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This post has little to do with woodworking – but it will upset the safety police (not to mention the fashion police, though I doubt they’re reading). And, it just looks funny.
After hitting snooze on my alarm a few too many times this morning, I was running quite late for work and didn’t have time to drink my usual cup(s) of coffee to fully awaken before getting dressed. I threw on a skirt and sandals (as well as a shirt and unmentionables, of course) and ran out the door, not remembering that I had to work on a last-minute “I Can Do That” project and take pictures for the magazine. Those pictures will now be tightly cropped.
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Megan –
You could always try one of these:
http://www.utilikilts.com/
Jonathan
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Hmmm… an attractive woman, skilled woodworker and magazine editor, who happens to be wearing a skirt. Nope, I’m just not seeing the problem. The safety police may throw down on the sandals, but most of us would be lying if we denied ever wearing anything less than safety shoes in the shop. My point is that you don’t have to dress like Norm Abram to be a skilled woodworker. Forget the tightly cropped pictures… you look fine and we’d miss the great Edmund Burke quote in the picture (click it to see larger image)!
Ah, live dangerously
The sandals don’t make the grade. With full top shoes, preferably leather, a chisel rolling off the bench top would likely be a minor inconvenience. With sandals there is potential for grievous injury. We had this knowledge drilled into us in Shop Class, grade 8.
Megan,
You look awfully good to me that way and would be delighted to have you dress up my shop with both your looks and your knowledge. How could I lose. :o)
Fred
You look just great !!
Megan, you look fine. You’re safe, comfortable,and relaxrd and therefore capabile of concentrating on your work. And let’s face it looking at you is much easier on an old man than Glen, Bob, or Chris. Fashion and safety police be damned.
Steve
What is holding the Kreg jig to the Workmate? Did you screw it to the top? It isn’t square to the top so I don’t think it has a hidden piece gripped by the jaws. Hope the board isn’t going to fall over once you let go of the work piece.
Looks fine to me Megan, in fact I’m thinking
of going for the kilt look myself.
Does anyone know what size of block plane
that would fit into a sporran.
Och Aye the noo.
Kevin.
I’d be more concerned about your hair getting caught in something spinning.
I’d be more concerned about the hair getting caught in something that’s spinning. Am I close?
Another useless blog by the editors of PW.
As I see it your work seems to be light, no dangerous, saws,planers, or joiners. running. Nothing wrong with that Workmate, I have one just like it. It also doesn’t appear that you are using any dangerous sharp tools such as chisels, knives etc. So you are good to go, I think being comfortable is important as well, you don’t want to get overheated.
Now as far as the so called fashion Police, what is wrong with your Red Hair, Navy Blue top, and a kaki skirt it all looks fine to me and coordinated. Where I live my choice of dress is a tank top, shorts, and boat shoes with no socks. Now if I will be doing something where I could get severely hurt I dress accordingly.
Go for it and no cropping.
Steve
Looks plenty safe to me. I often wear shorts and sandals in the shop, especially during Houston’s fourteen months of summer. Way too hot for usual standard issue jeans, flannel and beard 😉
Sure looks better than a 75 year old fatman like me. You appear comfortable in what you are doing. Besides we have way too many kinds of police anyway. If you can’t be comfortable and enjoy what you do then it’s time to find a new hobby/profession. Nuff said.
Ah, the classic but seldom photographed 1974 Roubo Workmate with it’s now-iconic twin screw vice – and caught by camera in use by a local crafts-person. Bon!
Note it’s fine base, it’s top set at just the right height to accommodate a mixed work style of power and hand tools, and of course the massive vice which spans the entire length of the bench.
Many an ancient worker will remember his/her early days as an apprentice homme m à tout faire (fr. handyman) using just that bench.
Will this one be highlighted in the next Work Bench Book? I foresee a whole new chapter in the offing.
Were you comfortable?
Were you safe?
If wearing sandals in the shop was a capital offense then nothing would ever get made out of Koa.
Lets face it, if you are hefting 120lb timbers then shoes are absolutely required, but if you are moving around little pieces of pine who gives a darn… you may get a splinter in your pinkie toe.
I say run with it– to heck with those that find the negative in everything. I wear my shorts in the shop all the time and feel that I do so safely. This is not that much different except that my legs are a bit fuzzier.
If the suits at he home-front get all fidgety about it, just put the caption in “doc marten boots removed for photographic clarity” That should suffice…
As always, I’m looking forward to the article,
Lawrence
Luckily, I don’t ALWAYS have my stream going in the shop. I’d scare little children.
Safety issues aside, that is NOT an officially sanctioned work bench.
I understand that Scotsmen cut dovetails in their kilts, so I think you’re fine.
-Steve
Short sleeves, snug shirt… How is this any worse than guys who wear shorts and sandals in the shop? If you’re doing seriously hard work–say, sorting lumber–then maybe, but this would seem fine for a couple hours of planing, etc. Overheating can be quite unsafe, too.
Rainer
Guess you were reading one of Schwarz’s articles and it crept into your subconscious:
“As Senior Editor Bob Lang might say: “You might as well show up on the job site wearing a dress.”
My 12 year old son uses that exact bench as his primary work surface. He loves it.
Looks great to me.
Though, I’ve never used the pocket-screw equipment. But after 20 blissful years serving as fashion police when asked questions like, “how do I look in this?” I’ve found the answer “That looks great” to usually be the right one.