in the shop...tool belt or apron??

[allan cripe]

I've been at this for about 2 years or so, and have managed to complete enough projects that the loml has confidently given a long list of to me!! I do a little of odd job type work away from home, but most of my efforts are in my garage. I find myself always on the wrong side of the table to reach the tool i am looking for during a project! I am not really interested in a bulky carpenter's rig (although they look really cool!). What do you guys prefer when your in your shop.......?

thanks

Allan

[James Phillips]

I wear a leather shop apron. It keeps the dust and chemicals off my clothes. It does not have tool pockets and I would not use them anyway

[Bob Reeve]

I use a leather apron made by the Woodworker Academy in Alameda CA. Lots of pockets to hold small tools etc and all of them have flaps to keep out the sawdust.

Bob

[Brian Penning]

T-shirt, shorts(I try to wear the ones that already have stains on them) and lately -Crocs. Can't believe how comfy they are.

[Jeremy Gibson]

I use an apron from Duluth Traiding Company. It's canvas and has cross back style straps so it rests on my shoulders and not my neck. Cheap and effective.

[Carl Crout]

apron from Lee Valley

[Roland Chung]

I bought an apron from here:

http://www.aprons.net/pockets.htm

and I'm really happy with it. I've got several tool belts and aprons, but this is the one I reach for.

[Bill Huber]

I have just started wearing an apron, it sure makes it nice to have my tape, pencil, square and a few other things with me at all times. I had been using a tool type belt but the problem was the glue and stuff like that still got all over my shirts with the apron they don't.

I got one from Rockler and the straps cross so it is not hanging on your neck like some do and it has a clip in the back so I don't have to tie it.

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?p...7&filter=apron

[glenn bradley]

Tank-shirt or no shirt, shorts, shoes . .. my gara . . . er, shop isn't big enough that I am too far from anything I need. I do keep pencils, everywhere. A small rule fits in my back pocket. Everything else sets on a rolling worktable or other surface nearby. In SoCal, wearing an apron might work in our "winter" but the rest of the time layering is not really desired.

[Greg Narozniak]

I use an apron from Duluth Traiding Company. It's canvas and has cross back style straps so it rests on my shoulders and not my neck. Cheap and effective.

Got the same one and while I try and not load up the pockets I am very happy with it. When I remember to put it on

[Brent Dowell]

Ditto on the Duluth.

The neck strap configuration makes it very comfortable, and I really like not having to search around the shop for pencils, rules, etc...

It's almost like a cross between an apron and a tool belt.

I had one from Lee valley but it was a little too long and looked funny when I wore it with shorts

[Art Mulder]

No apron, no tool belt.

Rather, the nearest horizontal surface.

[Bart Leetch]

Skillers vest with pouches & pockets.

What isn't visible is the pockets accessed from the front side edge of the top vest pockets next to the front zipper they are behind the front pockets kinda like a suit jacket inside pocket but right on the front.

This vest distributes the weight so its hardly noticeable. Of course I don't carry a bunch of stuff in it pencils, bevel gage, small try square, small combination square, tape measure,other odds & ends. The big combo square was put there just for the pic.

http://www.accessdiscounts.us/skilworkwear.html

[Jason Beam]

I struggled with this one for awhile ... tried a few aprons and settled on the following rules for me:

1. Cross straps so that the weight is not resting on my neck. VERY important.

2. A place to hold a pencil or two.

3. A place for my 6" rule.

4. Fairly easy stowage of my small tape measure.

5. Room for an occasional screw/nail/square/brush/etc.

6. NOT A BUNCH OF POCKETS. This is huge. You don't want to be lugging around half your shop for no reason. Those things get heavy and reduce your mobility very quickly. Two or three items of constant use are really all you want in there.

I ended up with some denim thing from Rockler. It's just the right size, has the cross straps and a couple bib pockets for pencils and my 6" rule. There are actually a few too many lower pockets for my liking, but generally I don't bother putting much in there besides my tape.

You're gonna have this problem, no matter what. Soon as you get your pencil and tape and square in there, your hammer's gonna be 6" out of reach. Hang yer hammer on there and your glue bottle will be too far away. Stow yer glue bottle and that drill's just a smidge hard to reach. Hang the drill on there and now you really wish that you had your calipers. ... I'm going beyond sanity but you understand my point

The other caution i have is some of the stuff we're tempted to have in the apron may not fare well. A good dial caliper shouldn't be bouncing all around with you and all your other tools. It's too easy for it to get banged around and no longer trustworthy. I feel the same way about my engineering squares and my really good rules. I keep a tape and a short rule for quick measures and don't mind much if they get banged up.

The real trouble comes when it's a little too warm to have the apron on .. now everything's hanging over THERE on the wall when i need it!!

[Tyler Howell]

I got 2 SMC aproms custom made to my liking.
Pockets where I wanted them and a neck gusset for the turning apron.
Turned out AOK
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=57089