Recommendations

[Doug]

In need recommendations for a workmate type unit. I would be looking for, quality, economical, and ease of use.

Something I would be able to make good use of, but more than anything my wife would be able to use with ease and not frustration. I am going to use it till I have a bench made, once I am done with my bench it will be come hers.

[Mark Jerde]

Mine is pretty heavy. If she is going to setting it up, taking it down, and/or moving it around I suggest she be involved in the selection process. Go to the borg together & try several models.

If she's not going to be moving it, big, heavy and stable is good. Mine is very stable to use.

-- Mark

[Andy Dingley]

A Workmate. Lots of copies out there (and a few clones). None are as good as the original.

The very first Workmates were cast aluminium, not pressed and welded steel. These are very good bits of kit and well worth grabbing, if you see one at an auction.

Contemporary Workmates come with plywood, MDF or chipboard tops, in that order or robustness. They all work, but some last longer and are more damp-resistant than others.

The best Workmate models are the mil-surplus type (much stronger) or the more commonly found "industrial" sort. They're squarer, bigger and don't have the height adjustable legs, but they are a slightly better bench substitute.

I don't like the recent versions with the vertical clamping jaw. It loses too much rigidity. I'm not too impressed with the "single handed" version either, but it doesn't sem to have a real downside.

If you get one, a set of Workmate hold-downs (toggle clamps that go through the benchtop holes) is worth adding to it. They also sell spare plastic mounting blocks for the rear jaw. These are worth getting too, as you can make extra jaws for it, such as a router table.

-- Do whales have krillfiles ?

[Juergen Hannappel]

[...]

Some (maybe clones) come with laminated bamboo tops.

[B a r r y B u r k e J r .]

My genuine Workmate has a bamboo top.

Barry