help - workmate type folding bench

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nickturbo

Joined
Mar 20, 2010
Messages
162
I am looking for something to use as a temporary work bench that I can fold up and hang on the wall when not in use....maybe something like that Workmate from Black and Decker.....has anyone used one, or maybe have any alternative suggestions?

thanks
 
I have owned and used one (like the image below) made by Skil for years. Why Skil? It was on sale. :D

It's stable, clamps onto and holds work well.

3n53o13l65V15U65P4b6i3c3e239023c21d37.jpg
 
I have a workmate. It is a little low but seems pretty stable. I haven't done anything major with it other than cutting a few boards and scraping a door.
 
I have a Workmate and it has been a good little portable worktable. One thing that is nice about it is the ability to use it at two different heights. The short legs can be folded up if you need to work on something that is on the large size. The two things I dislike about it are that since the back section is adjustable, it can move around a little if you don't have the front part tightened against it and the other is sometimes the metal frame can make it tricky to clamp things directly to the table. The second thing can be overcome by making a larger solid top of plywood or MDF with a strip underneath to clamp down in the vise. Just be sure that it's not so big that it gets in the way of the cranks in front.
 
I've used Workmates and others similar to Workmates and they work better than the old fashion sawhorse.B&D makes a smaller version of their workmate also that clamps onto a regular workbench that gives you a better working height,it's a little smaller than the floormodel Workmate but the table tilts also.
 
I've had a Stanley workmate for about 30 years. Done all sorts of projects on it. The clamping top has been really handy. Recommended.
 
Have you looked into the "JawHorse"?

4182ExyNbHL.jpg

Ive seen it at the local homedepot
looks very interesting,I may research more and pick one up.


[youtube]89hes1BNqNE[/youtube]
 
The Jawhorse does look interesting but you would need 2 or at least a sawhorse to support the other end of a long piece,Workmates don't need that!
 
If you look at 3:50 in the above video
you will see it can hold a 4x8 sheet of plywood.
I think a 2x4 or 3x4foot piece of plywood as a worktop
would be held rather easily.
 
I got the Jawhorse a couple of years ago after seeing it advertised in an infomercial and it is amazing. I use it for general fix-ups for around the house and farm but also use when making hiking sticks, which it works great for. I position the stick, lock it, clamp it in with foot pressure, then sand the knots with a angle grinder loaded with a sanding disc. When all the knots on the upside are taken care of, I unlock, rotate the stick, lock, pump with foot to close jaws, and grind some more knots. This process is real quick and it takes very few pumps on the lever to get the jaws to close. When they do, that piece is locked in and I mean super tight. I hope I wasn't too wordy but I can highly recommend this thing.
 
The July/August ed. of The Backwoodsman has an article about attaching a 2x4 onto a small shelf board and then clamping the 2x4 onto the Workmate to make a small work bench. Even attached a 1x1 on the back side to keep items from rolling off.Looked pretty handy.
 
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