FR clothing

[Sandy]

No polyester, no polyester, no polyester, .

I don't trust any synthetics for that matter. Everything today is cool looking, lighter, warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer, and cheap. If you work with sparks and flame it'll kill ya sooner or later. But at least you'll die wearing the latest fad material.

[sbluke55]

I have to hear frc's every day at work. They are not supposed to work any better for welding vs just wearing cotton. The intended purpose is to save you from a flash fire. The clothes are rated at a 5 sec flash fire. They are intended to smolder and not catch fire. Not to be a downer but proper use of the grinder and guards to shoot the sparks another way would be best. I personally like carhartt and that's all I wear. I might try ariot next.

[Popeye an old miner]

No polyester, no polyester, no polyester, .

I don't trust any synthetics for that matter. Everything today is cool looking, lighter, warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer, and cheap. If you work with sparks and flame it'll kill ya sooner or later. But at least you'll die wearing the latest fad material.

Absolutely...unless of course you like to spend the evening digging melted plastic out of your arms and legs

[Popeye an old miner]

I have to hear frc's every day at work. They are not supposed to work any better for welding vs just wearing cotton. The intended purpose is to save you from a flash fire. The clothes are rated at a 5 sec flash fire. They are intended to smolder and not catch fire. Not to be a downer but proper use of the grinder and guards to shoot the sparks another way would be best. I personally like carhartt and that's all I wear. I might try ariot next.

I know this and knew what it was all about before I was required to wear that stuff for 2 jobs, and like a good employee I did. As for whether or not it works I couldn't say. Personally I think its just another way for a clothing manufacturer to get their mitts in your wallet, meaning I think its bull****. If there is no requirement at the place where the fella that asked the question about in the first place works I wouldn't waste the money on em.

[sbluke55]

I completely agree. Don't waste the money if your not required to wear them. I don't personally think they are just stuffing their pockets with profits. Being that it's an osha or msha requirement and the insurance and liability of the clothing will cause it to be considerably higher. The hoodie I was just wearing tonight cost $250 before tax.

[n00b]

Thanks. I had researched on the internet and the posters all said the sparks cannot set anything on fire. I was wearing a really cheap polyester/nylon jacket that my dad got for me from Sears for $10. Basically I had 3rd degree burn over 7% of my body. I was discharged from the hospital on 1/27 after being in the hospital for 38 days. Now my mom is taking me to the outpatient burn unit every week. I am home from school until the doc give me authorization to return to school. In the mean time I have to complete all the missed class assignments. I know it was a freak accident but am going to post on the web to correct that the sparks can start a fire.

[Sandy]

Thanks. I had researched on the internet and the posters all said the sparks cannot set anything on fire. I was wearing a really cheap polyester/nylon jacket that my dad got for me from Sears for $10. Basically I had 3rd degree burn over 7% of my body. I was discharged from the hospital on 1/27 after being in the hospital for 38 days. Now my mom is taking me to the outpatient burn unit every week. I am home from school until the doc give me authorization to return to school. In the mean time I have to complete all the missed class assignments. I know it was a freak accident but am going to post on the web to correct that the sparks can start a fire.

Sparks have been starting fires for thousands of years... . Early man didn't have the luxury of polyester to help tho. Not only do you have sparks, you have a steady stream of sparks and even molten metal.

Glad you're getting better.

[xryan]

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.

Hmmm. Well, I'll have to make a video for Boob Tube!

[John Chrysostom]

Jesus wept. Glad you are alive N00b, old stuff like Borax works for hundreds of things (i never new it was FR) but it's safe Old stuff is good stuff

[John Chrysostom]

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!

Spooky stuff Caveman!!

[Popeye an old miner]

Thanks. I had researched on the internet and the posters all said the sparks cannot set anything on fire. I was wearing a really cheap polyester/nylon jacket that my dad got for me from Sears for $10. Basically I had 3rd degree burn over 7% of my body. I was discharged from the hospital on 1/27 after being in the hospital for 38 days. Now my mom is taking me to the outpatient burn unit every week. I am home from school until the doc give me authorization to return to school. In the mean time I have to complete all the missed class assignments. I know it was a freak accident but am going to post on the web to correct that the sparks can start a fire.

Dammit man!!!, I know that's gotta hurt, had a torch blow up in my hands about 25 years ago, 2nd and 3rd degree burns on both hands, I never ever in my life felt so much pain for such a long time...I wish you well and God Bless

[irish]

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

Other choice is to use starch. Make starch solution , pour in spray bottle , coat shirt, iron it on hot setting, quickly, add more if need to, its makes sparks harder to burn thru your shirt.. Use duck cotton like carharts for best results

[xryan]

Other choice is to use starch. Make starch solution , pour in spray bottle , coat shirt, iron it on hot setting, quickly, add more if need to, its makes sparks harder to burn thru your shirt.. Use duck cotton like carharts for best results

Starch works too, but a box of 20 Mule Team Borax goes a LONG LONG way for a few dollars and doesn't make the clothes AS crunchy like regular starch

Duck cloth & denim does work best and honestly is the cheapest. Wally World immitation Carhartt brand Dickies and Levi's...hard to beat the prices. Soak in your borax solution....it honestly works better I believe than even a green commercial FR cloth welding jacket....

Sent from my LM-Q710.FG using Tapatalk

[BananasCentral]

Another vote for Borax.

No less than 3 times have my clothes caught fire during my years in construction.
2 pairs of old jeans, grinder and roofing torch, and a blue poly Christmas sweatshirt (forgot the source of ignition)
Lucky to beat out the fire on my legs, only hair and sunburn, and the sweater was OVER some cotton t shirts so nothing hit my skin.

Then I started welding, and almost got sucked into the frc bs, till I saw the prices!
LOL'd and poured some borax/water over the ugliest denim pants I own.
Done!

Worth noting, borax is also a fungicide and insecticide, I use it on leather, wood, mixed in latex paint (with benzimidazole and chlorothalonil)

[William McCormick]

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.

Kevlar melts and gives off toxic fumes.

Sincerely,

William McCormick

[Taylly]

I do prefer Wranglerand Carhartt to when it comes to such matters. They provide you good comfort and you are safe in case there is real cold out there. I tried to buy the best possible and avoid polyester or synthetic materials as I have an allergy that would make the whole experience quite uncomfortable.In fact, I don't wear anything synthetic at all and even when it comes to simple clothes like matching couple hoodies that my girlfriend likes to buy for us, she uses matchinggear.com since they have the best quality when it comes to materials and for a very good price too, I have to say.