"Phil Addison" wrote in message
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On Sun, 31 May 2020 03:00:51 -0700 (PDT), in uk.d-i-y MM wrote:

A cast alloy Workmate? Never heard of one. Are you sure it's a Black & Decker?

I still have mine bought 1975 or 76 for around £25-£30 and is in frequent use. It's an
all cast ally frame with galvanised pressed steel step, and sturdy ply
jaws-cum-benchtop, and looks much firmer than the modern pressed steel and plastic
version.

Two of the cast ally H-crossbars are moulded both sides, one with "Black & Decker", the
other with "WORKMATE, and the cast ally crossbar of the height extension legs with
"Dual-Height Professional" on the rear face only (so not noticeable from the working
position). The lettering is all topped in blue (anodised?).

The instruction label under the bench jaws says "WM 325 ONLY" referring to opening the
extension legs. Anyone know the model number of the single-height version?

Details for enthusiasts...
Height of top - 825mm legs extended, 585mm legs folded.
Worktop made from plywood, believed to be beech.
10 steel-lined stop-peg holes in each half of top.
100mm max parallel jaw opening.
Jaws can open different amounts each side to give a clamp angle up to 8.5 degrees.
Total worktop area 740x346 opened, 740x247 closed.
Worktop thickness 17.6mm (reinforced to double thickness below clamp edges).

Have seen a couple on eBay for £100.

Phil

Thanks for that information. Yours is the same model, 325, as is owned
by mechanic for which he can't source a spare foot.

The 325 is intermediate between Ron Hickman's first design which had
a wooden base with feet on the corners and thick jaws, and the much
more common 79-001 where all the components apart from the alloy H frames
are made from pressed steel.

What's maybe surprising is that B&D persisted for so long with the all
cast design which presumably was much more expensive to produce than the
pressed steel version.

What's equally surprising, given that all this is relatively recent. is the
lack of any authoritative or definitive history of the Workmate and its
development; either online or in terms of written sources referenced
by the online "histories", so-called. Although presumably checking
sufficient back issues of old DIY and trade magazines would probably
provide all the answers.

I believe the single height version is (nowadays at least) called the
Workmate 1000


michael adams

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