Tool Belts in the Workshop

[Barry Lyndon]

Just curious...how many of you wear a tool belt while in your workshop? I've always kinda thought of a tool belt as something you wear while you're away from your workshop (because why would you need on when all your tools are close to you in your shop?) but I was recently watching some videos and a few of the guys wore their tool belts in while working in the shop and I could totally see some advantages to it. I'm constantly losing my tape measure, pencils, hammer, etc...

Also, for those of you who wear them (inside the shop or outside) what are your favorites?

[Rod Sheridan]

Nope, I do however wear a Lee Valley apron.

My tool belt I use when working on a ladder or similar situation......Rod.

[Dave Lehnert]

Norm used a tool belt doing the New Yankee Workshop. My guess because he was a carpenter and was use to using one.
Others just copy off him.

[Ryan Hellmer]

I only ever wore one when working on the first half of a house. Concrete, framing, siding, roofing. Once we moved indoors, off with the belts (don't want to bugger up the walls). I kept mine pretty full so it's not the most comfortable for just playing in the shop. I do occasionally wear an apron in the shop but mostly just jeans and a t-shirt. Now that I'm an office bum, I mostly just use my toolbelt as a sort of soft-sided tool bag.

Ryan

[Andrew Gibson]

I have started wearing a leather apron from TFWW. I keep a pincel and a 6" ruler in the pocket.

I only use a tape measure for measuring what my steel rules won't reach. I have a 6", 12", 24", and 40" rulers. they get the majority of my measuring needs done, and I have 3 tape measures waiting in my toolbox for trips to the lumber yard or the odd long measuring need.

My tool belt is in a portable tool box that I use to haul tools around when I am doing work away from the shop.

[Thom Porterfield]

Tool belt for rough work, outside, on ladder, etc.

Apron in the shop...or lots of redundant tools. I too am forever misplacing the tape, or the pencil.

[Barry Lyndon]

Lots of people wearing aprons, I like that idea! I am always getting glue, paint, etc... on my clothes. I'll look into some aprons.

[Van Huskey]

I will second or third or whatever the apron/vest. I use a Blaklader vest in the shop, prefer it to an apron. I have two tool belts (both cheap) one loaded for "framing" type work and the other electrical. Nice to have everything in one place and ready to go, same with the vest, put it on when I go in the shop, take it off when I leave.

[Phil Rose]

I wear the vest as well in the shop, and a toolbelt when working on the house.

[David Helm]

Stopped wearing a full tool belt years ago. Way too hard on the body. During construction (spent 30 years at it) I learned early on that all I really needed in the belt was: hammer, tape, beater chisel, square, pencil, ute knife and the current nails. Also always used suspenders on the belt to take the weight off the hips. Could always tell the new guys because they had these giant belts full of about 30 pounds of stuff. In the shop it's either a t-shirt or apron.

[John Coloccia]

I wear leather apron. it usually has a couple of pencils, and small LED flashlight, my favorite 6" ruler and stuff like that in it.

[glenn bradley]

I have tried many aprons but never did find one that worked for me. It could be that where I live, shorts and tanks are the standard shop apparel. I ended up with a leather razor knife holster that I keep a wide and narrow pencil in along with a 6" hook rule. This covers 90+% of the things I need right at hand as I move about the shop. Other items end up "staged" in the area where I am doing a certain activity.

I do have multiples of some items like a 3" double square and 6" steel rule at the DP's, the bandsaws and one more 6" rule over by the tablesaw. Pencils are all over as well as hearing protection. This keeps me from having to lug a "purse" around the shop.

[Dave Norris]

I wear a small tool belt. Usually has a 6" square, pencils, marking knife, tape measure, magnifying glass, LED flashlight, small plane, a piece or two of sandpaper, biscuits (sometimes), and variety of tools for what I'm working on at the time.

Mine is small though, and I think it was called a cabinet maker's belt or something. It has 4 reasonably sized pockets. It's canvas and nylon so not real heavy. I wear it cause it works for me (not because of Norm). I like being able to look down and see what is in each pocket. With an apron, I was always feeling around for which pocket stuff was in. Also, I perspire a lot, and my apron got pretty nasty pretty quick.

[Don Whitten]

Tool belt with suspendors, depends what task I'm doing will depend what tools get loaded and carried around.

[Bill Geyer]

I too always wear an apron in the shop - the kind with the cross straps so there is no weight around my neck - I only carry a pencil, 6" rule, small tape and a 6" comb. square. (and an eraser - easier than sanding unwanted marks).
I find that tool belts are uncomfortable and tend to fill up.

[Frank Drew]

I like a denim bib apron for keeping a lot of the dust, glue, and whatever off my clothes; it makes end of the day cleanup much easier. A pencil or two and a 6" steel rule in the apron pockets, maybe a small square, maybe a lumber crayon or a piece of chalk if I was marking pieces, but that's it as far as carrying on me all day. Why would I want to lug around 100% of the time something that I'll maybe need 1% of the time? If I'm going to be working at a machine for the next hour or two (or three or four), I don't want all that stuff hanging off me that I don't need.

As has been said above, your shop is your tool belt, but, to each his or her own.

[Paul McGaha]

I dont wear any kind of tool belt or apron.

About the only tool I try to keep on me at all times is a pencil and a tape measure.

PHM

[Brian Penning]

Nope, I do however wear a Lee Valley apron.

My tool belt I use when working on a ladder or similar situation......Rod.


Ditto for me.

[Keith Westfall]

At a surplus shop, I found a pair of bib overalls and use them in the shop. Don't care if I get glue on them or anything else. For $19 I can throw them away when necessary...

I do also have an apron that I wear too. Either works and saves on clothes.

[Ralph Okonieski]

I have several denim aprons that I use. One was made by my wife to my specification; the others were gifts from daughters. When one gets too dusty, in the wash it goes. I keep one clean at all times when I do the finishing.

[Myk Rian]

No tool belt.

I have taught myself to finish a project then put everything away before starting something else.

[Roger Newby]

I occasionally wear an apron but usually just have a tape on my belt and a 6" scale and pencil in my pocket.

My daughter is very adept at woodworking. Her husband isn't, but he is a darned good chef. One wedding anniversary he gave her a tool belt because "she has all the tools she needs." Her response, "That's not possible." :eek:

Love that girl! :D:D

[Neil Brooks]

I just wear the leather shop apron ... with ... the pockets chock full of sawdust.

I vacuum out the pockets, at the end of each shop session, with the Shop Vac :p

[Robert Chapman]

I'm not revealing what I wear in my shop - but it's not a tool belt.