I have 3 workmates. The first one was a gift more than 20 years ago and the other 2 I picked up cheap. I ordered replacement parts from toolpartsdirect.com. They arrived quickly and fit perfectly. I had to do some looking at the parts diagrams and some figuring as my exact models were not listed either.

Two of my workmates had the 3 table tops. The brackets I ordered for the removable tables worked on both. The knobs and handles I ordered fit all three of my workmates.

For the tables (jaws) I would recommend making your own. I made a set out of Ipe and they work great! Ipe is so hard I doubt they will ever wear out!

http://www.toolpartsdirect.com/blackdecker-79-042-type-1-workmate-2.html

 

I bought parts for my very old one from ereplacementparts.com, believe it or not.

 

I suppose I could make my own jaws, but juggling my time vs buying something ready-made for the purpose is a consideration. If I went that route I'd want to think about potentially lining up the holes such that they'd be compatibly spaced with the ones on my new Festool table. If for no other reason than 'because'. At a certain point it'd be less hassle to just pitch it, but I'd rather avoid just throwing it away if I can get it set back up again without a lot of trouble.

I agree, Ipe (brazilian ironwood, right?) is fantastic stuff. Although it's a real workout for the tools to cut it!

Let me ask you this, of the three you've got, is the hardware under the outside jaw (the one not controlled by the screws) the same on all of them? Or reasonably close such that you could use the jaws interchangeably? That is, they'd fit into the slots in the sheetmetal.

I don't have my original outside jaw so I have nothing to compare. My movable jaw MDF is wrecked so I'll have to replace it too. I'm thinking if more recent models of Workmate use hardware that would/could be used in this old one then I'd be willing to consider replacing the mounting hardware for both jaws, if necessary.

 

Where are you located? If somewhere near any kind of populated city, I'd check CL for a while. They are always showing up around here typically for $10 up to about ~$50 depending on model and condition. You can never have too many

Cheers,
Brad

 

I'm in MD near DC, and have checked CL for them. I don't really need another one. I'd just like to get this one back in working condition. Yeah, another one from craigslist could possibly be found for less than the parts & time to fix this one. But then I'd still have this one or waste landfill space chucking it.

 

I m in MD near DC, and have checked CL for them. I don t really need another one. I d just like to get this one back in working condition. Yeah, another one from craigslist could possibly be found for less than the parts & time to fix this one. But then I d still have this one or waste landfill space chucking it.

- wkearney99

I was thinking more along the lines of having another one you could use to make the missing bits on your other one. Could probably cobble together the parts needed from your local hardware store if you saw what they looked like up close and in person

Cheers,
Brad

 

Yes, but then I'd have another one.

I'm going to wing-it and see if the brackets from a newer Workmate will fit. Part#: 243024-00

 

One of my Workmates is an older model where the rear table is fixed. On the other 2 Workmates the tables are removable and interchangeable. On one of the two the front table swivels up 90 degrees to provide a downward clamping force, the other one doesn't so they are different models. The plastic bracket for mounting the table into the slot in the sheet metal is the same on both workmates. I broke one of the plastic mounting brackets by dropping something on the table when it was on the floor and I used a couple screws with different sized washers instead of the plastic brackets for a while. When I ordered new knobs for a recently acquired Workmate I ordered new plastic table mounting brackets…. The plastic brackets work much better than my washers on a screw… but the washers on a screw worked for quite a while.

I believe the brackets you posted a link to are pretty universal for the workmates.

I Love my Workmates and use them a lot for all sorts of projects. I clamped 2 X ten foot 2×4's into two of my workmates and had enough room to spray all of the new baseboard in my house… (With a lot of stretching on my part).

I bought a bunch of culled Ipe decking boards from a surplus place. I love Ipe (Yes, Brazilian Iron wood that sinks if you put it in water)! The decking guys cull the boards with gnarly grain patterns, I assume because they are more likely to warp. Of course to me the gnarly grain patterns are a gift! I did a glue up of the Ipe decking to increase both width and thickness to make my tables for my Workmate… you are probably right… a lot more trouble than it was worth… but I love them every time I use them!

 

I second making your own. Why buy another NEW workmate to scavenge parts from? What will you do with that topless workmate - junk it?

 

I ordered some brackets and will report back when they arrive. The original design, I think, used a metal 'nut' underneath plastic blocks under the outside jaw. The new style, I think, integrates the two. I suspected using plastic for that tab would be a weak point, I'll watch out for it. I thought about using block of wood and a screw with some washers. Glad to hear it works!

As for extras, I already have two of these (one being an old one). I don't use them often enough to need more, nor would I want to waste the space. But I'll be rearranging a shed soon and might pick up a spare if I see one…

 

Washers, screw and a little block of wood (I am sure I must have used a little block of wood but it was so long ago I don't remember) worked great for holding the table on. The problem I always had was getting the table off to move to the rear slots for a wider grip. I always had to futz with the table a bit and rattle it a little to get the screw head and washer out of the slot. Probably just an alignment issue on my part.

 

I'm pleased to report that parts for a new 425 do, in fact, fit on my old Workmate! I bought a new top set (3 pieces) along with the two missing underside brackets. Both fit perfectly on my old model 79-042 type 2.

The only downside is I neglected to realize I'd need a third set of the underside brackets for the new 3rd piece that comes with the top jaws kit. No problem, that's easy to order too. I could use a few spare top clips anyway, so I ordered them as part of a 242829-03 starter bag kit.

 

Thanks for the info, Bill. I've been looking for pre-made jaws for my 79-042 with no luck. This is the only post I've found regarding compatibility.

 

Thanks for the info, Bill. I've been looking for pre-made jaws for my 79-042 with no luck. This is the only post I've found regarding compatibility.

Nice, glad to help!