New Foldable Work Bench

[BillFarworth]

Boys I am looking to purchase a Foldable Work Bench not to use for welding!
Is this one any Good?

http://www.conrad-uk.com/ce/en/prod...-Multi-purpose-clamping-and-workbench-6177000

 

[cumbriasteve]

I have seen similar in B&Q for a fraction of the price and this one does not look too far away
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/100Kg-Fol...888?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item53eddc1c28

 

[BillFarworth]

cumbriasteve the Wolfcraft is a really reliable brand with good quality stuff!
The one in your link seems really poor in terms of quality .
Price is really low and you cannot compare with the Wolfcraft !
Something cheap and reliable will be welcome

 

[brightspark]

u can get a crap and decker dual height workmate for 47 quid / im not a great fan of em but there quite handy for jobbing around

 

[Shox Dr]

You can't beat B&D workmate, I've had mine for 30yrs now, battered but still working, was using it today.

A mate rents a house from another mate, and in one of the rooms there is an almost unused cast B&D. must be worth a bit to a B&D anorak collector

 

[BillFarworth]

Is the Dual Height Crap and Decker (HAHAHA) better than The Wolfcraft one!
Black & Decker done some very nice tools in the past now days it only doing crap.
I have a 40 to 50 years old drill that still work.
The orange one !

 

[hotrodder]

The one in Steve's link is cheap and nasty. It's also my favorite type of folding/portable bench because AFAIK no one makes one that's actually really good. The origonal Black & Decker workmates are the nicest made ones i've seen/used and they're still a bit pants but (relatively speaking) are expensive and a ball ache to set up/fold due to the dual height thing.

My personal take is to buy TWO of the cheapest you can find (regardless of brand as most of 'em are similar/the same cheapnese tat with different names and prices). Instead of using the top 'as is' i cut a decent size piece of wood* and clamp that in/to the top. Having two of 'em = a smallish bench or two smallish benches or one larger bench/trestles


* i skin the wood with sheetmetal and use 'em for mobile welding tables as well as 'extra' work surfaces as needed. Can add a 'proper' vice without destroying the origonal (nasty chipboard on the cheapies, better quality ply on the pricier ones) top etc etc

ETA mine are Screwfix (from back in the day when they were under a tenner ea) and because the jaws are sloppy i attach my homemade tops this way so you can pick it up without it falling apart...

Red is the 'workmate' top, rest should be self explanitory

 

[gavuk]

As above ......I do exactly the same

 

[cumbriasteve]

cumbriasteve the Wolfcraft is a really reliable brand with good quality stuff!
The one in your link seems really poor in terms of quality .
Price is really low and you cannot compare with the Wolfcraft !
Something cheap and reliable will be welcome

Yes I agree, it's cheap and cheerful but it will wobble about just the same as the Wolfcraft one, I think you will find there is very little difference with the gauge of the steel used and certainly not enough to warrant the price difference.

The 2 B&Q cheapies I have owned for over 10 years have had a very hard life and apart from losing a bolt on one of them, they still function as when bought, albiet look ready for the scrapheap.

 

[pedrobedro]

I have a B&D Workmate that I bought almost 40 years ago and another that I bought for £5 on a flea market a couple of years ago. They are dual height and no trouble to open or fold up, it takes 30 seconds either way. I have a piece of OSB with a 3x2 screwed to the back which I close the jaws on to make a bench for my chop saw, the opposite way round to hotrodder's but the same end result.

 

[Flathead_Dave]

I have a B&D Workmate that I bought almost 40 years ago and another that I bought for £5 on a flea market a couple of years ago. They are dual height and no trouble to open or fold up, it takes 30 seconds either way. I have a piece of OSB with a 3x2 screwed to the back which I close the jaws on to make a bench for my chop saw, the opposite way round to hotrodder's but the same end result.

Sounds like mine,a WM700.I've done the same,but used flooring grade 22mm chipboard.
Use a chop saw on it,have welded on it,and rebuilt car engines on it.
What I like about the B&D is,it's the only one I've seen that folds flat.
I've got a couple of those Screwfix £10 ones,but unless you remove a couple of bolts,the sheet metal arms stick out 6 inches when folded.

 

[Wedg1e]

I have a Workmate but find it is of limited use so I built my own folding table for site use.
Random slab of 18mm plywood as a top (1000 x 600mm I think) determined the size.
Odd lengths of 25mm box left over from some knock-together benches were the makings of the frame and offcuts of aluminium angle stripped from an old radiation enclosure were used to edge the top.
Bit of welding to pull it all together and the result has had over 200Kg of steel blocks on it without bending, yet it's light enough to carry around with one hand and has a sensible work area.
Even if I'd had to buy all the materials it'd probably have come in under £50.

 

[GrahamGKD]

I searched for an old B&D Workmate since everyone says they are better than the modern ones but couldn't find one so eventually bought a bench from this ebay seller. A bit expensive but well thought out and well made.

 

[ukracer]

I searched for an old B&D Workmate since everyone says they are better than the modern ones but couldn't find one so eventually bought a bench from this ebay seller. A bit expensive but well thought out and well made.

You got any pics of your bench/table mate as the seller is no longer on ebay. .

 

[GrahamGKD]

You got any pics of your bench/table mate as the seller is no longer on ebay. .

I know he has gone from ebay - I thought to buy a second one but then discovered he had gone. As I remember the story, he made a run of the benches as prototypes and tried to get a manufacturer to do a full production run. No one would take on production because it was considered the benches would be too expensive to make. The one I have was from the stock of original ones he made. I imagine they are all gone now, hence him not being on ebay any more.

I can take some pictures if you like?

 

[ukracer]

I know he has gone from ebay - I thought to buy a second one but then discovered he had gone. As I remember the story, he made a run of the benches as prototypes and tried to get a manufacturer to do a full production run. No one would take on production because it was considered the benches would be too expensive to make. The one I have was from the stock of original ones he made. I imagine they are all gone now, hence him not being on ebay any more.

I can take some pictures if you like?

That would be brilliant. ..

 

[winchman]

Boys I am looking to purchase a Foldable Work Bench not to use for welding!
Is this one any Good?

http://www.conrad-uk.com/ce/en/prod...-Multi-purpose-clamping-and-workbench-6177000

Bill could you please not post links to new tool sites, its just cost me one hour mooching around and I have spent £22!

 

[GrahamGKD]

That would be brilliant. ..

OK, I'll try and do it later today - I presume you want enough pictures to see how it is put together?

 

[ukracer]

OK, I'll try and do it later today - I presume you want enough pictures to see how it is put together?

That would be awesome mate...

 

[pondy]

http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/HEAVY-DUTY-...H-FOR-MIG-TIG-WELDER-/151872569241?nav=SEARCH

I use this. I have had it a few months but thought I paid more like £60, seller has a buy it now aswell as auction, has hight adjustment and can tilt the table and it also folds flat. I have a large wooded bench were all my tools and welders live then do all my welding on this. Having a single garage it really helps with space