Workwear in the workshop!

[Rue]

What do you wear in the workshop over your regular clothes? Any extra protection? Pros? Cons?

Until recently I never bothered with protection (from chore-related dirt) but lately I find it's nice to be able to stay a little cleaner/tidier.

I have tried a couple of different apron styles and found them all lacking in some way; material too thin, pockets too small to be useful, too awkward to put on/off, etc.

Then I got this one! I think it might just be a winner!

[jacobsaunders]

8 minutes ago, Rue said:

 

There is no need to cut your head off

[Rue]

...I had a moment...

But it's all good now! 

[Don Noon]

As my "regular clothes" consist of t-shirt and sweatpants (shorts in the Summer), I usually don't bother with extra protection unless I'm making lots of chips, dust or varnishing.  Then I have either a leather or denim apron to use if I feel ambitious enough to put it on.  They both have a pocket, but they only collect debris.  I wouldn't want to put any tools in there.

[Wood Butcher]

I wear an apron, but for woodworking, the ones with pockets are a pointless nuisance. Fills up with shavings, and no matter how much you think you shook out, the rest comes out in the washing machine, and gets onto anything else you washed with the apron.

Pockets can also snag on things, like the vice handle, or G clamps holding stuff onto the bench.

[David Rosales]

I've been thinking about getting myself a pair of steel toe shoes. Something like this: 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Reebok-Work-Sublite-Cushion-Alloy/dp/B07GX85G3D/ref=sr_1_3?crid=25X213O36RCU2&keywords=slip%2Bon%2Bsteel%2Btoe&qid=1685573520&sprefix=slip%20on%20steel%20toe%2Caps%2C101&sr=8-3&th=1&psc=1 

[David Burgess]

36 minutes ago, David Rosales said:

I've been thinking about getting myself a pair of steel toe shoes. Something like this: 

Soft-toed shoes are easier on instruments and knife tips when one drops them. Priorities, ya know.

1 hour ago, Wood Butcher said:

Pockets can also snag on things, like the vice handle, or G clamps holding stuff onto the bench.

Yup, no pockets for me. In addition to what's already been mentioned, there's the danger of whatever tools might be in them eventually scratching or marring an instrument.

[David Rosales]

1 hour ago, David Burgess said:

Soft-toed shoes are easier on instruments and knife tips when one drops them. Priorities, ya know.

Remind me. Wasn’t it Sacconi who first promoted the dedamping process of kicking the crap out of the instrument? 

[David Burgess]

15 hours ago, David Rosales said:

Remind me. Wasn’t it Sacconi who first promoted the dedamping process of kicking the crap out of the instrument? 

Sacconi didn't need steel-toed shoes to do that. People back then weren't sissies, unlike kids today.

[Shunyata]

After badly injuring a foot with a cabinetry project that slipped off my workbench, I wear steel toe shoes.  Not for violin making though.

Wear an apron for sawing and varnishing.  The pockets serve as my passive dust collection system.  :-)

[Don Noon]

17 hours ago, David Burgess said:

Yup, no pockets for me. In addition to what's already been mentioned, there's the danger of whatever tools might be in them eventually scratching or marring an instrument.

Most of the tools I use are very sharp, and I worry about damaging me or the pocket.  The non-sharp things I only get out to use occasionally, then leave them on the bench for a few weeks until I get around to putting stuff away. 

[jezzupe]

I usually just wear Carthart's, work boots and a T shirt, but recently, I've been exploring my more artistic side, so I layer over that with my exact copy of Miss Beale's  black tight's, as seen in Flashdance. Now most people would think, hey, wouldn't you want to wear those under the jeans and T shirt?

[David Burgess]

23 minutes ago, jezzupe said:

I usually just wear Carthart's, work boots and a T shirt, but recently, I've been exploring my more artistic side, so I layer over that with my exact copy of Miss Beale's  black tight's, as seen in Flashdance. Now most people would think, hey, wouldn't you want to wear those under the jeans and T shirt?

Back when I was living in Hollywood, there were a number of "major intersection exhibiting characters" who wore their undies as their outermost layer. One even wore a bra on top of her head, sorta like a bonnet.

[Mansfield Piggot]

56 minutes ago, jezzupe said:

Miss Beale

Call for Miss Beale!

[jezzupe]

33 minutes ago, David Burgess said:

Back when I was living in Hollywood, there were a number of "major intersection exhibiting characters" who wore their undies as their outermost layer. One even wore a bra on top of her head, sorta like a bonnet.

Ah yes, the trend setters of LA. or maybe she was one of those rare double Coneheads, I think they're from Belgium?

[jezzupe]

2 minutes ago, Bill Merkel said:

Call for Miss Beale!

Most people would think it's liberating, but really it just kinda bunches up down there.

[David Burgess]

6 minutes ago, jezzupe said:

Most people would think it's liberating, but really it just kinda bunches up down there.

Ah yes, the dreaded "bunchies".

[GoPractice]

On 5/31/2023 at 11:38 AM, Rue said:

What do you wear in the workshop over your regular clothes? Any extra protection? Pros? Cons?

Until recently I never bothered with protection (from chore-related dirt) but lately I find it's nice to be able to stay a little cleaner/tidier.

I have tried a couple of different apron styles and found them all lacking in some way; material too thin, pockets too small to be useful, too awkward to put on/off, etc.

Then I got this one! I think it might just be a winner!

( pic )

At a shops, I wear dress shirts and a tie so the light cotton apron with pockets for pencils, pick, comb and and a pocket for rosin and possibly a pack of strings when really busy.

Much might have to consider the distances one covers. I worked in a plant where I walked between buildings and it became annoying to ask others for the use of their tools and had my own specialty tools. We were required to wear protective articles of clothing.

The straps with pads with buckles up front might imply that the pockets can carry a heavy load. An alternative to a tool belt?

With metal shavings present, pockets can be a bit dangerous to finger tips and some leather pockets are difficult to reverse. I do vacuum out pockets.

I should use an apron more frequently as I have a box of underworn dress shirts with cuts, snags, or stains. These are worn during painting and staining at clients homes.

Thick leather can be helpful when there is the possibility of being pummeled by heavy or strong blows. 

[GoPractice]

Steel toed shoes are important for many. The fit matters as the toe box is inflexible.

As a youngster, alternative thinkers always had me over analyzing.

At one plant steel toed shoes were required but most of the men did not wear them. The machinery was moved often with fork lifts and the materials were packaged in thousands of kgs. When it came time to work on the floor, I had to ask why not to wear the steel toes? Many remarked that the work we did was mostly dangers of the materials landing on the front of the shoes. Generally alert people would be able to pull their feet away in time before an injury occurred. And the load might land on the big toe. If at this location a similar load landed on the big toe with a steel cap, they were more likely to lose half a foot. They argued that the cap would plunge through the sole or shatter. We did not use heavy hand controlled tools or materials. It was argued that most materials and tools dropped on their feet would not injure most where there would be lost time. These guys thought they were doing the right thing.

Being young and clumsy, purchased steel tipped boots. Those were the days that most of the workers that worked outside of this manufacturing area wore Ben Davis over/ coveralls. I still have a pair here somewhere and a hardhat. It's purposefully ironic when kids on campuses wear Dickies, and any number of work wear ( or they had hard working grand parents. ) 

[Melvin Goldsmith]

No flappy clothing to get caught in machines and for that reason I never wear an apron despite having been trained to wear one. I also often hold work between my knees which an apron impedes. I always wear a short sleeved shirt and no watch or finger rings. I keep my hands clean and washed between all operations.

[David Burgess]

10 hours ago, Melvin Goldsmith said:

No flappy clothing to get caught in machines and for that reason I never wear an apron despite having been trained to wear one. I also often hold work between my knees which an apron impedes. I always wear a short sleeved shirt and no watch or finger rings. I keep my hands clean and washed between all operations.

Yup, no floppy clothing around machinery. Especially not a neck tie!

[jezzupe]

7 hours ago, David Burgess said:

Yup, no floppy clothing around machinery. Especially not a neck tie!

Quick. someone call Florian Leonard and tell him the remove the Armani work suit ...now there is a guy who knows how to dress, I just don't know if I could wear what he wears while working, maybe for breakfast at Tiffany's

[Don Noon]

7 hours ago, David Burgess said:

Especially not a neck tie!

Whoever invented neck ties should be strung up with one.  Stupidest thing ever.

[David Burgess]

1 hour ago, Don Noon said:

Whoever invented neck ties should be strung up with one.  Stupidest thing ever.

Since nose rings never really caught on, neckties are the next best thing for leading a man around on a leash. More subtle and humane, too.

[Bodacious Cowboy]

I take the chains off if I'm working on something valuable.