I purchased this Workmate 425 at a garage sale for $5.00 which I thought was a great buy. It works as it is for many different uses but I found it limited for most of the projects I do. It also caused me to bend while working on it. So when I came home the other day with a bunch of scrap wood I picked up from a construction project I decided to build this Bench Bull.

Tools used Drill motor

1/4 inch wood bit

1/8th-inch wood bit

Hand saw

Elmers wood glue

Carpenters led pencil

various bits to fit wood screws

Step 1: Basic Build Up

I found that two pieces of wood side by side fit the opening of the Workmate with just a 1/2 inch of space to take up by tightening the Workmate. I simply glued and screwed four pieces of wood together. Making the base of the Bull. Then I made 4 10 inch long pieces and glued and screwed them together making 2 separate pieces and glued and screwed them to the base, giving me space between them and at the end allowing me to use clamps. Then I screwed 8 by 10's over the two 10 inch pieces, making one big heavy Bench Bull. I screwed metal plates to the 2 by 10 to keep clamps from destroying the wood. This raised the work surface to a height that allows me to stand straight, and it added weight to the WorkMate that makes it much more stable. The gap between the 2 by 10's are by chance due to using scrap and not cutting any more than I had to. I will find a use for the gap someday. I think by looking at the photos you will be able to custom build one to your needs. I did not go by any plan other than how it looked when I put things together and considered what I wanted to attach to it. I am sure I will modify this as the need arises.

Step 2: First Major Add on to the Bench Bull

I do minor clock repair on vintage Cuckoo clocks and needed to run the works before I reinstall the works into the case. A quick check of the scrap in my garage and simply screwed two pieces of pine to a piece of particle board and hand the works. I will let it run this way for at least 24 hours before reinstalling it into the case. Quick and simple add on's can make a Bench Bull one of the most used tools in your shop.

The clock works stopped from years of running, with the help of my bench bull and work test stand I made the clock works move again. It has been keeping time for several hours now and hopefully keep running for another 10 years.