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Thread: Apron? Vest? How do you keep track of things?

  1. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by Matt Lau View Post
    H


    What do you guys think?
    Any preferences? Thoughts?

    I was going to repurpose a vest as a Neander woodworking mobile armament: pencil, square, marking knife, micrometer, tape measure....not sure what else?

    My stuff is pretty small scale, simple, and light duty (not scrubbing a log).

    How about you?
    Let me be blunt: An apron serves to protect the clothing behind the apron only (from dust or stain). The pockets are a joke. If you put a small square or rule in the upper pocket, they tend to fall out when you lean. Or they will poke your chest when you really bend.

    At least that has been my experience. I now wear my apron with nothing in its pockets. If I fold my apron and accidentally sit on it, nothing is hurt (including my bottom).

    I will not spend too much money on an apron as I look at it as a consumable. Spending $150 (more?) on an apron is not how I would spend my shop dollars.

    Heavy leather apron is another joke unless your shoulders enjoy constant, sometimes irritating massage.

    Rob Cosman wears a white apron that makes him look more like a cook than a woodworker. The stain on the apron is distracting to say the least (as he has the habit of wiping off glue from his hand on the apron?).

    Simon
    Last edited by Simon MacGowen; 01-15-2018 at 10:18 AM.

  2. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by Todd Stock View Post
    When asked a few years ago about what I wanted for my birthday, I mentioned that Lee Valley has pretty good stuff, so she orders whatever shows up in the early April email flyer. I have to pretend that I find those gifts useful, but quite honestly, some of those tools have been real clunkers.
    Only if you get them very early in April

    Regards from Perth

    Derek

  3. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by Todd Stock View Post
    When asked a few years ago about what I wanted for my birthday, I mentioned that Lee Valley has pretty good stuff, so she orders whatever shows up in the early April email flyer. I have to pretend that I find those gifts useful, but quite honestly, some of those tools have been real clunkers.
    You might not know you were a lucky guy.

    I never was fast enough to order any of the tools released by Veritas on the first day of April and they all sold out faster than the CyberMonday goodies. They should do what the (never are really) one time tool company does: allow customers to pre-order their April 1st new releases so they could make enough for every customer!

    Simon

  4. #19
    With all this interest in Roubo and older benches, I'm surprised that one of the oldest tool holding systems - the French braguette - has not been mentioned. The system keeps useful items below waist level - reducing the chance of something falling onto the work - in a well-padded cloth pouch, but still allows ready access. I don't recall the page number from my reprint, but it seems as though there are several illustrations and at least one mention in the book.

  5. #20
    I use an atlas46 vest. I like it. It’s very tactical looking...which is good In case we are on a raid with seal team 6 and a coffin needs to be made...

  6. #21
    Join Date
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    There is also a 40m length of 10.2mm Mammut Gravity Classic line running from center of the back of my vest to an anchor point just outside the shop door. The military refers to these retainers as 'dummy cords' - have no clue why.
    It is so when one is totally absorbed into their work the wife can give it a yank and yell, "hey dummy your dinner has been getting cold for the last hour!"

    When my work involved being mobile with tools one of my solutions was a tool belt. One problem with them is tools can fall out or when working in the public some people like to see if they can lift one without the wearer noticing.

    Tried a vest and it only lasted a few days. It tended to get to warm for me.

    Now my tools when out and about are in a box. In the shop they rest on the bench or get put back in their permanent space. On the bench some order is kept with a rack for tools like rasps and chisels:

    Chisel Rack.jpg

    One of my plans for the future is a tool well on the bench. The real problem with one of those is having to put things away before they build up into an unusable pile of stuff.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  7. #22
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    Todd, that's a series of unfortunate events. I hope more of them happen to you so we can hear about them.

    Reminds me of the great dark comic novel The Third Policeman by Flann O'Brien. A chapter in the book discusses the making of an intricate decorative wooden storage chest, inside of which there is an exact scaled model, inside of which...
    Last edited by Mark Gibney; 01-15-2018 at 4:42 PM. Reason: spelling boo boo

  8. #23
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    Matt -- A pencil and a 6" rule, but I rarely use them. They are backups to the same things at the bench.

    Todd -- Could we optimize the magnetic tool belt by making them electromagnets? It seems that an accelerometer detecting downward motion ending in a stable horizontal position could be programmed to release in a few seconds. I would not call it a FallStop tool belt, but perhaps it could be marketed as a quick release safety feature. For those prone (ugh) to such mishaps, perhaps the retrieval line (and now power cord) could be run through an overhead pulley/winch, also activated by the smart belt system. Puts you back on your feet, back in business. As for the "time to eat" feature, the whole thing could be WiFi connected so your wife would not have to come out to the shop to tug on the cord. She could activate the winch, release the tools or perhaps run a small bit of current through your torso from an app on her phone. "Soups On!"

  9. #24
    Quote Originally Posted by david beck View Post
    Sorry it is off the topic, but what do you use a micrometer for in woodworking? I am disabled so i work sitting so i cant give an opinion on aprons.
    I will mainly be doing guitars. Micrometers are extremely handy for deflection, action, and measuring small parts like the nut slot.

  10. #25
    Hey Simon,

    I mainly got the apron to keep dust off my clothes. The pockets just caught me by surprise for usefulness.

    I realize that Neander woodworking is a bit different, so figured I'd ask.

  11. #26
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    Thanks for that matt, i inherited one and never found a use in my woodworking for it.

  12. #27
    I tend not to use an apron. I like my trolley next to me with the tools laid out..

  13. #28
    But seriously, a luthier needs two things from an apron: protection of the instrument finish from scratches caused by clothing (buttons, zippers, belt buckles, etc.), and a place to put a few tools. After close to 14 years of luthiery, I carry a cheap 4" Harbor Freight digital caliper, a small Starrett adjustable square, a 4B Tombow pencil, a 2xAAA Coast LED penlight inspection flashlight (clipped to pocket on right side of apron), 0.5 and 0.7mm Pentel mechanical pencils, 6" Starrett flex rule in 5R grad, and a Fender Premium Plush polishing cloth. After a number of aprons, the Veritas Valley Mk. II canvas apron gets my vote - nicely adjustable over the shoulder sand neck, two slash pockets for tools that will not fill with dust or dump tools onto the work, and a couple good pencil and rule pockets on the upper chest that will not spill. The apron comes in two lengths, with the shorter one perfect for those under 5'-6" or with some curves. For buffing work, the shop apron comes off and a simple twill or flannel kitchen apron goes on, along with fume/dust mask and a good check for anything hanging loose.

    On tools in the the apron - I seldom use a tape, other than rough milling, so tapes are scattered around the shop, fixed to machines with magnets (the little DeWalt has a built-in magnet) - one hangs on the band saw, one on the tablesaw, and a few others sit in handle places near the benches. For measurements longer than 6", you'll want a good 24" and 36" rule graduated in 5R or 16R, and another Starrett flex rule in 12" length with the same grads. I keep a duplicate set of rules in the shop in mm for work on classicals , and a 6" 32nd/64th/1mm/ 0.5mm rule with end grads in 32nds or 64th is a good idea. A trimming plane like the little LN is handy, but I have one at each bench, and that is primarily where luthiers work, other than when at the trojy or buffing.

    On digital calipers...necessary for luthiers, where tolerances are often +/- 0.001". I've gotten so used to using them that even on cabinet work where a 64th would be fine (17 times larger than my usual tolerances!), I still work to digital values of a few thou...force of habit.
    Last edited by Todd Stock; 01-16-2018 at 9:30 AM.

  14. #29
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    I prefer an apron and I had one. However, Hurricane Harvey got it.

    I think I will go by Home Depot.

    https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-23...-300035090-_-N
    Last edited by lowell holmes; 01-16-2018 at 9:48 AM.

  15. #30
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    Mar 2017
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    I dont think I could get myself to wear an apron or vest for tool holding. I do have a belt which is invaluable if putting up a fence or siding where you need a large supply of screws or nails and a place to hand a drill, hammer, pliers, etc when you need both hands. Even then though I liked a minamilist one with one decent size pouch for screws, a hanger for drill / hammer and only one more small pocket for fencing pliers. In the shop though I almost never use it, the back jeans pocket will work for smaller items and bigger stuff is just set on the bench or in a small rubbermade tote.

    I tired an apron once to keep close lest dusty and keep chips off for power carving and lathe work but in the end I never wear it.

    If I ever did use something a belt style would be better for me than vest or apron I think but it would be set up with items for a given operation or series of operations and not general storage.

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