Black & Decker Workmate

A "Workmate Plus", scored with a holesaw and licked with paint, as part of general DIY

The Black & Decker Workmate is a strong, adaptable general purpose portable workbench and general carpentry tool manufactured under the brand Black & Decker. It is a folding table for portability, but when expanded stands about 3 feet (1 m) tall. The table top consists of two sturdy wooden jaws, one of which is fixed and the other able to be moved in and out on threaded rods operated by handles, so it can be used as a bench vice to hold wood, metal and other parts while working on them. The legs underneath are designed to be strong enough to support the weight of a human so that it can be used as a stool to reach high surfaces, and has holes for retaining tools while working, or for drilling. Its edges are printed with measures and angles, and although it cannot be used as a mitre saw the jaws are wide enough to hold one or take a mitre box.^[1]

When invented, the designer Ron Hickman had difficulty convincing anyone to market the Workmate, and sold them himself at trade shows. Black & Decker released their first model in 1973 which sold a million in the first year.. They have since sold thirty million Workmates.^[2] Ron Hickman received a royalty of one pound for each Workmate sold, and became a wealthy man.^[3]

References

1. "Black & Decker Workmate Dual Height Work Bench". Argos (retailer). Spring–Summer 2014. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
2. "Inventor of the Workmate dies". The Register. 18 February 2011. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
3. "In praise of… the Workmate". The Guardian. 22 February 2011. Retrieved 18 May 2014.