Elegant and simple. The B&D Workmate is an incredible piece of engineering. I have an early one with the cast aluminum frame, really a piece of genius. You could adapt this idea to all your heavy tools like a table saw, router table, on and on. The stability of the Workmate is really something. I am always looking for them on Craigslist, very handy and often go for a cheap price.
Copied your idea today and feel I can now work outside and make as much mess rather than my garage. A simple but very practical solution to a workmate headache. I was going to sell my 825 now now will happily use it outdoors. As your design suggests the top can be removed for storage and if need be the workmate can be used as intended. The top timber sheet I have screwed clamps and will make relevent holes 20mm for the orange bit clamping. Finally a removal small vice will be added. All this clears my inside work bench and can breathe without having too much clutter when I am working. Just an enthusiastic novice diyer. Many many thanks.
I'm very glad the video helped you out. I also really enjoy working outside. Fresh air and natural sunlight. Enjoy your new workbench! Thanks for your comment and for watching.
I have a Workmate 425 model, a monster of a table. Heavy, very stable and many features. Have had it since shortly after getting married 31 years ago. I have made several fixtures to clamp in it. The one I use the most is for making pocket holes with my Kreg setups. The rear of the table rotates to 90 degrees so I can use it as a back support for the Kregs. They also came out with special clamps for the top, along with the "bench dogs". There was a drawer option that attaches under the table where it makes storing all of the accessories very handy. Not having the ability to clamp a basic 2x4 at its width is a major design flaw of the Harbor Freight table. That is just inexcusable.
Thanks for your comment. My workmate table stays horizontal, it can't rotate the rear portion 90 degrees. Instead, the rear portion can be re-positioned which effectively opens up vise capacity. So I am able to clamp wide pieces including a 3.5" wide 2x4. However, my workmate has a fair amount of play in the pivot points where the table folds up. If you haven't seen it, look at this video at about the 8:50 time mark. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-EU03vb0tL0U.html I think you'll see the play I'm talking about. Does your workmate have play like this? Thanks for watching.
I have 4 or 5 of those cheaper folding workbenches. Cheap and handy to make stands for my power tools. I have been seeing a number of mods for these benches on YT lately, like yours, which I will incorporate into my shop.
Thanks for your comment and for watching. Sometime this summer, I plan on making another modification to the Black & Decker Workmate that I have so stay tuned!
I had a broken leg clip on my Workmate too. It was so inconvenient with that floppy leg I ordered 2 of them off eBay for $14 delivered. Soooooo worth it.
Consider making a rabbit at the top of the 2x4 where it meets your table top. it would keep the top from wobbling up and down. The workmate top would fit into the rabbit to secure the table top.
Thanks for the great suggestion! If you haven't seen it already, I have a video about adding a "foot" to the workmate which makes it a lot more stable. Here's the link: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-EU03vb0tL0U.html Thanks for watching.
The other option would be to add another piece of wood to the bottom of the 2x4, rotated to form a lip along bot sides of its length to prevent it from being pulled out or tilted unless the jaws are opened. Much easier if you don't have a table saw or router.
That old Workmate is a killer compared everything currently being produced. It ain't the prettiest but it seems solid. Good video, thanks for sharing!!!
Hi, interesting that I'm watching this! We live in a very small urban apartment and I just had to design a workbench for my Workmate....I had to keep in mind the need to keep everything as compact as possible so will only have 3' x 16" of work surface. Anyway, I will feature it in a future video. In the meantime I'm adding my support to you. Thanks, and stay in touch!
I have a Workmate 200 I bought in the late 80s. Easily the most used tool in my shed. Light, portable, and stable. I love the work table idea. Too often, I just balance large pieces on top, clamping where I can. I plan to make a router table that can be mounted in much the same way as that table (after I make the table, of course). Recently I had one of the leg catches break. Bought 4 (2 two-packs) on Amazon for $26. Easy replacement, and works like new.
I agree....the Workmate is a very useful tool. I got mine as a gift from my dad decades ago. I also had one of the plastic catches break but I haven't gotten around to replacing it yet. I used the "table" clamped in the Workmate for years before making a "proper" workbench ( ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-osaXlpIFK7Q.html , ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-qdgYJ9KYjA4.html ). Thanks for your comment and for watching.
I think you got a 450 with a medallion branding Tip get you a piece of Pegboard type board with out the holes and put it in the bottom as a shelf trash collector. Its 15x23
Thanks for your comment and for the suggestion. Check out this video where I've done what you've suggested: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-AiMv2C6yeDg.html Thanks for watching.
I’ve been making “workbenches” like this for 25 years and amazed when people see it say they’ve never thought about it 😂 That copy is a good design for tool stands though as a ‘workmate’ they suck EXCEPT the Ryobi one which has jaws that pivot. Excellent if you work on anything round like chopping the ends off fire extinguishers for example ...
rip a 2x6 on 1 side,glue and dog ear it on the ripped edge to the center of the plywood. Put 1x1 at the ends of the plywood for stiffness. Now rip 2x4 or 2x6 pieces the length of the plywood in different thicknesses. Lay 2 on top of the workmate panels the length of the plywood and you have an adjustable hight workbench depending of the thickness you have ripped.
It's cool having one workbench, but with two, now you have got choices when you make your project. BTW, you can use end cards which is placed 20 secs before your video ends. Try it.
the HF lightweight model is perfect for me being in a powerchair, the heavy Workmate with that big-ass metal step in front prohibits me from getting close to the top.
Yes, the B&D workmate is heavy and does have a large metal step right up front. I'm glad to hear that you found something that works well for you. Thanks for your comment and for watching.
Thanks for this video. After seeing this I done exactly the same with my workmate. Only problem is I think the workmate I have is slightly smaller than yours. When I secure the 4ft top on it and put pressure on either end it tips the workmate. Any ideas to stop it tipping. I'm thinking I might have to cut the 4ft top down so it's not as long. Any advice from you would be great. Love your videos man
I think there are a couple of different things you could do. 1) Add some weight to the workmate. I took some scrap boards and made a shelf that sits in the lower part of the Workmate and then I added some concrete blocks. 2) Add some legs to the ends of your table to provide better support. I would probably use some 2x4s cut to the right length and attach them to the table using drywall wall screws. 3) My Workmate has foldout feet on the bottom which gives the unit a wider footprint and helps to make it more stable. If yours has those feet, try using those. 4) You could try adding a plywood foot to your unit. Here's a video that shows what I tried: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-EU03vb0tL0U.html . I made a few other videos about things I have tried to make my Workmate more stable. Here are the links for your convenience: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-AiMv2C6yeDg.html , ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-j6fNXq5jF3g.html , ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Ahq5QYAKZhg.html . Thanks for your comment and for watching.
In terms of your future workbench plans, if you’ve come this far with your Workmate and HF bench, my advice would be to stick with them. We’re all different I know, but permanent work benches appear to be permanent piles of stuff on a bench. With your workmate/HF combo, you have to fold them and stand them or hang them on a wall. Once you get the dream bench, you’ll still have the two you have now, as well, because they’ll always be too handy to toss. Then there’s the space you have to clear(😂). While we’ll all be thinking that sounds great, well then think how far we’ve come with folding benches like yours and done very well with just them. If you’ve come this far without, talk to your wife about it and think about your real needs into the future. That HF bench with casters added, might make a handy rolling bench for doing interior repairs, make a painting cart, holding a serving top on the deck etc. PS I bought stuff to build a mini bench, then realized In could clamp that to the workmate/HF benches. There are vids on adding wheels, strengthening supports etc. when I bought a Workmate in ‘76, I thought it looked a bit hokey. I was sure it would get tossed in fairly short order. Three houses later, it still does the job. I just added a $5 garage sail HF style bench when I thought about one as a painting cart, not bending to charge a roller or brush. Rolling it around the house and hanging it in the garage. Was very tempted by a very heavy bench with heavy vices, then came youtube vids on hacks for these folders. Value for money wise, these folders are the best - unless they just won’t work for your needs.
Thanks for your comment. As you have noted, I have used different styles of work benches over the years. Black & Decker Workmate, HF wood bench, a large wooden kitchen table a neighbor was discarding, and an usual small bench I designed and built from 2x4's (videos are on this channel). I have toyed with the idea of building a heavy, permanent bench with built-in vises. I've once considered building a Moravian bench because it seems very robust yet still able to easily be broken down into basic pieces for transport or storage; I have a great set of plans but have not started the build yet. I realized that I basically gravitate toward simple with options. Now, I am using 2 folding sawhorses with a 1/2" thick piece of reclaimed MDF as of top. This bench is very easy to setup and take down so I have been typically setting it up outside; I really enjoy the fresh air while working on my projects. If I need to use a hammer, I make sure I am hammering over one of the sawhorse (to lessen table top bounce). If I am sawing (powered circular saw or a hand saw, I clamp the workpiece down to the top. If the top starts moving around, I can either add a concrete block to the top or I can clamp the top to the sawhorses. Simple. And I have options. I know that I could build a better top for the sawhorses; perhaps one day I will. I know that I could build a Moxon vise to add to the top; perhaps one day I will. I know that I could build my own saw horses if I needed a different height; and perhaps one day I will. Options. I hope this makes sense. Thanks again for your comment and for watching.
@@ImaginethenMake Sounds like you are well into maximizing the benefits from finding your own solutions - which I think is the best way for a lot of people. As I get older, I’m beginning to look at the road ahead and realizing it’s a lot shorter than the one behind. More and more that governs my thinking. As an old boss told me last year, he only buys annuals for the garden, as anything else is a risky investment - ha ha. Have you looked at the vids on bench bulls? I think they are a great thing to add to a Workmate. Another hack has a guy replacing the tables on a HF type bench, but raising the table with a second layer of plywood to create shelves between the old level and the new. A guy named Magnus. I’m tall so casters or raising the table height is very appealing. Thanks for your reply.
Bench bulls sound familiar, but I don't remember anything about them. Its funny to me that it has taken me YEARS to decide that the Workmate (to me) is really just a vice. For me, the tables are pretty small so unless my project is also small, I have found the Workmate does not really make a very good workbench. That's exactly why I tried adding the plywood as you saw in the video. This worked OK but not great. I gained a lot more surface area but only for items that do not weigh very much. But at the same time, I lost the use of the Workmate as a vice. It was a fun idea to try out, but in the end I don't use the plywood in the Workmate anymore. I'll do a search for Magnus and see what he has to say. Thanks for your comments; it has been fun chatting with you.
@@ImaginethenMake Bench bull in it’s simplest form is three pieces of 4x4 laying down on top of each other with the centre one being shorter (to clamp of down on the bench top.). Add dog holes on top and sides and you ban plane, chisel, cut wood at a comfortable height. Use hold downs, clamps etc to hold work down push work against like a bench hook. There are a few vids but one covers a bunch of mods/hacks/improvements/casters etc. you see the bench bull on the video photo. I’ve come back to the WM and smaller HF model like you have, because I know I’m not going to do anything big at the age I am. I like to putter and to hold things still while doing it. Watching these vids gets me thinking about doing small things in a small space and clearing out a lot of things I now know I won’t need or use. Best R
My workmate does not rotate the rear surface 90 degrees; my table top is basically a twin screw vise that stays flat (horizontal). I'm guessing my workmate is at least 30 years old. Thanks for your question and for watching.
I double checked what I wrote and should correct that it is the front that can be rotated up to the 90 degree angle. It is a Workmate 400, purchased new in the early to mid 90s for my oldest son. He left it with me when he moved away, to my delight. I am considering getting a second one and will be looking for second hand ones. I enjoyed your well made video, and thanks.
Excellent idea. The Workmate is a great secondary workbench anyway, but clamping a tabletop onto it turns it into a useful extra table for glue-ups and other things. Perfect for small workshops; I’ve confiscated my dad’s Workmate - he never uses it - and I think I’ll do the same.
Sorry if you mentioned this, but can you tell me the size of your bench top and explain how you attached it to the 2x4? Thanks. I want to buy and make this setup
Sure, no problem. The benchtop is made from a 2'x4' piece of 3/4" plywood (The exact dimensions might be a couple of inches smaller.). The 2"x4" is held to the benchtop using drywall screws. (Drywall screws seem to be my go-to screws.) Thanks for watching.
How come you still have the rubber feet on the folding legs? Two of mine split and fell off within weeks. Also was the tray for the clamping heads a feature of your model or did you make it?
Never could figure out why B&D didn't design those things to stand up on their own when folded. I've had mine for decades too and make a workbench like you did. Still going strong and very handy but I have to hang it on the wall since IT WONT STAND UP BY ITSELF! :-)
I totally understand! As much as I enjoy having a workmate, I wind up moving it around because I need something to lean it against when it is folded up. Thanks for your comment and for watching.
Yes, someone else mentioned that I can get a replacement part for the foot pretty cheaply....I think on eBay. Thanks for your comment and for watching.
No I don't. After a quick Google search, it looks like they no longer make that model so I wasn't able to find the specs. How heavy is your work piece? Thanks for watching.
@@ImaginethenMake Yes, I still have the original basic model I bought for my late dad for Father's Day in the 70's when they first came out, was always kept dry, then last year I left it out in rain one time, I forgot the wood was not solid, is composite, and warped a bit, I might replace the wood. I think I paid like $35, now even the basic ones are over 100. It is a pain to open and close.
Sorry you feel that way. I can tell you I have used this as a crude workbench. A crude bench is better than no bench. Thanks for your comment just the same and for watching.
