On Sun, 07 Feb 2010 07:13:36 -0600, Morris Dovey wrote:

On 2/6/2010 11:18 PM, Too_Many_Tools wrote:

The question was prompted by I have several units that I find very
useful and I was wondering what others had done to them to make them
even more useful.

I have two Workmates. I used them variously as small workbenches and
sawhorses until I built a couple of sawhorses and a modest workbench
designed to meet my specific needs. I equipped the bench with a good
vise and haven't needed/used the Workmates since.

I've seen router table and benchtop circular saw setups designed for use
with Workmates, but I suspect that in at least nearly every case those
were preliminaries to free-standing, more stable solutions.

I have a model 400. It is currently holding up a window seat I am finishing. Rubber feet are still
attached and in good condition.

I don't have a workbench with a vise, so I use the Workmate as my only fixed clamping device other
than a small metal vise. It holds things that need sawed, sanded or routed. I like that I can take
it out in the driveway for really messy work like power sanding and I don't have to sweep up on
windy days.

I have a few portable tools mounted on plywood to clamp into the workmate. I can mount my grinder,
shotgun reloader, rifle/pistol reloader and used to have a crude router table that fit it, but now
use the wing of my TS for that. I have a support that fits in it to act as an outboard support for
long boards on the TS sled. I've used it a couple times to glue up boxes or picture frames, and it
holds my portable planer at a convenient height.