Anyone have any personel preferences on welding jackets or aprons.My shirts are starting to take a beating from grinding and welding.I was looking for something comfortable and that will last. All good and bads are welcome on all the products that you use.
I have a kevlar/leather sleave and shoulder deal, kinda like a jacket with the bottom half cut off... I really like it because it is cool in how weather, but protects my forearms...
I wear a thick as hell yellow Tillman welding jacket. The only reason You would ever replace it is that it got stolen. Hot, uncomfortable, and for the first 6 months, it stains Yer shirts Yellow. But the original, and still the best.
I have one of the kinds that covers your shoulders and arms, but has a removable part that covers your front from the chest down. The only time I use it is when I'm underneath a car while I'm welding on it. Most of the time I just get burns on my arms because I'm too lazy to put the welding jacket on. I also have the pants that are sort of like chaps. I wear the pants when I'm sitting indian style on the ground welding to keep from burning my crotch and legs. Or sometimes I just drape a leather welding apron over my lap while I weld. What's important with the jacket is that it has to fit snug around your neck. That's where the red hot dingleberries seem to like to fall. Also, the pants should hang down over your shoes, because the other place the hot dingleberries like to fall is inside your shoe where they burn your ankle. I know I should be wearing boots, but I'm usually wearing old raggedy sneakers.
I got one of those aprons at HF worked ok till, well you know the part that goes around your neck, it's just like the wicks from an old kerocine lamps and smolder like one, you know something burning from the smell, but you don't realize it's the back of your neck till you fill it , burned the crap out of my neck
I'm a minimalist. For about twenty bucks I bought a suede leather apron at AirCo in Jasper after burning up a few shirts, while I was in them. Not fun. Now, I wear a thick cotton shirt, with the apron. The shirt can be washed when it gets stiff. And, I use gauntlet type gloves when I MIG. The cuffs cover most of my shirt sleeves. When I gas weld I don't use gloves but keep a pair handy. (I prefer working on a welding table.) The idea of all this stuff is that it should serve and protect. The apron is easy to get on, and take off, and you don't have to 'think' about using it . The dread factor of 'suiting up' sometimes keeps me from using safety gear. Therefore, easy is good. And, I'm going to say the obvious: There is no universal solution. You gotta make a choice. That's how come they make Rocky Road, and the other three classic flavors. I'm a vanilla man, myself. I've tossed a ton of gitchy stuff because it was too frickin' hard to use. Find out what works for you, and stick with it. The object is to go home at night with your sight and hearing intact, your airways clear of smutz, and all your fingers and toes, and none of those nasty burns that hurt like hell and keep you from chasing nymphs in your dreams, and babes on the streets. Safety seperates man from the beasts.
I use a nomex apron that has a kevlar outer skin for tig work. Works great. I have a similar long sleeve jacket that has a lightweight (but fireproof) hood you can pull up when you don't want the cherries down your neck. It's held up for six years perfectly. Biggest problem with jackets is people tend to "borrow" them.
A guy gave me 2 military fatigue shirts. The new kind. I have been using them for 3 years. they are not fireproof , but have no holes in them from grinding or welding.
I use a made for welding leather bib overall with a half-jacket on the top. Is a little heavy but very effective. - EM
Mill greens are really good till you wash them. Sold at every welding supply house. Leather/suede jacket from Salvation Army will protect you from a whole lot of sparks and burns for next to nothing. Great for garage hobby stuff. Not good for 50 hrs a week in the ship yards.
Tillman is good stuff. So is Revco. Both are in Cali. Revco has a line called Black Stallion. Protection and good looks.
Being a welder by trade, I use carhartt overalls and then gander brand or miller spark sleeves. You can still move very well without being restricted with coveralls or a leather welding jacket or apron. Sent from my STV100-3 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Cotton clothes are a must when welding. We had a welder get burned badly in a 50/50 polyester/cotton shirt. Watch out for nylon lined clothes too. Never wear a sweater when welding or cutting.
I have been using a old farmers blue jean button up coat for many year and it is full of holes and there are a few spots where it caught fire but I put the fire out quickly. I have learned not to wear canvas sneakers when welding,a piece of slag fell on my right foot and before I could get the shoe off the sock had melted to my foot. HRP
I have an old suede sleeved welding coat that gets the job done. I like it because it can snap tight around my wrists and go inside the gauntlet cuff of my gloves or over them, depending on my weld position. That way if I'm welding overhead or below me the splatter won't go inside my glove. Also, with Harbor Freight's new line of welders, they're selling a whole bunch of new welding accessories. Their new Vulcan TIG gloves are every bit as nice as the Tillmans I've used in the past and are 2/3 the price.
A set of leather "sleeves" with the snap-in apron down to just above the knees in the front protect from most spatter & slag, & are not too hot in the summer, as you can usually get away with a 'T'-shirt under them. Get the ones that are 'snug' at the neck & wear a cap with the bill in the back to protect your neck . Also remember to wear boots/shoes that your COTTON jeans go down over the tops (nothing like a hot glob of slag inside your boots, especially 'lace-up' boots!!!) I wore this combo for most of my welding/fitting career & rarely had issues.
I'm a big fan of the typical green lightweight jacket and Tillman gloves, both Tig and Mig variety. Like everyone else, every T shirt I own is full of holes in front. I wear the long sleeve Dickies mechanic shirts almost year round and everyone has a grinding hole burned in the front but the cotton does protect you a bit. We've all been on fire at least once but it's not as much fun as it used to be. Also I have an old pair of leather spats to cover my sneakers when I mig or burn a lot. This person shall remain nameless when he dropped by the shop to use the sheetmetal Mig a while back. He's well known on here but probably more adventure seeking than me. LOL!
Not sure how much home and hobby garage action sees 0.125 dual shield wire running at 600 amps or air-arc gouging but that's exactly what some of the advice here covers. Shorts and open toe sandals is the other end of it. Worst burn I ever got was in the ear canal. I'd take 1000 in the boots before one in the ear. Is sizzled and burned with the violence of thunder and lightening. Not a damn thing you can do about it either.
I’ve got hot slag in the ear before myself. Thats got yo be the worse place to get burnt. I have a short beard now too. No more hanging below the helmet. As for coverage, I just wear an old jacket that I’ve used for ever..... Mark.
Been there, done that. It burned through to my eustachian tube. I could push air out of my ear before it healed.
Did it whistle? Mine whistled. Great bar bet. Hey I bet you I can whistle with ear?? You know what else is really fucked up? I could taste the burnt flesh and burnt ear wax.
Running stainless rod is fun too. When everything is right the slag just about rolls off by itself. All except for one spot where it will stick a little and then spit it off, just like a watermelon seed. Usually takes just a little while, like the time it takes to raise the hood and then PING spittoon right at you.
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