[TheForge] Re: Femininity, clothing, and dealing with heat

[theforge@mailman.qth.net]

To All,
The most fire resistant natural fiber is wool! �When I worked in a large steel foundry many years ago, all of the workers on the pouring floor wore knee length wool coats and I have seen molten steel just bounce off, so to speak. It did not matter what the weather was like either. �The guttermen on the casting floor of the blast furnaces wore wool too.
I wear a wool shirt in the winter but switch to a cotton flannel one when it warms up. �I have had cotton shirts catch fire, especially when they get real soft and fuzzy. �Boy Scouts use cotton dryer lint for tinder when using flint and steel for that exact reason.
When it gets really hot, I wear cotton swim trunks and go bare chested because the pool is only a few quick steps away. �Scale does not stick well to a sweaty body. �The big problem with that outfit is I wear low shoes and scale does find its way into them. �I have welded in shorts and a shirt and bear the scars to prove it. �It always happens that if you are in the middle of a critical weld, a really big blob of weld splatter will find its way into your shoe. �
The ladies can wear whatever they damn well please. �Safety, comfort and personal modesty are the only limitations. �There are etchings of women working bare chested in iron foundries in the UK. �Good for them.

hochewa