[TheForge] RE: Safty gear

[Bob Ehrenberger]

I always wear a full length aprin, it was gray split leather from Centar
Froge, but now it is black and slick after 10 years use.  I find that if I
don't wear my aprin and I pisk up a grinder I get little holes in the fromt
of my shirt.

I always wear my glasses and sometimes remember to grab the face shield when
grinding or using the wire wheel.

I wear ear muffs when using the trip hammer, grinder, or cut off saw.

I almost never wear gloves. If I can't bare hand it I use tongs.   I do wear
them when slitting large stock to keep from tosting the bottom of my chisel
hand, and when forge welding to deflect hot flux.

I wear steel toed boots because that's what I have. My winter boots have
insulation, no steel.

Shop stuff:
We have old furnace blowers in both gables, the West side blows in, East
side is exhaust..

I have a fan mounted above my forging area to give me some air movement.

When it's really hot I open the 10x16 door which brings the shop down to the
outside temp.  The shop is usually about 10 deg. hotter than out side.

I have a hood over my coal forge, it sometimes doesn't draw right when I get
too much cross draft.

We have florseent (sp?) lights throughout the shop with zoned  switches so I
only use the ones I need.

I have a high ceiling 15' in the center, about 12' over the forge. My old
shop only had 8' and it is much better to have the head room.


Robert Ehrenberger
Shelbyville, Mo.