Features the onehanded clamp system and adjustable swivel pegs for clamping awkward shapes. His wife was not impressed and hickman came up with a simple, multifunctional bench a combination sawhorse and vice on a foldable alloy frame. My workmate is almost 30 years old and two of these broke. You can read more about the history of the workmate here if you are curious. The inventor who made diy possible for millions of britons has died aged 78. Workmate inventor who made diy possible for millions is dead at 78. Post office box 744 vass, nc 283940744 9102453049 8003384972. Bought replacements and they arrived in about 4 days. Workmate inventor who made diy possible for millions is.
Winner of the council of industrial designs design centre award in 1973. Imagine reading them on something squished into a few tiny comic book. At one point the workmate was selling 15,000 units a day. After hesitation about the success, north america finally launched the product 1975, and since, there have been more than 30 million sold worldwide. Both were designed by ronald hickman, a south african who left his. History of the great workmate workbench tools first. It is a folding table for portability, but when expanded stands about 3 feet 1 m tall. The basket weavers workmate pattern compliments of. Black and decker workmate parts that fit, straight from the manufacturer. Both were designed by ronald hickman, a south african who left his native country to design cars in england. Folding portable workbench clamp vise easy storage at the best online. This story appears in the june 2015 popular mechanics. The idea for his invention of the famous workmate workbenchcumvicecumsawhorse came to him after he cut up a large piece of plywood, in a cramped space, using a windsor chair for support.
South african ronald price hickman was a design engineer working for lotus, the sports car manufacturer. Book, journal, website blog, newsletter, private research, personal use. The table top consists of two wooden jaws, one of which is fixed and the other able. Workmate p425 portable project center and vise with the power to hold up to 550 pounds, the workmate portable woodworking bench and vise can stand up to tough tasks. He was also an avid tinkerer and an amateur builder. See more ideas about woodworking, woodworking bench, portable workbench. Get the best deals on black and decker workbench when you shop the. When did black and decker stop making the workmate using. Hickmans inspiration for the workmate came in 1961.
The first massproduced workmate had the cast aluminum h frame, and is known as the model 79001. Workmate portable project center and vise wm425 black. Ever wondered how the famous workmate workbench came about. Included is an extensive demonstration of the ever versatile bench bull. Use our interactive diagrams, accessories, and expert repair help to fix your black and decker workmate. October 1932, ronald price hickman was the son of a bookkeeper. While building a wardrobe, he had used an expensive swedish chair as a sawhorse and inadvertently cut its leg off. If you enjoy making solid things, here is one of those tools, like the stanley knife, that has made itself indispensable. When did black and decker stop making the workmate using cast aluminum.
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