Ever wondered how the famous Workmate workbench came about?
It was originally invented in 1962 by a man named Ron Hickman.
Ron Hickman
Ron Hickman was an inventor and was born in South Africa in 1932. In the 1950s, he left and headed for London, where he worked for various companies designing cars. He worked for Ford Motor Company first where he started out as a clay modeller and later helped style the Ford Anglia. He then moved on to work for Lotus Engineering where he had a hand in designing race cars like the first Lotus Europa.
An idea was born
In 1961, Hickman set out to invent a better workbench after sawing a chair in half. Hickman was hard at work building a wardrobe for the home he shared with his wife. He couldn’t find a workbench that he liked, so he improvised by using two Swedish wooden chairs as a makeshift workbench and sawhorse. He was so focused on making a straight cut through some wood with his saw that he cut right through the wood and into one of the chairs.
It was this incident that changed his life. Instead of cursing the fact that no workbench existed with a bench vise that could have helped him avoid this situation, he set out to design one himself.
From the very beginning, Hickman was not setting out to make a typical professional workbench. What Hickman set out to do was to make something completely different. He wanted something lightweight and portable that could adjust to a variety of jobs.
Eventually, the Workmate workbench was born and, over the next several years, evolved into a version of the Workmate that we would recognize today.
Hard beginning
Hickman was initially rejected by a lot of companies including the likes of Black & Decker, Stanley Tools, Spear & Jackson and Wikinson, who told him there was no market for something like, noting that no one would want to carry such a large tool.
Change of tactics
Having been rejected by various companies to develop his work bench, Hickman decided he had to change his approach. So he took it upon himself and decided to try sell his invention and trade shows.
His first break came in 1968 when he convinced a DIY magazine to let him exhibit at the Ideal Homes Exhibition in London. From there, he managed to sell 1,800 within a year.
It wasn’t until 1971 when eventually, Black & Decker changed their mind, and saw a future for the bench. They began to work with him to improve his initial design, and in 1972 it went in to mass production. Black & Decker’s MKII version of the Workmate first hit market in the UK where it was sold for £24.95.
Worldwide success
The Black & Decker Workmate was soon rolled out across Europe and the majority of the rest of the world, with the exclusion of the Americas, Australia and Japan. After hesitation about the success, North America finally launched the product 1975, and since, there have been more than 30 million sold worldwide.
Having proved successful, Hickman had successfully defended his patents in court many times because a lot of companies tried to infringe on his design. Considering that he was once told his design wouldn’t sell, you can see just how influential it was by the amount of people who tried to copy it.
The perfect portable workbench
What is it about the Workmate workbench that makes it so special? It’s something that, once you start using it, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it. It’s a lightweight portable, foldable combination of a sawhorse, workbench, and vise that serves as a multipurpose work station. It has an adjustable height and the vice can grab squared objects as well as irregularly shaped ones.
When using it, you can access your work from all sides and it’s easy to pick up and move it to wherever you need it to be. When not in use, it can be folded flat, carried like a large briefcase, and stored on a hook. The version available today weighs only twenty-six pounds and can hold up to 550 pounds. All this and it’s exceptionally affordable, selling at around $100. Check out one of the commercials from Black & Decker below:
Success
Ron Hickman was inspired to create the Workmate Workbench after he destroyed a chair. What he developed has since gone on to inspire more than thirty million carpenters, contractors, DIYers, and anyone else who has ever used a Black & Decker Workmate.
Resources
- https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=cjAnhBR2kLAC&pg=PA211#v=onepage&q&f=false
- https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=sAykBQAAQBAJ&pg=PT145&lpg#v=onepage&q&f=false
- https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=6pqjAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA191&lpg=PA191#v=onepage&q&f=false
- https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=cjAnhBR2kLAC&pg=PA216#v=onepage&q=1973&f=false
- http://www.stylingandsalvage.com/2013/01/10-vintage-black-and-decker-workmates.html
- http://www.stylingandsalvage.com/2012/01/rare-mk1-workmate-made-for-black-and.html
Hi Jacob, today I bought a Workmate at a garage sale. It is the 79-001 and has the cast Black and Decker parts, but also has a tag that says RP Hickman 1972.. kind of puzzling to me, any input? My plan is to clean it up like new. Thank you
Ron Hickman was the inventor/designer. He sold the rights of manufacture to Black and Decker for a royalty per unit sold and collaborated on an improved design around 1971 – Wikipedia. I believe I have the cheaper version of that Black and Decker design. Incredibly strong and sturdy and I wouldn’t part with it for less than 1 million dollars…lol
I still have the original 600 which does not have the foot plate. The top is very shabby now and in need of some restoration or more probably replacement. My intention this Spring is to give it the makeover it deserves after all the work it has gone through since 1971/7 2 when I purchased it. I will leave the original paintwork intact and the original transfer with the name and model number still clearly visible on the bottom plate. It’s been a brilliant workhorse and cost me around £24 at the time.
Hello,
I am writing from England.
I have spent some time researching the early Workmates. If you would like to ask any specific questions I will do my best to provide an answer.
Tom
Hi Tom.
I have one of the original all aluminium duel height Workmates with aluminium legs. However, the left hand locking/release part has just broken and I have no idea where – if at all I can get a replacement part. Can you help at all with information about its model number, or where I could get a replacement part?
Thanks.
Richard.
…I have the same early cast aluminium dual height workmate with the same issue, but with the right hand catch/locking mechanism missing, as well as a broken right hand winding handle (although I’m not sure if it matters if it is LH or RH. Have trawled the net without success. If anyone else knows where one could be had, I would love to know.
Cheers
Bill
Hi Tom, any idea which version was selling back in 1981? That’s when I bought mine, still in perfect working order but could do with new rubber feet and tge leg locking devices.
Regards
Bob
I have a Workmate WM325 which I have owned for about forty years. It is excellent in every way but I am having no luck in sourcing replacement rubber feet for it. The ones I need are the ones that push into sockets in the aluminium frame, not the adjustable ones although if I could source them I would get some spares of those as well.
Any help would be appreciated
I don’t know if you solved this yet but the feet on Dexion 1″ square tubing [or clones such as Speedframe] have a 8mm thread.
If you coat this with one or possibly 2 layers of heatshrink tubing it becomes a very good press-in fit in the untapped sockets on the Workmate.
I used this on my all-alloy very early version
Hi Graham did you find any feet – I am stuck too JOHN
I have a WM325 And have lost the front feet. I went on Ebay and sourced some table/deck/cabinet adjustable feet with 8mm thread, 4 for £4.98. They fit fine although a little loose as Dave Smart says. I’ll just have to be careful and more aware of when I move it about unless I try the heatshrink tubing hack suggested. I also have one pair of the adjustable feet missing and these replacements fit perfectly. I hope that is of some help.
I had tried B&D but they didn’t have the parts. They did try very hard and sent me F.O.C some other feet which weren’t suitable. 10/10 for trying though.
The WM325 Type 3 seems to have been made in two versions, one with a wooden insert footplate and one with metal. Which is the earlier model?
Hello Tom
I’ve got a early workmate an want to know about the D-Clips for the feet.
Brought some off Ebay but seem to be to small. The ones on my workmate are light blue and the ones I got are black.
So can you help me to purchase a set?
Kevin
Hi Tom, can you identify this model from the mid-1980s please? and
Tks, Will
I worked at Frys Diecasting in the early 1970s and met Ron when we got the contract to make the ‘H’ frame in aluminium.
Hi Jacob, I’m writing from Mexico. I have one model 200, probably 26 years old, and two new model 1000 units that I bought from Amazon-Mexico three weeks ago.
The old one is perfectly firm and solid, and only required new rubber feet to be in pristine condition.
But I was surprised that the 2 new model WM-1000 are NOT as solid as my old one, and came new from the factory with some defects. Both units came slightly loose and required me to tighten all the screws of the folding legs structure, sloppy kwik ‘n dirty assembly it seems, But there were worse defects:
The first one has the Bamboo top cover not flat, but convex; the edges being about 5 mm lower than the center, and the moveable part of the bamboo top is starting to delaminate. Bamboo may seem a great idea for the Workmate top, but it is a demanding wood that needs to be perfectly dry (slow, stove dried procedure) to avoid twisting or cupping. Evidently the Chinese (or oriental) factory does not pay attention!
The second one came still worse: the moveable part of the top cannot be assembled because the factory misplaced the two orifices for the screws that hold down this part to the two plastic traveling nuts. The holes are about 7 mm out of place, so that the screws cannot go through it.
Amazon did offer to pick up the Workmates for an exchange, but as I have read that the misplaced orifices are not as uncommon, I feared that the replacements could come even worse, and because I am a DIY type of person, I preferred to keep both defective units and fix them by myself, and gladly accepted a 17% “discount” for my inconvenience (not attributable to amazon, as it is a B&D factory defect). The delaminating bamboo will be glued with yellow carpenters glue and heavy clamping. The cupped top I will try to flatten it, if not possible, I would make a new one with 19 mm ply or MDF, and for the part with misplaced holes, I will fill the misplaced holes with Epoxy putty and redrill them in the proper place.
Black & Decker has reached new lows in respect to quality and lack of inspection. Probably they hire a Chinese factory to perform ALL the work (including inspection) and simply do not care about their former prestige and image.
Let me point out that the recently fabricated model 1000 Workmates are NOT as firm as my old model 200… This is probably the result of the factory either using lower sheetmetal specification, or slighty thinner sheet metal, but also because the lockplates that hold the frame open or closed, have wider tolerances, that result in a very slight “freeplay” in the mechanism, which my older model-200 had perfectly fabricated.
My solution will be to add several diagonal braces fabricated from 1/2″ pipe with flattened ends attached to the frame with screws. As I do not have the special anchor rivets (a kind of blind rivets) to attach the diagonal braces, I will resort to a trick: to introduce heavy Nylon fishing line through the holes drilled at proper places in the legs, in order to “fish” the tip of machine screws though the holes, form the inside of the legs out (the fishing line is first attached to the screw tip that has been ground thinner at the tip with a piece of heatshrink tubing. Once fished out through the leg, the screw is held with a thin nut, and the diagonal brace is attached with wingnuts, so that it can be quickly removed in order to fold the legs.
As a final note, I believe that the original design was much more firm and solid, but present day Black & Decker geniuses have transformed a once excellent product into a flimsy one that is probably bought by consumers because of fame or name, but not quality anymore. Amclaussen.
Following on my comments on the new Workmate-1000, owners of this model can find some useful information at:
https://servicenet.blackanddecker.com/Products/Detail/BDST11000
According to the EXPLODED ART view (downloadable pdf), the proper names of the parts that I found to be defective or “less that desirable” are:
a) #73 5140134-54 VICE JAW FRONT (the Bamboo is cupped in my new Workmate)
b) #74 5140134-55 VICE JAW REAR (sliding part, came partly delaminated from factory in one unit, and wrongly perforated -holes misplced 7 mm in the other unit, so that screws cannot pass through).
c) #11 5140133 LOCKING ARMS (The locking edges have slight play, so the workmate is not firmly locked and becomes flimsy)
d) #29 5140134 PEGS, either their orifices in the bamboo cover or “VICE JAWS” are too small, or the PEGS are too large diameter, as it is almost impossible to insert into the bamboo “Vice Jaws”
Hello,
I’m looking at a Workmate Plus model 79-042 in excellent condition on Craigslist. Do you have any idea what this cost when new? About how old might this be?
Thanks for any information you may have.
Re: Black & Decker Workmate, Work Center & Vise (no model #)
I have this Workmate, but I don’t know what model # it is. I see others with model#s displayed boldly either on the table top or the frame below, but this one does not have that. Where would i find the model #? I believe it was bought in the 1970s and I read that they weren’t available in the USA until 1975, so if you could help me determine the model #, I would appreciate it very much.
Thank you!
I just bought my first workmate from an estate sale of a contractor. I’m a new woodworker and there was a reason I have not bought sawhorses. Looks like this is going to be good times ahead for me with this as soon as I learn all it can do. So excited!
My MK2 B&D workmate is as good now as when my father (deceased) bought it in the early 70s!I have used it for the last 20 years ,almost every day . I hope to pass it on to my son when the time comes,but until then… It still remains a talking point when people recognise it.what a brilliant tool
Hi Jacob
I’ve acquired several of the all aluminium model Workmates over the years. I like the look of them and find them extremely useful. However I’ve also got one of the pre Black & Decker ones as in your first picture which I’m refurbishing at present. These are not all that rare, I’ve seen several, though of course not nearly as common as the B&D ones. With it however I got an add-on bench called a Team-mate which I have never seen a reference to. It bolts and clamps to the Workmate to give a higher bench surface but without a clamping feature. It’s just a small bench with folding legs one end, the Workmate supporting the other end. A very clunky idea compared to the later dual height design so maybe few were made. I’d be interested to know if anyone else has seen one or knows anything about them.
HI Jacob
Thanks for the informative article. I bought a similar bench used from Craigslist in th U.S. It’s called SUPA-BENCH. It’s similar to the work mate except the wooden jaws open in two directions. So the top consists of four square blocks of wood. Two turn handles open the jaws front to back . A third turn handle and screw opens the jaws left and right. Can you provide info on this? It seems like one of the patent infringements you mention. Or maybe developed in a country outside B&D”s reach?
I have stumbled upon this Forum regarding Early Workmates and for what its worth I would say that I “could not do without it”
When I was first married 60 years ago we lived in 2 rooms and I refurbished the rooms using my Work Mate as the basic bench.
In later years in better circumstances I used it as a bench for car parts etc until the day I pushed my luck and rested a complete engine on it, the “H ” frame fractured. Replaced the frame until years later did the same sort of thing again, replaced the “H” frame again. Last year I replaced the wooden work tops and so it will continue, its a bit like “Triggers Broom” its had two new handles and 3 new bristle heads.
Recently rescued the same design Workmate WM325 from a skip nearby for spares, after stripping it I realised that I could restore it and end up with 2 Workmates and thats what I am doing at the moment.
I am glad that there is still interest in this useful piece of kit.
Further to my earlier Forum comment, I realise that I have a quite Rare accessory that was available for Workmate 325 and that is a “Heavy Gauge Aluminum worktop covers” one edge is quite thickly mounded in order to carry out sheet metal folding etc obviously fairly thin gauge steel or Aluminium only.
These are held to the wooden work tops by a single threaded screw with a large knurled circular “Nut”.
I have never seen these on any other Workmates, mine are now covered in dried cellulose and various other paint remains but still useful.
Last year I replaced the wooden worktops but made the mistake of not using Marine Ply or Outdoor Quality ply – result Ply de-laminating? So starting again with correct material!!!
What a great site – I was just trying to decide how old and what version my workmate is – just rebuilt a door I think it’s circa 1982 purchased in the Uk could do with new runner feercand the plant clamp parts
Hi Jacob. Some years ago I had the pleasure of meeting and spending an afternoon with Ron Hickman at his home in Jersey. He took great pride in showing me around and giving me the full tour of the “Workmate Museum” at the top of his house (accessible incidentally by a lift he himself installed!). He showed me all the early prototypes prior to the first model to actually go on sale and the item I remember most vividly and one of Ron’s prized possessions was a picture frame containing two letters; on the left one from Stanley Power tools politely declining to take on the sale of workmates, saying they felt the item had limited appeal and wouldn’t sell. On the right a letter from Black and Decker congratulating Ron on the 50 millionth unit sold. Ron received a royalty of one pound per unit up to 50 million! He also gave me a small signed plaque where he inscribed (Warning, slightly NSFW) “Remember Peter, you can do anything on a Workmate…even your wife Jane!”
When I became a renovation contractor in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada in 1985 I bought a model 200 Workmate primarily for use as a portable table saw and chop saw stand. The locking mechanism was poorly designed and the table would collapse if jarred or pounded but I did notice that later models corrected this flaw. Because the tops on these erode or de-laminate when left outdoors many homeowners put ‘dead’ Workmates out at the curb on garbage day which has allowed me to scavenge quite a few over the past 25 years. My real prize roadside find was one of the beautifully made earlier versions with the aluminum frame. I replace the ruined tops with one inch thick White Oak (rot resistant, tough and hard) boards which easily last 15 years outdoors and ‘indoors’ Workmates receive Red Oak, Yellow Birch or Maple (less expensive) tops. I don’t see Workmates around at stores anymore and I’m wondering if they’re still being made? For sure I haven’t come across anything that is better or more useful.
Hi,I live in Jersey in the Channel Islands. Ron Hickman livened less than 1 mile from my house,but I never actually met him. Last week,I bought a mint in the box vintage black and decker work mate that came from his estate. There were about 8 different workmates at the auction,and all of them were mint.
I’m not going to use the one that I bought. Think I will get a letter from the auctioneer and put it in the box and my daughter can have it as her claim to fame. My Name is Norman Bedborough and you can contact me through Facebook if you would like to see pictures of it. The handles and stuff are aluminium not plastic,so must be pretty old.
Hi Jacob,
Just had a big surprise, some guy on eBay selling an original aluminium bodied original for £1250. Earlier today i was using mine in the workshop. I bought it in 1966 out of the Janet Fraser catalogue when 1 was seventeen, I am new seventy and have Parkinsons Disease, but me and my old workmate keep soldiering on, though I should probably treat it with more respect now I know how much it could be worth. Best wishes from Wales
Tony
A simple question but one of interest to me. On the Black & Decker retail box it clames for the model pictured ” The Original Workmate 536 ” Is this a fact and if so why have they done away with the “three position” back rail slots on todays 536? as the model I bought a while ago has a single metal slide rail restricting the jaw gap to 135mm? ( dissapointing ) I`m sure my first 536 had a jaw gap of approx 220mm when positioned on the back slot, they seem to have made the 536 a poorer tool to me. It dosen`t make any sense to me that you use the same model number yet manufacture a lesser product, just my opion.
B&D used to make a “Professional 2000” model of the Workmate, apparently for tradesmen, but the 2000 is now pretty rare as production stopped years ago. It’s a lot heavier duty design than most other WM’s, with a very wide jaw opening to allow a large flat section to be dropped between (and level with) the jaws, to form a flat workbench. I bought a 2000 locally and that drop-in section was the one element missing, so I made one up easily from thick MDF and wood, restoring the Workmate to much like new as I went. My only real mod was to the slip-on (in my experience, slip-off and get lost!) rubber feet. I replaced them with bolted-on rubber doorstops! I hope to enjoy years of use from my revamped 2000.
Hello
Found this site while attempting to research a recent acquisition.
I thought it was a workmate, with metal covering over the wooden jaws.
As I cleaned a bit. I discovered that it is marked jobmate on the alloy frame.
I took the metal cover off, found s b and decker number 3980. Type 1.
I can not find any reference for it.
Any help?
Btw, yhevwood under the cover was pristine. Do need a knob for one sine of the cover that is missing.
I’ve just picked up a 625 for £15 I’m it as made in Ireland on the foot plate ,the feet on the lockout legs are adjustable ,it’s in fare condition and works as good as the day it was made,I would like to know how old it is if you can help ?
I have a workmate 2000 in pretty good condition, I’m thinking of selling it. What would be a reasonable price for this?