FR clothing

[Showdog75]

What FR or fire retardant clothing do you guys like? I've got some Bullwark, Wrangler, and Carhartt stuff myself and all are ok. Any other brands out there I'm missing out on?

[12V71]

I like the Carharrt stuff. It will still burn through from hot BBs but wont go up in flames. And I like the zippers on the legs.

[Mmock4]

I’ve tried a few different brands.. like the above poster said you won’t go up I. Flames, but BBs will still get through eventually, Anymore I wear just cheap 100% cotton blue jeans, a cotton tee, under either a cheapie Tillman green welding jacket for GTAW/GMAW, or a lightweight full leather (prefer the pigskin) for SMAW/FCAW. When using the later too, if you weld frequently you will be throwing FR cottons away more than you think, especially if you do much with 6010.

I did try the black stallion hybrid jacket, it was nice to have the leather sleeves and cotton body, but it turned hole-y after about 3 weeks of welding.

[Virgil5]

PLEASE read up on so called Fire Resistant garments before you rely on them.

Nomex racing suits only provide 90 seconds of protection at best.
Laundering FT garments downrates the protection fast.
Many firemen are claiming the FR materials cause Cancer andnot just in California.

[duaneb55]

Carhartt and per their care labels they are not to be washed with non-FR items and are supposed to be retreated periodically.

As I'm sure is common practice, I always wash them with regular garments and have never retreated so . . .

[Country Metals]

I have carhartt sweatshirts that are 8+ years old. Those don't have the cuffs anymore as they have been BB'd to death. I keep them for when welding alum or working under machines.

I will only buy carhartt stuff for welding. Well for anything really.

Sent from my 2PS64 using Tapatalk

[Broccoli1]

Fire retardant only means it wont go up in as flames quickly

[rlitman]

PLEASE read up on so called Fire Resistant garments before you rely on them.

Nomex racing suits only provide 90 seconds of protection at best.
Laundering FT garments downrates the protection fast.
Many firemen are claiming the FR materials cause Cancer andnot just in California.

Racing suits provide protection from burning fuel. Around the shop, you just need a fabric that won’t catch on fire when exposed to embers and sparks.

Fire retardant treated cotton fabrics can lose protection with washing. Some retardants can be toxic. Others are probably not.

Nomex and Kevlar do not require treatment, as they are naturally fire resistant, but washing with other materials can contaminate them with flammable lint.

FYI, wool also will not support the spread of flame.

[Virgil5]

Racing suits provide protection from burning fuel. Around the shop, you just need a fabric that won’t catch on fire when exposed to embers and sparks.

Fire retardant treated cotton fabrics can lose protection with washing. Some retardants can be toxic. Others are probably not.

Nomex and Kevlar do not require treatment, as they are naturally fire resistant, but washing with other materials can contaminate them with flammable lint.

FYI, wool also will not support the spread of flame.

FYI Wool is superior to Kevlar or Nomex in a work environment. Nomex racing suits come with labels sewn in stating they are fire resistant for 90 seconds, not that it will matter one damn bit since your lungs will be roasted within 60 seconds if you're in a fuel fire.

Hey, feel free to stop by with your fabric samples, I got torches available. I've even got pictures of a "Fire Safe" shirt from Unifirst or one of them places.
The salesman was not one bit happy when he left.

[lashlee]

I've got Bulwark, Carhartt and now using Tyndale stuff at work. Some of the Tyndale stuff is oddly sized (2" longer than my Bulwark, while being 1" too small in the waist) but eventually got it worked out. I like the Bulwark stuff the most, since it seems to hold up better but its all about the same.

[xryan]

You can make your own gear FR or retreat old stuff. Remember this is for NATURAL FIBERS like cotton shirts and various canvas/duck cloth and as long as it's not any poly blend material, which is like russian roulette welding, sooner or later it's going to catch fire.

Take your fabric and soak it in a borax and water solution. Big 1LB box of "20 MULE TEAM BORAX" dissolved in a gallon of hot water. Hang dry. Instant Fire Resistant when dry.

Then also you can make a spray with 7oz borax plus 3oz boric acid (yes they are different, basically two similar minerals, use both) dissolve in 2qt hot water and spray it in the outside surface of the materials. Hang dry.

Now you're super duper FR. Cheaper, better and just buy whatever cotton clothing you like and treat it at home...or retreat your purchased FR materials after washing (FR chemicals do wash out of fabric)

Stay safe.


Remember, in the wilderness "cotton kills" in the shop it saves your life. Funny how wool and leather works everywhere. We should just stick to eating and wearing animals. Problem solved

[n00b]

You can make your own gear FR or retreat old stuff. Remember this is for NATURAL FIBERS like cotton shirts and various canvas/duck cloth and as long as it's not any poly blend material, which is like russian roulette welding, sooner or later it's going to catch fire.

Take your fabric and soak it in a borax and water solution. Big 1LB box of "20 MULE TEAM BORAX" dissolved in a gallon of hot water. Hang dry. Instant Fire Resistant when dry.

Then also you can make a spray with 7oz borax plus 3oz boric acid (yes they are different, basically two similar minerals, use both) dissolve in 2qt hot water and spray it in the outside surface of the materials. Hang dry.

Now you're super duper FR. Cheaper, better and just buy whatever cotton clothing you like and treat it at home...or retreat your purchased FR materials after washing (FR chemicals do wash out of fabric)

Stay safe.


Remember, in the wilderness "cotton kills" in the shop it saves your life. Funny how wool and leather works everywhere. We should just stick to eating and wearing animals. Problem solved

Yeah basically being self taught n00b in welding and stuff, didn't really know this. I was rip cutting some metal with a grinder so the sparks with the really cheap hf zip discs which actually dont spin concentric but eccentric which means more sparks and heat got my jacket on fire. the really cheap ones have like a 11/16 id like wtf and the arbor is 5/8 so it spins elliptcal... I had crap on the floor so couldnt stp drop role. Basically have been in the burn place for a month and still am there typed this at the reception in the burn place. definetly need to make a batch of this borax stuff.

[Sandy]

Yeah basically being self taught n00b in welding and stuff, didn't really know this. I was rip cutting some metal with a grinder so the sparks with the really cheap hf zip discs which actually dont spin concentric but eccentric which means more sparks and heat got my jacket on fire. the really cheap ones have like a 11/16 id like wtf and the arbor is 5/8 so it spins elliptcal... I had crap on the floor so couldnt stp drop role. Basically have been in the burn place for a month and still am there typed this at the reception in the burn place. definetly need to make a batch of this borax stuff.

Terrible. Hate to hear things like this. Hope all will much better soon.

[xryan]

Yeah basically being self taught n00b in welding and stuff, didn't really know this. I was rip cutting some metal with a grinder so the sparks with the really cheap hf zip discs which actually dont spin concentric but eccentric which means more sparks and heat got my jacket on fire. the really cheap ones have like a 11/16 id like wtf and the arbor is 5/8 so it spins elliptcal... I had crap on the floor so couldnt stp drop role. Basically have been in the burn place for a month and still am there typed this at the reception in the burn place. definetly need to make a batch of this borax stuff.

WOW man. I've gotten lucky twice catching myself on fire while welding, but luckily I always pretty much wear leathers when doing and stick/MIG/dual shield or any other heavy welding. Always wear cotton underneath, denim bib on front of the welding cape.

Borax and Boric Acid. CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP stuff. All natural FIRE RESISTANT solution. WAY better than the highway robbery chemical soup you can buy from a fire dept supplier. That crap is going to get on your skin. Just use borax and boric acid. Wash you clothes when the gear gets real cruddy, reapply by soaking and or spraying.

If you know anyone in theater, they should also have good go to recipes they use to treat set materials that may be near lights, curtains, backdrops, etc.

[Popeye an old miner]

For what the stuff costs and the level of protection you get for that cost I don't like any of it, ive only had to wear frc stuff on 2 jobs, none of it lasted any longer than any other clothing I think what I wore was rasco. Fortunately I don't need to buy that crap anymore. Its all a money racket and bull****, if you are looking for protection for just welding you are better off buying regular work clothing, heavy cotton shirts, blue jeans and a leather welding jacket for heavy stuff and overhead work. Unless you are required to have that stuff to work at a job don't waste your money, and if they do require it ask about reimbursement, most likely they wont but hey it don't hurt to ask.

[farmersammm]

Agreed!!

[farmersammm]

If it's over my head, it's nothing but leather with collar buttoned all the way,, and heavy long gauntlet style gloves over the sleeves. I don't care how hot it is. It's a dam sight hotter if something lands on your skin.

[Popeye an old miner]

If it's over my head, it's nothing but leather with collar buttoned all the way,, and heavy long gauntlet style gloves over the sleeves. I don't care how hot it is. It's a dam sight hotter if something lands on your skin.

I agree with you there as long as Ive got the room to move where im at, sometimes some of the places I have crawl into I wonder if I got to strip down to nothing. But that FRC **** is a waste of money as far as Im concerned.

[Mikel_24]

Basically have been in the burn place for a month and still am there typed this at the reception in the burn place.

Holly crap n00b! I hope you get better soon! And yes, do buy some FR clothes, leather or whatever... it is totally worth it.

Best of luck,

Mikel

[docwelder]

Yeah basically being self taught n00b in welding and stuff, didn't really know this. I was rip cutting some metal with a grinder so the sparks with the really cheap hf zip discs which actually dont spin concentric but eccentric which means more sparks and heat got my jacket on fire. the really cheap ones have like a 11/16 id like wtf and the arbor is 5/8 so it spins elliptcal... I had crap on the floor so couldnt stp drop role. Basically have been in the burn place for a month and still am there typed this at the reception in the burn place. definetly need to make a batch of this borax stuff.

n00b; speedy recovery! when you're released from hospital shoot me a pm with your address. i got a brandy new tillman leather welding jacket with your name on it.

[CAVEMANN]

Best wishes n00b, I can definitely relate, although mine were not as severe. I was cutting the front cowcatcher off the front of a locomotive back i in 86, I had a pair of cotton/polyester pants on under a pair of treated cotton coveralls, the steel was 1 1/2 " so there was a lot of slag. Radiant heat ignited my pants UNDER my coveralls, I felt the heat and looked to see what was happening. I didn't see anything so I continued until I couldn't take it, I stopped and took a better look, I was flaming under the coveralls and smoldering the coveralls. long story short 2nd degree burn about 7" in diameter, I didn't have to go to a burn center but I had to scrub it daily till it bled, don't ever want to go through that again. SPEEDY RECOVERY MY FRIEND!

[65 cromedome]

Very interesting xryan. Good old YouBoobTube doesn't have anything in this regard (Make Your Own FR Clothing), AMAZINGLY. I mean nowadays, if it hasn't been posted on YT, it never happened!

BTW: Plenty of good info on how to WATERPROOF clothing is shown on YT, even under the same search parameters as FR.

Time to go to the laboratory and give this a try.

[bent]

N00b's post ought to be a sticky for first time welders. N00b, hang in there. The worst is behind you.

Those FR patches move pretty easily from a worn out shirt to a new one.

[VPT]

I have carhartt everything. However my local Fleet farm carries all types and I actually like the wolverine (pretty sure thats what they are, will check when I get home) line better than carhartt. The zippers work better, the pockets are nicer, the cuffs fit tighter, and they are stuffed more so they are warmer (for us cold climate guys).

[VPT]

Oh yeah, dickies for pants too. I have carhartt pants of all types but the dickies do just as well of job and are 1/3 the price.