newbie 101: easy-clean clothing?

I have no stock answer but I do NOT recommend overalls. The chips will find their way into every pocket and down inside next to your skin too. Coveralls would work but you'll need something light so you don't get too hot in summer. It'll still attract shavings all over them but at least they'll be on the clothes and not you.

Personally, I just made my own turning smock out of a very lightweight windbreaker type of jacket. It zips up tight under my neck and is very smooth. The shavings slide right off. The dust sticks to it but a simple shake takes care of that. I made some other modifications but that's the basics. The jacket was under $15 at Walmart. Cheaper than any commercial turning smock I believe.

- Andrew

Just remember to hold the nozzle a few inches away, not directly on the skin or clothing. If you have an older, non-OSHA style blowgun, it can drive microscopic particles into the skin.

R> I haven't found a way to keep shavings and dust off of clothing. But the

Try THAT and you'll find out there's worse places shavings could stick than hair and beard!

i got hold of some denim and had the ol lady make a floor length apron. it covers the top of my shoes so they dont fill up. put a pencil poket in it :-] right now im set up in a air conditioned room in the house so heat aint an issue. when i get the shop built i may have to rethink this plan. skeez

My turning smock is a favorite old T-shirt with a bandana knotted at the neck to keep out the shavings. When I finish turning, I brush off all the shavings I can and turn pants, T-shirt, bandana, underwear and everything over to my wife to go in the wash. It works like a charm. Avoid shirts, overalls or anything else with pockets, unless you want them filled with shavings.

Barry

I haven't found a way to keep shavings and dust off of clothing. But the best method that I have found for a quick clean up is an air hose. It will hose you down well enough that she will let you in the house for lunch.

Ron Robinson East Texas

You can, depending on conditions, wear a Tyvek suit...

I get mine on a rack at Home Depot....they get warm in the summer, butthey work. At $7.95, they will last a few weeks, using care. (I wear anapron over the front to reduce wear in the area of most rubbing andflying shavings).....I can turn for a couple hours, strip it off, and goright up to dinner. (I also wear a cheap painters cap under the hood tomake it more comfortable)

I simply use a nylon windbreaker that I sewed up the pockets (and long enough to go half way down my thigh).. Long pants cover my boots. No problems with invasive shavings. A quick dust off the the blow gun and I'm clean enough for entry into the house.

Peter Teubel Milford, MA

Let the chip fall where they may.

Dave

I have an old military summer flight suit with zippered pockets I bought at a flea market for $10. I cut the sleeves off just avove the elbows so they can't get caught on the workpiece.

I keep it at the bottom of the basement/shop stairs and put it on whenever I'm about to use the tablesaw, router, or lathe.

Before I bought it I used a vacuum cleaner to suck up sawdust, but it was a pain in the butt due to the time it takes, plus it's noisy.

HTH

LOL! Plus I'm thinking maybe not the safest idea in general either. I got to try out my face shield today. Got a spindle too thin, and WHACK. Yup, the face shield works good. Sure am glad I was wearing it!

That could have hit Mr. Willy. That would not have been cool. I guess butt nekkit is out.

Been there done that. SWMBO rebelled at splinter laundry, so ........... Went to K-mart Got a pair of comfortable, in expensive Hi-top tennis shoes. Got a pair of coveralls. Coveralls cover the tops of shoes - protect socks. The coveralls didn't ---- low open neck

---Had SWMBO sew on button at neck and make button hole. Corrected that problem. Always wear a hat - protects my balding head. Safety glasses do a good job of protecting the eyes. Watch band and hands still get splinters-------------------- guess you can't have it all!

"Just one OLD man's idea of havin' fun!" HeHe

The Other Bruce

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "The joy of woodturning is that all you have to do is remove what's not needed to have something beautiful - nature does the hard work."

I can't imagine what you're talking about. :)

The Tyvek suit sounds like an interesting idea, if I can find them.

Getting SWMBO to sew me sum'pin out of denim is way out. Neither one of us can figure out how to work her sewing machine.

A cheapo jacket sounds maybe best of all. I could dig my high school letterman jacket out of the closet. May as well get some use out of the silly thing.

Thanks all...

I wear a pullover sweatshirt in the winter, a pocketless T-shirt in the summer.

Jeans keep shavings out of my shoes all year, or I turn barefoot in the summer--nice, cushiony excelsior under my toesies :-)

I like the Tyvek suit idea, used to wear them in a fiberglass sculpture shop I worked at. They're pretty slick, easy to take off and shake the dust off--and quite cool if you are butt-naked underneath!

Ken Grunke

Silvan wrote: (clip) That could have hit Mr. Willy. That would not have been cool. I guess butt nekkit is out. ^^^^^^^^^^^ Then how about a face-shield and a "cup."

I wear a shop apron my wife made. I goes well below the knees and yes the pockets filled up with shaveings. Well she made me a new one and I asked her not to put pockets on the front. Then I relized I already had one. She made the normal shop apron, but now when I turn I use the back side out no pockets , no shaveings. When I do other wood working I put the pocket side out and now have the pockets availible for measureing tools ect. I use a small wisk broom for the arms and feet and I am ready for the house.

That reminds me of a book on knives by a guy named Don Paul. He'd give some safety tip or other and follow it up with "ignore this if you want, suture self".

Leather boots with pants over the uppers.

There are a number of approaches to this problem, most work in conjunction with each other!

1. Who sez you can't wear your work clothes in the house. It is her job to keep the house clean and that is why you bought her an expensive vacuum cleaner! If she doesn't like it and leaves or divorces you, that's just that much more turning time without having to cater to her whims!
2. Use LDD and the shavings just bounce off and there is little to no dust.
3. Instead of using fancy, i.e., Tyvek suits, windbreakers, etc., just get a roll of 33 gallon yard bags and cut out head and arm holes in it. For your shoes, use the smaller bags with elastic bands to hold them in place. Do not use the smaller plastic bags over your head! Paper bags are ok, though!

HTH,

Leif