw, SS scroll saw (gray), DC3300,
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robinson46176
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Re: Black & Decker Workmate

Post by robinson46176 »

dusty wrote:Thanks Chris. Those don't look like they would work on mine but I'll check it out.

What I know I need is a replacement leg. Mine somehow got bent. I actually picked mine out of a dumpster some twenty years ago. Should have looked for a leg then.

Sorry Dusty... I had spaced over this post and when you asked if I had a leg in the barn I was thinking that maybe you were having leg pain and wanted to replace one of yours. :) That may have been because one of my larger current problems (and has been for a while) is back pain and I could really use a new back. :rolleyes: :D
No, I don't have any B&D Workmate legs.. I do have a set for a similar brand "X" device but they are far too different to work. I keep looking at them trying to decide how to put them to work on something.

Can you make a wooden replacement? If we lived a few thousand miles closer together I could probably fix yours, I have done a good bit of metal fabrication... I'm not really an aluminum welder but I have a neighbor who designs and repairs high dollar racing boat props and we trade favors now and then.


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--
farmer
Francis Robinson
I did not equip with Shopsmiths in spite of the setups but because of them.
1 1988 - Mark V 510 (bought new), 4 Poly vee 1 1/8th HP Mark V's, Mark VII, 1 Mark V Mini, 1 Frankensmith, 1 10-ER, 1 Mark V Push-me-Pull-me Drillpress, SS bandsaw, belt sander, jointer, jigsaw, shaper attach, mortising attach, TS-3650 Rigid tablesaw, RAS, 6" long bed jointer, Foley/Belsaw Planer/molder/ripsaw, 1" sander, oscillating spindle/belt sander, Scroll saw, Woodmizer sawmill
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reible
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Re: Black & Decker Workmate

Post by reible »

Just out of interest I went to ebay to see what they had to offer. Using "workmate black decker" they have 5 pages of them(340). I didn't look at all of them but a few looked like the older models and some of the prices didn't look too bad but the shipping is going to be a killer. If someone had one local then maybe it not such a bad deal.

Perhaps a local restore???

Ed
{Knight of the Shopsmith} [Hero's don't wear capes, they wear dog tags]
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berry
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Re: Black & Decker Workmate

Post by berry »

garys wrote:I bet you could make it into a great stand alone router table for a big router. I had an old Hirsch saw table sitting around unused so I mounted my 2.5hp router in it. It works great for making raised panel doors.
This is exactly one of the uses I've had for my really old Workmate.
Here is the Workmate and Rockler router table side by side. I switched to a Kreg table but still use the Workmate for a stand.
Here is the Workmate and Rockler router table side by side. I switched to a Kreg table but still use the Workmate for a stand.
Wwall_1732.JPG (2.13 MiB) Viewed 6222 times
Table mounted to Workmate.
Table mounted to Workmate.
RouterTable_1780.JPG (2.48 MiB) Viewed 6222 times
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