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MG MGA - 'Work-mate'not so helpful!

I have been busy crating up my spare 1850cc 3 brg MGB engine and fixing it onto a pallet to send to the buyer in Germany.

I had already built up a strong wooden frame with strong castors on it to make it easy to move around the garage because I didn't like the idea of leaving the engine resting on the sump.

So, I took the castors off and bolted the wooden frame down onto the pallet, which I had reinforced to take the weight. The engine is strapped down using ratchet straps, plus some metal bars that bolt onto the engine mounting points and then down onto the pallet.

Its quite a job for a 71 year old, it took me a day or two to do all the work needed and afterwards, I was definitely walking about looking very much like a everyone expects a 71 year old to look! :^)

Fortunately, a hot bath and a few beers afterwards, fixed me up just fine!

I have a spare "Work-mate" copy that I bought recently from Lidl which I used it as a saw-bench during the crating-up process and in that role, it proved very effective for this.

However, it didn't fare so well when I decided to use it as a seat when I took a tea break halfway through the process and I ended up trapped in the wreckage, covered in hot tea! :^)

I'm not sure what this says about me though, maybe it's time to cut down on the biscuits! :^)

Cheers
Colyn






Colyn Firth

Hi Colyn,

that looks superb !! Very sorry about your "accident"!

Gio
Giovanni Delicio

Don't worry about the biscuits Colyn that Workmate copy look a bit unrobust, no top bracing bars and the vice top looks like your biscuits might have been stronger. :)

I got rid of my early(-ish, 1982) blue Black & Decker Workmate decades back as it was too heavy and cumbersome to move around, and I was a lot younger and a lot fitter and stronger back then, wouldn't fancy carrying it around now.

Very nice engine storing and I like the bolt on the oil filter to ease installation and replacement. :)
Nigel Atkins

Colyn

Sorry to say that the skinny ply sides of your crate don’t look like they would give much protection from a side impact. Also I would remove the oil filter complete from the flange on the block and ship it loose within the box.

Cheers
Dave
Bolney Coupe

The boxing can now be reinforced with the remnants of a copy Workmate.
Nigel Atkins

Don't worry about the crate Dave, the picture was taken at an early stage of construction and I took a pic so that you could see the engine cradle I made.

The crate now has much more timber around all the edges, plus lots of cross bracing for strength.
It is now strong enough to stand on.

I wanted it to be better protected than my 1950 cc engine was when it arrived, it had virtually no protection apart from lots of industrial strength cling wrap. There was a Weber 45 DCOE and manifolds wrapped up under the cling "film" too, all in plain sight too.

I have wrapped the engine in a large plastic bag and everything inside is padded too.

You may have noticed that I have also fitted a steel "Roo-Bar" between the front and rear engine plates to act as a bumper to protect the oil filter area.
I decided to leave the filter on to act as a cover the top of the upside-down filter system. I know it will be changed before the engine is run again.

Cheers
Colyn

I was going to junk the "work-mate" but it should be easy to replace the light-density fibre board with a couple of pieces of real wood. It will still make a reasonable saw-bench, but I don't plan on sitting on it again!
Colyn Firth

'Proper' Workmates can take a bit more weight.

I'm sure this midget engine is heavier than you.


Dave O'Neill 2

My original workmate held my 1800 absolutely no problem.

Useful bit of kit. I store it folded on a wall using its wooden vice clamped to a strip of wood anchored horizontally on the wall.

Steve


Steve Gyles

Had an old cast iron workmate once. It was quite sturdy. I kind of wish I had it now, but I have no space left in the shop.
Steve Simmons

I must admit that the original Workmate bench I had was an superb bit of design and engineering, I used it regularly for years as a trackside workbench for rebuilding the Villiers kart race engine.
I also used it to work on my Mk II 1622cc engine when the big ends went, a week before a trip to Switzerland back in 1975.
It just went on and on, and I eventually let my son borrow it back in the 90s and naturally, it never returned.

My "best" workmate is I think a B&Q copy and whilst it isn't as good as the original design, it is still much stronger than the Lidl version. Having wooden parts made from plywood instead of Balsa wood definitely helps.

Colyn
Colyn Firth

Great design the original Workmate - of course by Ron Hickman who also designed the Lotus Elan.

Progressively, they cheapened the design and by the time I got mine maybe 25 years ago, it had chipboard tops, rather than plywood. Whilst it folds up fairly neatly, irritatingly the legs (on over centre clips) often unfold themselves when I'm trying to stack it away.

Peter Allen

When I took delivery of my ‘as seen’ 1800 engine it was on a small pallet that I still have. The delivery guy just thought he would pick it up out the back of the truck, he got a shock when it didn’t move. He then used the tail lift and between us we walked it up our steep drive.

That workmate is absolute crap. I have stood on my original one many times to access my loft parts store and never even thought whether it was strong enough. Mind you I am nothing like as tall as you.

Paul
Paul Dean

Colyn

What a disappointment! - reading your original post, I eagerly clicked the "image" button expecting to see you on the floor, dripping wet from your tea.
Such a shame
:)

Graham V

Sorry Graham,

I suppose could have taken a picture of the front of my tea soaked trousers, but I decided that it gave a slightly worrying impression! and one best left to ones imagination.:^)

So these are the nearest I can come up with

I thought you would prefer the look of this first picture of the unfortunate person who is soaked from head to toe with "tea" (or perhaps, sea! )

Rather than this 2nd picture which, unfortunately, gives a much more realistic impression of how I ended up. :^(

Cheers
Colyn








Colyn Firth

Ha ha. Very good
Graham V

Colyn,

As always, you amaze me with your projects!

I gave Melon a Black & Decker Workmate as a Christmas present back in the '80's - we still have it and use it frequently.

Best,

- Ken
KR Doris

I was given my WM for Xmas in 1978. It was handy but it was never where I needed it to be and it is awkward to move about. Several years later it finally dawned on me that ancient man had invented the wheel.

Jud


J K Chapin

Horses for courses, Jud! Great workshop, you've got. Agree the Workmate is awkward to move about, but yours looks of much higher quality construction than my later model. Mine is of pressed steel with chipboard tops. It's a faff erecting it, and when moving it the legs fold out involuntarily! However, still very useful when doing work in different locations around the place.
Peter Allen

My simple storage solution.


Steve Gyles

Steve,
Sadly, I don't have that much spare wall space!
Shane
Shanerj

I've been shamed into restoring my late 80's workmate. Its getting there but I remember (and have bought) two springs that are somehow associated with the catches on either side. Trouble is I can't remember how and cant see where they would go.

Steve would you be able to take a picture (assuming yours has the springs

thanks and sorry for posting on the 'A' rather than Midget board
timmyk

Steve's looks like the one I had, the thing that always got me was that the turn handles to open and close the top went in opposite directions, I always thought that was strange and always forgot.
Nigel Atkins

Timmyk

Apologies for the late response. I have only just seen your post.

I hope the pictures help. As it happens one had fallen off mine so I am glad the other is still in place.

I can do close ups of both attachments points if that will help.

Steve





Steve Gyles

Thanks Steve I think that works
timmyk

This thread was discussed between 25/06/2021 and 06/07/2021

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