What do you wear? Keeping chips out of your non-machining life...

Jeans, slip on boots, T shirt or heavier when needed, leather apron and for the floor, I have always had a wood slat platform that I fashion from 1"x2" slats with the same under to lift off the floor. Gets the chips out from under foot for the most part and gives just enough to be like a fatigue mat. I hate those rubber mats, chips love to embed themselves in them and too easy to trip on them.
 
My shop is in what used to be our childrens' bedroom in our apartment...so I have to take extra precautions, although my wife has come to realize that the small chips I generally create don't hurt that much underfoot. I generally work in a bright yellow construction tshirt, shorts, crocs under a canvas apron. All of it is pretty effective, and keeps me from growing my beard longer. None of it is universally effective, at least partly because I inevitably leave the shop for one thing or another (our sole bathroom is right next to the shop...). C'est le guerre...
Tim
 
tmenyc said:
My shop is in what used to be our childrens' bedroom in our apartment...so I have to take extra precautions, although my wife has come to realize that the small chips I generally create don't hurt that much underfoot. I generally work in a bright yellow construction tshirt, shorts, crocs under a canvas apron. All of it is pretty effective, and keeps me from growing my beard longer. None of it is universally effective, at least partly because I inevitably leave the shop for one thing or another (our sole bathroom is right next to the shop...). C'est le guerre...
Tim
Click to expand...
Sounds like when we were living in an apt back in the mid 80's after we first got married. I made my Rapier and Mangosh (left handed sword) for Renaissance along with the leather parts for our costumes that we wore during many of the fairs we use to attend. Had to lay down a bed spread on the living room floor to catch everything and work there. Reproducing authentic costumes was very time consuming and expensive back then. At the time, there were no other sources for these costumes or patterns to make them. So you had to study portraits and we were also a member of the society that put many of these fairs on so there was information shared between the members. We use to make costumes for other fair goers too and made good money until companies started to produce cheap copies of the period.

I finally had a nice shop when we had our house and then moved from a house to our boat. So the Pilothouse and dock are my shops now. Much less room than the apt. But you do what you have to do. Looking forward to our retirement home, once we figure out where that will be and having a place for my tools and equipment that have been stored for over 12 years.

Bottom line you do what you have to.
 
Blue jeans, tennis shoes
and PPE (personnel protection equipment)
no gloves, lose clothes
 
I do occasionally get chips stick between my toes, that's not so pleasant
 
Christianstark said:
I rue the day my wife gets an errant chip in her undergarments.
Click to expand...
The day will come.

Pro Tip
Wife fishes out said chip and says "look what I found!" You: look excited and say "Thanks dear I've been looking for that one all week" and head downstairs quick. Then immediately run some machine that required earplugs.
 
I already mentioned what I wear. That's only half of the story.
How about a list of what I will NO LONGER wear in the shop?

1. Crocs/sandals: Because swarf is really millions of tiny razor blades. Leather shoes win.
2. Shorts: Swarf used to get in the leg hairs, but torching and welding took the hair off. Crawling under a vehicle or standing, shorts are out.
3. Tighty whities: Don't have a place for welding ballies or chips to go. Boxers allow these offenders to slip out the bottom.
4. Work clothes: No matter what, any little task will leave a nice shirt full of pinholes, or at the very least, overspray.
5. Watches, rings, and dog tags: We all know why, but still get reminded every time someone else screws this one up.

There are probably more, but I'm not feeling very smart today. Good day to put on some shorts and crocs and go turn some stainless.
 
Not a machining story but relatable to this subject.
I wear no jewelry of any kind as in the past I have caught most of it on something or another thats been a close shave but nothing permanent.
Many years ago when I was an actual chef in a large 5 star hotel at the time of the gold ingot wearing fashion we had a cocky chef (arnt most of us?) who loved wearing his huge gold ingot in the kitchen with his jacket open at the top so all could see his supposedly awesome piece of fabulously expensive gold.
Despite repeated warnings not to and button up he didn't.
One day he was bending over a very hot oven basting the joints roasting in side, the ingot was hanging down, when he straightened up there was an awful scream as the ingot swung back against his chest and branded him.
We all wet ourselves laughing with zero sympathy.
He never left his jacket unbuttoned after that.
 
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