[TheForge] Protective gear

[Ries Niemi]

Well, what works for me-
I never wear an apron. Havent set my clothes on fire once, except for 
the occasional smouldering mig berry in my pants cuff, but thats mig 
welding, not blacksmithing.
I always wear gloves- light weight leather "drivers gloves" that I buy 
by the dozen pairs. Toss em when they wear out, every few weeks. I have 
noticed no problems with hammering with gloves on, or doing anything 
else for that matter. But I have noticed tons of burns, cuts, pinches 
and bumps on my gloves, not on my hands. I have sanded, grinded, and 
bandsawed my gloves, without reaching the skin below, every week for 20 
years.
I never wear big steel toed boots unless required to on a jobsite, or 
if I am doing stick welding. I wear rubber birkenstock clogs most days, 
and they protect my feet from burns and drops. Now if I was routinely 
working with 1" plate, or 16" I beams, that would be different, but for 
stock up to 1" in diameter which I usually work, the rubber clogs do 
fine. Recently I stepped on a red hot piece of 1" square, and it burned 
a little depression in the bottom of my shoe sole, but no injury. And 
my feet dont hurt after standing on concrete all day.
I wear glasses every day, and full face shields when working with wire 
brushes or other particulate throwing devices. Never had an eye injury.
Always have a pair of foam earplugs in the watch pocket of my jeans, 
and take em out and put em in many times in an average day.
Havent needed to go to a doctor for a work related problem except once, 
in 25 years or so- and that was 3 stiches from a router- damn 
woodworking tools are much more dangerous than metalworking.
Sure, I have a few burn marks here and there, but nothing serious.
But everybody is different, and what works for me wont necessarily work 
for you.

ries