# Anybody wear shop coats when routing or sawing?



## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

I’m tired of being covered in sawdust every time I do anything in the shop. I went through 5 sweatshirts this weekend alone. I’ve tried aprons, but they don’t stop the dust from the shoulders or chest and back. I was wearing a long sleeve synthetic shirt for awhile that seemed to shed the saw dust, but I don’t know how many times the wife would meet me at the door with a leaf blower before I can enter the house.:laughing:

I’m thinking about buying a light weight shop coat that I can take off before entering the house. I don’t know if I’ll like wearing a shop coat because I don’t really like anything on my arms and it might be uncomfortable.


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## Woodenhorse (May 24, 2011)

I have a lab coat that works well, actually two, one for the saw room and one for finishing. Aprons are good at the bench.


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## bob sacamano (Jan 24, 2012)

living in southern calif i never need anything more than a t-shirt.
long sleeves are a no-no in my shop. the compressor is your buddy that will blow off the sawdust before going in your house.


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## Boss O' The Shop (Mar 21, 2012)

I inherited a couple of shop coats from my grandfather that were really nice. Unfortunately, age and use have gotten the better of them. I recently ordered a similar shop coat from Duluth Trading Company. They're out of larger sizes now...hopefully not a sign that they are phasing it out of their inventory.


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## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

bob sacamano said:


> living in southern calif i never need anything more than a t-shirt.
> long sleeves are a no-no in my shop. the compressor is your buddy that will blow off the sawdust before going in your house.


 I also live in Southern Ca and actually in the high desert where temps are well over 100˚F in the summer so it might be unbearable. I’m thinking of wearing it only when I’m ripping on the TS or when using the router. The winters are cold and I usually wear a sweat shirt so a shop coat might work for the whole time during the winter.


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## sawdustfactory (Jan 30, 2011)

Check out Craft Supplies USA and their turners smocks. Short sleeves, Velcro tab collar, light and regular weights(at least they used to have 2 wts).


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## rrich (Jun 24, 2009)

Here in Huntington Beach the weather rarely requires long sleeves. I usually wear a Duluth apron. If I'm really dusty I'll strip down to my shorts in the back yard before entering the house.

LOML has one of these double sided tape lint roller things. If I'm not too dusty she'll roll me with the lint roller.


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## Brink (Nov 22, 2010)

rrich said:


> Here in Huntington Beach the weather rarely requires long sleeves. I usually wear a Duluth apron. If I'm really dusty I'll strip down to my shorts in the back yard before entering the house.
> 
> LOML has one of these double sided tape lint roller things. If I'm not too dusty she'll roll me with the lint roller.


Ooh, I hate that! Pulls at all that hair.


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## Jim Moe (Sep 18, 2011)

I wear a leather apron with flaps over pockets to keep out sawdust. Had a canvas one before without flaps but couldn't find my pencils in the sawdust!


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## bob sacamano (Jan 24, 2012)

rrich said:


> If I'm really dusty I'll strip down to my shorts in the back yard before entering the house.


ill do that too.

othertimes ill change into my swim suit outside and jump into the pool with a cold one.

( back yard is totally shielded from prying eyes )


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## rrbrown (Feb 15, 2009)

sawdustfactory said:


> Check out Craft Supplies USA and their turners smocks. Short sleeves, Velcro tab collar, light and regular weights(at least they used to have 2 wts).


I agree best thing ever. I got one through my turning club for $40 well worth it.


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## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

jimmomech8 said:


> I wear a leather apron with flaps over pockets to keep out sawdust. Had a canvas one before without flaps but couldn't find my pencils in the sawdust!


 Oh yes, I have that problem and I’m always amazed at how much sawdust ends up in the pockets.


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## rrbrown (Feb 15, 2009)

Sleeper said:


> Oh yes, I have that problem and I’m always amazed at how much sawdust ends up in the pockets.



A turning smock eliminates the pocket issue as well as chips getting in the shirt. They are light weight so they don't make you hot.


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## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

My wife’s friend who is a nurse said I should get a hospital gown for the summer months.
I'm not sure about that, I just watched “One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest” the other night and there's no telling what my neighbors will think. :laughing:


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## cocheseuga (Dec 15, 2010)

Suppose you could lathe naked.


Wait...bad idea.


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## GoIrish (Jan 29, 2012)

bob sacamano said:


> living in southern calif i never need anything more than a t-shirt.
> long sleeves are a no-no in my shop. the compressor is your buddy that will blow off the sawdust before going in your house.


+1 for the compressor.


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## EHCRain (Oct 24, 2010)

Try a chef's jacket, its light weight and has small pockets on the arm for thermometers that fit pencils really well too


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## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

EHCRain said:


> Try a chef's jacket, its light weight and has small pockets on the arm for thermometers that fit pencils really well too


 That’s not a bad idea. I found one for $8 http://www.chefscloset.com/catalog/clearance-premium-basic-chef-coat-p-1357.html



I was just thinking about the hot summers around here and I usually wear t-shirts, but I got to say when I’m cutting plywood I get little tiny splinters that penetrate the cotton shirts. Even after the wife blows me down with the leaf blower, I get stuck with these little splinters of wood long afterward. Actually I have the same problem in the winter with cotton sweatshirts. 

Some of the shop coats I’ve seen so far look way too hot for the summer. I think I might end up just buying a Poplin Shirt that’s a size or too larger so it will fit over whatever I’m wearing, although that chief’s coat is a pretty good deal. Maybe I can have the wife die it light blue or brown. :icon_cool:


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## dale1nemo (Mar 31, 2012)

I use a painters coverall...lightweight and cheap from Sherwin Williams...oh to weed wack too !


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