Death of a Workmate

Odds

Odds

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A constant companion, faithful and true has sadly come to the end of the road.

IMGP5418.JPG


It's seen me through hard times and been in the thick of things since 1991 but as i came to open up this morning, a leg came away with a clang and left me with no support to saw a piece of wood.
Nuts!
I'll get a new one, of course, but it won't be the same. :(
 
The pin will push back in.....the ends have a spline that wears the metal flange.
Had me going then!!
John
 
Burnerman said:
The pin will push back in.....the ends have a spline that wears the metal flange.
Had me going then!!
John
Click to expand...

Yeah, but no. The plastic bracket used to mount the leg to the main body has sheared off, leaving the leg with nothing to secure it back in place.
The spring on that side went last year and its been living on borrowed time for years before that.
I can't remember how much i paid for it but its paid me back more times than i can count: sawing; drilling, wood or metal, sanding down pieces of furniture, helping me renovate all kinds of things.
An object accumulates so many memories over time and throwing this bench out will be really hard to bear.
 
For £100 from Aldi get yourself a Batavia crockcloc thing. They're blummin brilliant. I've never used my workmate since that appeared on the scene
batavia-croc-lock-verlengstukken-2-st.jpg
 
Nozzle said:
For £100 from Aldi get yourself a Batavia crockcloc thing. They're blummin brilliant. I've never used my workmate since that appeared on the scene
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An interesting idea, i'll bear it in mind when i begin a search for the replacement.
 
Old workmates useful for spares (or actualy just as a direct replacement) pop up quite frequently on Marketplace, sometimes even fro free, I seem to have acumulated three over the years, undoubtedly the 90's original is the best one as they've dumbed down the quality over the years.
 
These all pressed steel ones aren't the originals - they are the already cost and quality cut versions.

I still have one I inherited from my grandad - cast aluminium frame components. Probably getting on for 50 years old. Nice.
 
Jackrae said:
replacement parts are readily available
picclick.co.uk

Black & Decker Workmate Leg clips / springs & pins for WM536, 535, 626, 750, 800 • £8.00

BLACK & DECKER Workmate Leg clips / springs & pins for WM536, 535, 626, 750, 800 - £8.00. FOR SALE! Bought about 18 months ago, My workmate had a run in with a circular saw so have had to replace it. For Dual height Workmates. 4 Pins, 4 plastic spring clips 372261540125
picclick.co.uk picclick.co.uk
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Holy Malloy. You're a lifesaver.(y)
Many thanks.:)
 
My pressed steel workmate broke in the place, someone should make some reinforced parts for it..
 
freddiemercurystwin said:
...undoubtedly the 90's original is the best one as they've dumbed down the quality over the years.
Click to expand...
The original ones were late 1960s and lacked the fold down feet. We bought my dad one when I was a teenager - and I'm now pretty old! (so around 50 years back). His wasn't even a true original, but it had the aluminium H-frames, so reasonably early (1972 or so - the first year B&D sold them)

TeaAndBiscuits said:
These all pressed steel ones aren't the originals - they are the already cost and quality cut versions.

I still have one I inherited from my grandad - cast aluminium frame components. Probably getting on for 50 years old. Nice.
Click to expand...
That's the type, a mark 2 - like this:

Black Decker Workmate mk 2.jpg


The guy who designed the original Workmate, Ron Hickman, also designed the original Lotus Elan and the Lotus Europa:

Ron Hickman 003.jpg


A true British genius
 
Last edited by a moderator:
JobAndKnock said:
The original ones were late 1960s and lacked the fold down feet. We bought my dad one when I was a teenager - and I'm now pretty old! (so around 50 years back). His wasn't even a true original, but it had the aluminium H-frames, so reasonably early (1972 or so - the first year B&D sold them)


That's the type, a mark 2 - like this:

View attachment 270187

The guy who designed the original Workmate, Ron Hickman, also designed the original Lotus Elan and the Lotus Europa:

A true British genius
Click to expand...

That WM looks like it's been in the trenches, and could tell a tale or two(y)

I'd never have guessed the chap who designed the 'mate was the mind behind the Lotus - that'd make a great quiz q.
 
I still get the frights with this one .
Shopping in B&Q with six year old daughter .A workmate was on display with a bit of wood in the clamps and a saw ,left cut half way through the wood .
I must have wandered off for stuff as when I came back daughter had proudly sawn through the wood, one side of the workmate and was making a good attempt on the other one .
 
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