Shop Atire?

[Sean Wright]

So here's a question.... When in your shop, do you wear a tool belt, a shop apron, or just work clothes?

Up until recently I just wore work clothes. Then I picked up a shop apron. I have used it several times, and find it very handy- lots-o-pockets! Plus I don't get as dust covered as I did before.

An old baseball hat, pencil behind an ear, and hearing protectors when running most big tools, are standard for me.

[Stuart Ablett]

I have a ton of Liquor Shop aprons, that when they get too beat up to wear at work, become workshop aprons. When turning I wear a turning smock, as an apron alone is not nearly enough

[Vaughn McMillan]

I generally change from my work clothes (jeans and a t-shirt) into shop clothes (grubby jeans and usually the same t-shirt), and put on my shop boots (sheepskin lined Ugg boots, like wearing slippers). When I'm turning, or doing something messy, I wear an old striped denim shop apron that was my granddad's. It has a big pocket in front, so if I'm turning, I wear the apron inside out...no pockets to catch the curlies.

Since it was a multiple choice poll, I voted "apron" and "work clothes".

[Travis Johnson]

There is no way you are going to get this woodworker to wear an apron or toolbelt in the shop!!

First and foremost there is that reoccuring image of my high school shop teaching wearing his dirty old denim one complete with ruler, tape measure square and that all important drill press chuck key. We had to go see him everytime we wanted to drill something and then he would run his yap and give you a safety lesson about drill press safety as he dipped deep down in his pocket and pulled out the chuck key as if it was the "almighty shop apron that I was not worthy of asking of oh great shop teacher". I have nothing against shop safety, but you got to keep in mind. Back then I would get out of school and hook up a corn chopper to a 120 hp tractor via the PTO shaft or, or work half the night on a dump trucks driveshaft...trust me a drill press was pretty tame compared to some of the rotating equipment we had on the farm.

The other reason is that aprons and toolbelts (or pockets) as we call them here in Maine, go against my shop fundamentals. My shop is laid out so that anything i typically need is right at hand...on the wall. Everything has its own spot so there is no losing things in my pockets or apron...they are put back where they are supposed to be. In fact if I do need to search for something that means my shop is messed up. I will stop right then and there, put everything away and then start again. Since I do this every 20 minutes or so, it only takes a second to do, and everything is right at hand. No need for pockets or an apron.

[tod evans]

levis and a t shirt.....when the weather changes a flannel, tape measure hooked on my right pocket, pencil behind my right ear held in place with a cap, pair of broken in redwings on my feet. for the odd trim job i`ll maybe put on my bags but generally i throw `em on the floor next to where i`m workin`...too many years with callouses on my hip bones, i just don`t like to wear bags anymore.

[Malcolm Webb]

I have a shop apron which I only wear if I go to the shop in my day clothes and decide to do something whist I'm there.

Generally, I wear a bright orange boiler suit -- my daughter calls it my "Guantanamo Bay Outfit". No offence meant guys. It has plenty of pockets and gets washed often because I am prone to wiping my grubby hands down the front. I also wear it for gardening, decorating etc

So I opted for "work clothes" in the poll.

[Chris Barton]

Spiderman pajamas.

[tod evans]

Originally Posted by Chris Barton

Spiderman pajamas.

no pictures please!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Jeans and T-shirt with pocket on it. When I turn, I wear the same attire. The shavings that end up in the pocket of the t-shirt feed the sawdust monster in my wife's wash machine and dryer!

[Ian Barley]

Boots - Steel toe caps - always. My Grandad lost a couple of toes from a crush injury in an iron foundry in the days before Health & Safety - he never walked the same. To me there is no downside as I buy good comfortable boots. They are probably the most comfortable footwear I own. In the winter I have an electrically heated pair that make working on a concrete floor more pleasant.

Good socks. I broke my ankle a couple of years ago and it is always a source of some discomfort but you will not believe the improvement that good socks make to comfort on a concrete floor. I buy "light trail" hiking socks by the dozen and my wife hates me for it.

Dungarees - I hate having to hitch up trousers to close the gap between top and bottom. With dungarees I can wear for a comfortable fit without exposing any parts to the cold that nobody else would want to see anyway. And I get lots of good pockets to fill with sawdust and chippings.

Work Tees/Sweats depending on the time of year. I have a couple of sweats that I have hacked the lower arm off as I don't like wearing long sleeves around certain machines.