When Buying A Used Workmate…
By Nick Carter
I bought my first Workmate (the classic cast aluminum frame type) at a garage sale at least 15 years ago. It was in relatively good shape with a plywood top. About a year ago I bought another used Workmate of a similar vintage that had one small difference… the top was particleboard instead of plywood. I tend to leave the Workmates outside year-round for projects and found that the particleboard did not, to put it kindly, hold up. After a year of Oregon rain, notice how severely the top is delaminating/disintegrating.
Slumped…
My other Workmate, left outside for 15 years, is very slightly warped but completely serviceable:
As you can see, the top is scarred from use but in great shape, even wet:
My small bit of advice in buying a used Workmate: unless you intend to only use it indoors or put it away promptly after use, get the one with the plywood top! I’ll have to make a new top for the disintegrated one now, won’t I?
August 26th, 2009 at 10:38 am
The new Workmate I bought a couple of years back has a top made from laminated bamboo. I imagine those will weather more like the plywood tops.
August 26th, 2009 at 11:07 am
I found a Workmate similar to your plywood one in a pile of junk at someone’s curb. It looked awfully sad…but after some WD-40 and scrubbing, it’s perfectly usable. The boards are cosmetically pitiful but they work just fine.
August 26th, 2009 at 11:22 am
I guess that I am confused as to why someone that appreciates tools would leave something like this outside for a year and not expect it to show weather damage.
Just my humble opinion…
August 26th, 2009 at 11:31 am
Jason, you’re right in one sense but I have two defenses…the other workmate has held up fine all these years outside, so I didn’t give it any thought.
My other defense is that I’m out of space…seriously…so I don’t know where I would put it when folded up. Plus it is a pain to fold these things up.
I did only pay $10.00 for it, so making a new top out of marine plywood I’ll come out ahead.
August 26th, 2009 at 11:33 am
I just made another set of plywood tops when the old ones got bad. It is easy to do. My Workmate has a steel frame; I would buy an aluminum one if I ever find one at a yard sale.
August 26th, 2009 at 11:45 am
Yeah I would consider making a laminate butcher block style top for these…. then put some deep seal poly on it and then who cares where you leave it
in fact to be a true cheap ass…. go to the Re-store near you , and get some oak flooring and glue them together, and then just take a belt sander to smooth it out if you don’t own a planer
ShopMonger
August 26th, 2009 at 4:04 pm
It’s glue and sawdust, what did you expect? Next time try some house wrap, Tyvek is a good brand.
August 26th, 2009 at 5:19 pm
Want to have a GREAT top on there? Get some TREX Decking! I don’t care how much rain you leave it in, the frame will go before the top does.
August 26th, 2009 at 6:39 pm
I’ve got my Grandpa’s workmate that he purchased from Sears in the early 80’s. It is still in very good shape. I’ve even got the bench dogs that came with it. I got a 2nd one for free from a family friend that was relocating.
I haven’t paid a dime for either of them but they are probably used more than any tool in my shop.
August 31st, 2009 at 8:45 pm
For Sho!
I got 3 used workmates for a total of $40. 2 on craigslist and 1 at Goodwill. Replacing the plywood is very easy.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradjustinen/3792461343/in/pool-toolmonger