What's in your apron?

[Brad Swanson]

Santa brought me the Veritas cloth woodworking apron for Christmas, in addition to several other Veritas items. I tgot me thinking, what are the typical things woodworkers keep in their apron. I'll start with shat I've loaded into the new apron

Pica Pencil
Veritas Precision Square
Tape Measure
Marking Gauge
Marking Knife
Safety Glasses (storage when not in use)

All of the above are of course subject to change...

[Pat Barry]

Mostly sawdust.

[Brian Hale]

I don't have an apron but rather a small pouch that clips onto my belt.

6-8 pencils, always sharp
Chip carving knife / marking knife
Short wide blade screwdriver
Birdcage awl
6 inch Miller Falls combo square
2 inch Starrett double square
A bunch of 3x5 index cards for notes

And of course sawdust

[Chris Griggs]

I have that apron...I really like when I actually remember that I own it and put it on...which is unfortunately not very often.

Anyway, when I do remember that I have it and wear it, I pretty much keep some variation of stuff similar to what you listed plus my Little Victor.

[lowell holmes]

A Lee Valley apron plane, LV 4" double square, safety glasses, pencil, four fold ruler, and saw dust.

[Jeff Ranck]

Sometimes a pencil (when I remember to put it back and not leave it laying around) and always sawdust. I don't seem to clean it out very often. Sometimes I'll drop a tape in there if I'm doing a series of rough measurements, but it aways comes out as soon as possible. I don't like the weight.

[ken hatch]

Mostly sawdust.

pretty much.....:), plus blood on the front.

[Terry Beadle]

pretty much too..., plus all the paint/stain/glue spots !! Hoot!

[Malcolm Schweizer]

I lucked up and got a really nice leather apron on eBay that was custom made for a gin producer, but the logo didn't stamp very well, so it was sold as a second. It's very thick leather and has nice pockets. I usually have some sort of small plane-either a LN 9 1/2 or 102, or the Veritas skewed block planes- my go-to planes. I always have a small combo squre, pencil, marking gauge, and usually a folding razor knife.

I really love the Pica pencils, especially with the white lead for marking dark woods like mahogany and walnut. I also like their fine tip markers, except that I keep leaving the cap off and drying them out.
http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=71121&cat=1,42935,42936,43509,71121

[Jason Beam]

6" Starrett Rule
1 Sharpie
1 Sharp Pencil
Lapel Microphone (i record a lot of video for youtube)
10' tape measure
Hankerchief

I've only recently started wearing an apron in the last 6 or so months but I'm finding it amazingly handy not having to run around looking for these things. I'll likely be adding to it as i get more and more used to wearing one.

[Jim Koepke]

My wife gave me a shop apron years ago and it never felt right.

A couple of days ago I thought about wearing it while turning a piece for a friend. Realized I haven't seen it in the 6 years since we moved to Washington.

Most of the time the only things in my pockets related to woodworking are a pocket knife and a tape measure. They are in my pocket all the time anyway. I found the tape measure about 25 years ago in the parking lot of an orange borg. It has been in my pocket ever since. Various pocket knives have had a home in my pocket since about age 10.

jtk

[Tom M King]

Right side: Estwing 16 oz. straight claw carried high on the belt, modified face, 2 Berol Mirado no.4 pencils, Lennox utility knife, custom pocket with old style Stanley block plane, above that pocket a small custom pocket with pencil sharpener, in big pocket that the block plane pocket is in end cutting nippers and small Chanellocks. Modified cheap leather-can't remember the brand name.

Left side: 12" combination square, two nail sets, 3/4" blue handled Marples chisel damn sharp, two nail pockets, on the belt in front of that pocket a pocket that holds a Stanley powerlock 25' tape with the belt hook taken off, two nail pockets in main bag, holder for cat's paw that only gets carried when it might be needed. Modified Occidental

Both sides are custom shortened so that when I squat down, nothing touches the floor. Belt is padded Cordura with quick snap buckle on front.

[Jim Koepke]

Both sides are custom shortened so that when I squat down, nothing touches the floor.

Don't you hate it when you squat and part of your apron gets stuck under your heal and you feel your age is what's keeping you from returning to a standing position?

When you get older you will understand why old men don't squat.

jtk

[Tom M King]

I'm 64. I have a maintenance lifting routine that I've done for over 20 years. Friday is squat day, and last set is 12 with 365, only to parallel though. I don't go deep with heavy. Every other day, but Friday evenings, my legs fit fine in regular jeans.

The hard part with the apron was getting the hammer holder to keep the hammer high enough that the handle didn't hit the floor, and get it sideways, half out of the loop.

[Winton Applegate]

What do I carry in my apron ?
A magic wand (only just now the batteries are flat).:p

Truth be told . . . in the wood shop I don’t wear an apron for hand tool work. I have small trays on the bench or at arms reach with all the stuff I use all the time that would be in an apron.

For power tool work same deal but I wear an apron I made out of a side of black smith's leather with no pockets and a slick front so the router poop etc., just slides off.
Queenmasteroftheuniverseandbabybunnytrainer has it on in the photo. (she was about to help me feed a long length of work side ways across a wide stacked dado blade. When it comes to many many identical cuts the table saw comes out of moth balls. )

No pockets so no saw dust in pockets.

This is the best apron I have found any where. (http://www.amazon.com/Park-Tool-SA-3-Deluxe-Header/dp/B000WY8I26/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419976215&sr=8-1&keywords=park+tool+apron)
I need black though.
At my day job I have all manner of wrenches and bit drivers in this apron and it works hard.

What I want as far as improvements :
Deeper lower pockets
Kevlar or ballistics cordura cloth (the Park is cotton duck).
Riveted corners on the pocket stitching though mine holds up fine.

In addition I wear at least two small belt pouches (one is an electrician’s meter pouch I can not seem to find any more but would like another).
The latest pouch (see photo) holds my team of modified Swiss Army knives that I have posted here in the past about (left and right angled marking knives etc.,)

And my LATEST, LATEST addition to the EDC (every day carry) is the small Knipex pliers near the quarter.

Took me months to find a decent price on the damed thing. Can any one tell me why the next size up 150 mm pliers just above in the photo is like $45 American and the smallest one next to the quarter (120mm) regularly runs in the $100 plus range :mad: ? ? ? ? :mad:

I finally felt BLESSED to find one for $69. THANK YOU Big Red Tool Box in the UK ! ! !

Any way those pliers are with me every where I go now. The jaws grip without marking, jaws move parallel, is a stellar adjustable wrench up to 20 mm (3/4”) but can handle the smallest nuts on the tips of the tool, has narrow jaws similar to a hefty set of needle nose pliers, goes from full open to closed at the touch of a button.

. . . well you asked . . .

[Winton Applegate]

Pica
Very nice. Thanks !
I got to start looking at tool catalogs again.

[Winton Applegate]

25 year old tape measure

Does it have any readable markings near the hook ?
I find mine wear off the 6 ft EDC tape.

[Winton Applegate]

maintenance lifting routine

I have a maintenance routine though I have only been doing it a few years. it involves squatting on the couch, vigorously tapping all of my fingers for reps in the bazillions . . . super set with full curls with the coffee cup and . . . many sets of one or two rep heavies at the kitchen refrigerator.

So far that has worked well for me and I am told that I am getting bigger every month.

I HAVE noticed a hesitance in the “spring” to rise from the full squat on the couch. Probably just a sign I need to take more sets to failure.

[Tom M King]

Ha, I hope it serves you well. I probably really would be 64 if I hadn't done my three time a week, 15 minute workouts. I don't want to keep getting bigger, so I haven't changed max weights since my early 40's and haven't done anything to failure since before then. When I was in my mid 50's, my goal was to keep my resting heart rate at my age or lower. Now my goal is to stay 10 below my age. My Wife has been an aerobics instructor for what must be close to 35 years now, so I have to keep up.

[Ron Kellison]

LV Canvas apron which usually holds

4" Starrett square
FixPencil
6" hook rule
LV Apron Plane
10' tape measure
A few blood stains

[Winton Applegate]

Wife has been an aerobics instructor for what must be close to 35 years now

I'm impressed. She sure must know what she is doing.
I left out that I commute to work every day by bicycle year round in Colorado at the foot of the mountains. So I eat for two as it were. I used to lift and run and do yoga . . . but lately I find that cuts far too deeply into my woodworking chat room time . . . so basically my steep decline is all you guys fault.:D

[Dave Cav]

I have the regular Lee Valley canvas apron at home and the "new model" black one at school (Come on Rob, black for a woodworking shop apron? Seriously?). On both of them, I have sewed the upper pocket into vertical rows to hold pencils and rulers better. The setup on both of them is pretty much the same. 6" machinist square, small snap blade knife and a lot of pencils up top. Bottom right side has a 10" x 1/2" Stanley tape. Left pocket is a 4" double square.

The school apron carries a lot more crap because the kids never seem to be able to find anything, so I carry as many pencils as I can (they're usually gone by the end of the day), plus phillips driver bits and 1/8" drill bits in the right pocket with the tape. I also try to carry a few odd pieces of chalk for rough layout work and sketching.

I also carry one of these:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001BYK7LQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
in each apron. It's the best small pencil sharpener I have ever used.

Every couple of years when the school apron gets too crusty/burned up from welding it goes home and I get a new one for school.

[Neil Gaskin]

I started using an apron in the shop about a year or so ago, its great as long as I put the tools back in their place and not on the bench...

I keepa fair amount of stuff in mine,

Safety glasses, pencils, small Moleskin pocket paper pad, sharpie, 6" Starrett square, marking knife, Fastcap 12' flat tape, some times a 16' stanley tape, LN small brass block plane or LN 60 1/2, 1/2" chisel, small brass caliper, 10-1 screw driver, folded up piece of partially used sand paper, retractable utility knife, and a healthy amount of saw dust.

[James Lehr]

I don't have an apron yet but I really want a leather one for some reason. Question about Starret rules: is the price difference justified? I notice several of you guys mention having one in your apron; I've got two 12" combination squares (one generic and one ancient Millers falls) but I could never justify spending $100-$150 on a square when I have two "functional" ones. Thoughts? Sorry if this jacks the thread. I'll repost if necessary.

[Brett Luna]

I have a Bucket Boss apron that typically holds:


4" Starrett combination square
16' Starrett tape
Pencil
Pencil sharpener
Double-ended Sharpie
Sometimes a marking knife

To the side question about Starrett products..besides the consistent quality and accuracy, the readability of an etched satin chrome blade makes them worthwhile to these aging eyes.

[Winton Applegate]

I've got two 12" combination squares (one generic and one ancient Millers falls) but I could never justify spending $100-$150 on a square

Have you verified that yours are in fact square ? :confused:
Frankly I have had to correct more than one Starrett for one thing and another.
I like the Starretts for how hard the rules are and the read ability of the etching AND I can get all metric, all 10 ths 1/100 ths inch or fractional scales on the rules as I require.

And they are made in the USA or used to be. The Mitutoyo's are perhaps more consistent in their quality control but the wrinkle finish on the Starrett squares is easily worth paying lots more for.

What is it about wrinkle finish ?
:cool: ( wrinkle finish black paint is pretty easy to work with once you practice a bit ((( the secret is spray in a warm space and keep it warm while it cures))).

[Mike Holbrook]

Depends on the job of the day/hour. I keep what I need at that time on me which changes regularly: Pencil (Fixpencil or Art Alternatives Clutch Pencil), Czech Edge marking knife, Czech Edge Birdcage Awl or Veritas Chisel Point Awl, one retractable tape, folding ruler, Veritas Sliding Square, 6" engineer's square, 4" WoodJoy square or Starrett Double Square, marking gauge or three, LV Lifetime or Grace screwdriver, small fine Iwasaki rasp.

Recently I carry a small WoodJoy spokeshave in my apron all the time. I find it very useful to relieve sharp or rough edges on freshly cut wood. It trims edges of boards I am trying to work into a tight fit...It often does the job of a shooting plane & hook too. I find a small spokeshave easier and faster to use than a block plane for these chores. I have one small spokeshave with trimmed wood handles. The shorter handles fit in an apron better and also allow me to get into tight curves and concave surfaces (Windsor Chair seats). A small wood spokeshave is very light and easier to carry than several tools it can replace. I took almost all of the handle length off a 2" performance shave. I am planing to order another one or a kit just so I can modify the handles to a length somewhere in the mid length range. The unique blade adjusting system on WoodJoy spokeshaves allows me to set the blade to make a very small, precise chamfer very quickly.

I have several vintage braces and ratcheting screwdriver/drills outfitted with Wera/LV...quick change hex adapters that can use an assortment of: (square/robertson, star/torx, phillips/pozidrive, flat head), hex sockets, larger sockets with hex adapter. I am using braces with various hex bits more and more. They are more precise, can exert very high but controllable torque and relevant to this discussion I can carry a variety of small light hex bits/drills/sockets in my apron saving having to have a large assortment of screwdrivers/ratchets or electric drills. This is a major time saver. Instead of having to locate a large variety of tools and keep them handy I can carry an assortment of 1/4" hex bits/drills/sockets that I can switch out very quickly in the hex adapter of one or two braces. The newer style LV Quick-Change Magnetic Bit Holders and Wera Rapidaptor Bit Holders are a vast improvement over any and all the quick change adapters I have used in the past. Pushing down locks bits in place so they cant slide out in use. Pushing up immediately releases the bit for the next one. Both have sleeves that can be held during use. The Rapidaptor can even slide up over a screw head to help hold it in place, although the magnet usually handles that job just fine. Both adapters will handle the short 1" hex bits or the longer ones. There is even a similar adapter available from LV that fits in Yankee style screwdrivers or drills.

The other major reason I often wear an apron is to keep a variety of GRK etc, screws, bolts, nuts, nails, brads....on me.

I am a fan of a leather apron Highland Woodworking has been carrying in resent years. It is nice leather, not too long or too short with a good/easy attachment system. The two large lower pockets are big enough to carry a small plane, other large object or a large quantity of screws or nails. Both pockets have a long leather flap that falls down over the pocket which adds protection to tools and keeps them from falling out. I like a thick leather apron when I am using drawknives, spokeshaves and other large green wood tools that may even be pulled through wood towards my body. I bought a ballistic nylon apron some years back but it is stiff, gets in my way and practically never gets used. My old LV cloth apron gets used more for dog training than woodworking in recent years.

[Shawn Pixley]

I don't wear my apron as much as I should. I always wear it for grinding, casting, turning, etc...

But if I were to wear it for general woodworking, it would have my 6" metric / english rule, 4" machinist square, mechanical pencil, and marking knife. Sometimes I would also add a pad of paper and a tape measure. My iPhone would be in my pocket.

[Jim Koepke]

I notice several of you guys mention having one in your apron; I've got two 12" combination squares (one generic and one ancient Millers falls) but I could never justify spending $100-$150 on a square when I have two "functional" ones. Thoughts? Sorry if this jacks the thread. I'll repost if necessary.

I used to have a bunch of combination squares. That is until I checked them for accuracy. A few were so bad the heads were cannibalized as much as they could be and then tossed in the garbage.

There are times when it is great to have a single high quality tool to be able to quickly check all of your other tools against.

Checking a square is fairly easy. Well maybe not for folks like me who have age issues. For my helper I have an inspectors magnifier. It superimposes measuring grids over what ever is being viewed. Mine has marking resolutions down to 0.002".

jtk