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I’m looking for a robust folding workbench/workmate type thing.
I want one with a fairly large worktop, though robust & heavy-duty is the priority here.
why does this half-assed forum still think links to Amazon are always Kindle links?
I find the plastic ones can be a bit wobbly.
So how about something like this..
I bought a keter portable bench as mentioned above. Was on offer so around £80 when I bought it. I've used it a few times. As long as you assemble it correctly it should be pretty stable and useful.
It depends what you want it for.
The keter thing is fine for power tools i am sure.
But being able to anchor the bench with your foot while planing or handsawing can make a massive difference to success.
For my main woodworking, which is mostly tracksaw based I use a couple of Stanley folding sawhorses which are notched to take 38 x 63 CLS timber. I plonk a board on top of the timbers to work on. Depending on the job I either use 2.4 metre studs or short cut down ones. My big board is a full 1500mm x 900mm MFT top.
If I don't use that I've got the oldest Workmate in existence.
Here it is in practice.
And in its compact form as part of a workflow.
Keter ones are cheaper at Costco
I inherited my dads when he died about 25 years ago. Original B&D and still rock solid. I bought a new one a few years ago cos I needed 2 for some work I was doing. It was only a cheap one but I ended up giving it away, not a patch on the old one. Thanks Dad.
I think an old metal black & decker is what I’m picturing in my mind’s eye. I’m sure my dad used to have one with a foot plate for steadying it, but it also had a large table. Similar to the 2nd in from the left in BigJohns workflow picture, but slightly bigger.
I had one of those older black and decker ones. It was certainly very solid. I found it a bit fiddly to set-up and heavy to move around, though, and gave it away.
My preference these days is two of the cheaper ones. You can put a couple of scaffold planks on top to make a large and very stable bench. It is also possible to work on larger sheets (usually 8' x 4') and long lengths of timber. Gives a flexible work surface and all packs away nicely.
Not immediately obvious but on the Keter one, the two wee yellow tracks you can see in the top take a couple of clamps which essentially work like vices to hold whatever you're working on in place. The clamps came with mine and theyre stored in the lower part. Super useful feature and can clamp some really wide bits
I had an ancient Workmate and when it finally died I bought the Bosch one.
Bosch - doesn't cut your fingers off when trying to fold it up. To be fair, that might just have been the old and word joints on the Workmate.
Workmate - More adjustable, better clamping, works at 2 different heights as you can fold out the legs. Better as a functional tool. I regret not buying it as the new one.
mildred
Full Member
I think an old metal black & decker is what I’m picturing in my mind’s eye. I’m sure my dad used to have one with a foot plate for steadying it, but it also had a large table. Similar to the 2nd in from the left in BigJohns workflow picture, but slightly bigger.
Workmate 2000.
By the looks of things BigJohn has an original workmate, a very different beast. Cast alloy frame, rigid and light. Sell for a fair amount these days i believe.
I was given my grandads old workmate, its older than me, one of the legs wouldnt fold properly, was all for ditching it. I found a guy on ebay and for 20 quid i was able to fix it.
It weighs an absolute ton, and pretty certain it will out last me 😉
If it doesnt need to be that portable, I would be looking at getting an old workmate. The ketter one looks ok if youve not got the storage space.
Yes that is an original. Dual height, that's with the legs folded under. You can see I screwed a bit of timber to a sheet of plywood and clamped it into the jaws to make a bit of a bigger work area.
It's a shame these guys disappeared - very clever - gave you range of work heights and lots of options for supporting larger materials
Thanks all for the advice; gone for the Black & Decker wm825 “deluxe”. I would’ve loved an old aluminium frame original, as I’m certain that’s what I’ve been looking for, but 2nd hand prices are outrageous.
Again, thanks for the suggestions.