welding shirts?

By kmp

Date 03-28-2009 20:44

lapcomfg.com

By pipeliner88 (**)

Date 03-28-2009 22:38

i get my shirts from www.joesboots.com

By texwelder (***)

Date 03-28-2009 22:50

get them starched also it helps alot

By hillbilly (**)

Date 03-29-2009 00:40

like what was stated above, starch, starch starch! I picked this up from an old hand and needless to say my wife has been happier not having to patch as many of my clothes since. Ha

By raftergwelding (*****)

Date 03-29-2009 02:09

i've tried quite a few shirts the only 1 that held up for me was a lapco it was a denium shirt with crhart like material on the youlks and sleves hard as hell after the washing but they last and dont brun up real eay starch works but it is hot too i wore starch for al ong time and then 1 dat i got a real bad rash all over my upper body dont know if it was the starch or the severe sweat but i quit using it and havent had a rash since i'll deal with the burt arms over the rash

By up-ten

Date 03-29-2009 03:22

Lapco is a pretty darn good shirt and Shad is right about those sleeves being stiff. I could throw mine in the corner and it would stand up like I was still in it! LOL. Never tried the starch idea but will give it a try.

By raftergwelding (*****)

Date 03-29-2009 03:26

no need to starch a lapco shirt not ever the 2 i bought i still have they are winter time shirts there are holes in the denium but not in the lseeves or the yolks

By up-ten

Date 03-29-2009 03:44

Well thats good to know. Winter time shirts? In Texas?

By pypLynr (***)

Date 03-29-2009 04:18

If you can't afford Lapco ... Wrangler work khaki's that are starched extra heavy hold up real well .

By raftergwelding (*****)

Date 03-29-2009 14:02

we have our cold days down here but nothing like you experience

By lonestarwelder7 (**)

Date 03-29-2009 04:37

I use lapco in the winter....c.e. schmidt work wear in the summer (tractor supply real cheap and good 20.00)...
when it gets real hot I wear a under armour t-shirt. I also cut the arm off of one of my old leathers and rigged up an aligator clip to it..

the lapco shirt is thick but to hot for me in the summer...
c.e. schmidt has several grommets in the arm-pit areas to help dispurse the stink...
and the under armour, well if your lucky enough to get a breeze it will send chills up your back.<----and yes i've had to "buff" out a few arc strikes from the chill.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay_10551_10001_47341_______14626%7C14648%7C14662%7C14664%7C47341?listingPage=true&Special=false

http://www.underarmour.com/shop/us/en/tnp-t/pid1201085-Men-s-TNP-Longsleeve-T/1201085-001

http://www.sjsmith.com/index.aspx?Command=AdvSearch&Section=Welding_Sleeves_101821

By B.acosta (**)

Date 03-29-2009 05:05

[deleted]

By Cumminsguy71 (*****)

Date 03-29-2009 19:14

Are those the plain Lapco shirts(kaki) or are you guys talking about the "Indura" flame retardent ones(http://www.thegangbox.com/p-713-flame-retardant-indura-shirt.aspx)? I've found a guy on ebay with a great price on the regular 10oz Lapco shirts, here http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320352221304&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT&viewitem=&salenotsupported

I found the flame retardent ones at The Gangbox just not sure if it's worth the money(lasts longer than regular) Going to buy one this week either way and give it a try but if the Indura one is better than I'd rather get that one.

By shorthood2006 (****)

Date 03-29-2009 14:09

lapco....and starch the piss out of em.

By Cumminsguy71 (*****)

Date 03-29-2009 16:36 Edited 03-29-2009 16:41

Thanks for the info! Sounds like I'll give lapco a try. I know the one place I posted had 8.5oz shirts I may end up giving one of those a try as well, figure in the heat of the summer and if I burn it up, well, ain't like I have not burned up a bunch of clothing already! For sure will pick up one of the lapcos especially with all the good reviews from here. Thanks again for the great info!

By scrappywelds (***)

Date 03-29-2009 17:26

lapcos shirts all the way. I have 3 of them that are 4 years old steady welding in them almost everyday. They are hot in the summer, but it does help lose that extra 10 lbs you gained from the winter. Tomwatersonline.com is where I have been buying mine. I really like "the welder" embroidery they do sets the shirt off nice.

By pypLynr (***)

Date 03-29-2009 19:17

19 years welding and been threw too many wranglers and Lapco's ... if you don't starch 'em . The starch is the key to long lived shirts ! I've got 12 wranglers and 4 Lapco's that I have had for almost 4 yrs. STARCH , BABY !!!

By Stringer (***)

Date 03-29-2009 21:07

Hard to find a cleaner who'll give 'em enough starch anymore.

By Cumminsguy71 (*****)

Date 03-29-2009 21:23

Spent a tour in the Marines so I'm quite handy with an iron and a can of spray starch. I Could starch a pair of cammies that would stand up on there own! Buy a new pair, wash them, iron and starch and hang in locker for inspections. Never thought I'd be starching work shirts though!

By Cumminsguy71 (*****)

Date 03-29-2009 21:41

Ok, bought two from guy on ebay, he took paypal and that's where I had money. Now to get a couple cans of starch :-)

By rick harnish (***)

Date 03-29-2009 22:24

I tell my cleaner extra heavy starch on the Lapcos. Its like wearing plywood! I love it!
When I do my own, I cant get enough on em. Maybe its just laziness.

By Cumminsguy71 (*****)

Date 03-29-2009 22:27

I think the spray can stuff is kinda like spray paint, just can't get a heavy enough/thick enough coat on it to be worth a hoot. My cammies from the cleaners were always more rigid than when I did them myself.

By mongoose52 (*)

Date 03-29-2009 23:12

I fussed at the cleaners I use until the finally got it right. Double xx heavy starch.

By Martin G (**)

Date 03-30-2009 01:09

This is Martys wife. I got on here to ask what kind of clothes you guys like best and thank you Shawn....I didn't have to look long. This is the thing. I am going to order them, wash them, and of course put them away but you all make it real tough on me with this starch talk. He has been on my @!# for several years off and on about it and I keep telling him no. I know he is going to read this and say, "see honey? They do it, you need to for me!" I am telling you the truth when I say I already do everything for him BUT weld! Sigh....guess I'll go get some, err scratch that...a crapload of starch. I'd better get off here and get started on making welding caps. You all don't know what I go through. He is lucky I'm crazy about him.

By ryan gaspard (**)

Date 03-30-2009 01:50

my wife buys it by the 1/2 gallon jug at wal-mart and puts it in a spray bottle,it is a little heavier starch than the one in the can and like everyone said ,your cloths last 2 to3 times longer, worth it in the long run

By Cumminsguy71 (*****)

Date 03-30-2009 02:05

One thing I did find out Marty's Wife is if you buy them with the intent on starching don't buy the ones that are flame retardent. Seems the starch will ruin the flame retardent properties and they cost more.

By JHarlos (**)

Date 03-30-2009 01:44

carhartt shirts are really good too if you can find them. I am talking about the ones that look like lapco. And I like the way the wear better, plus they have a regular botton at the top that doesnt grad your whiskers like lapco. But find a cleaner that will starch them so heavy that you have to fold them after wearing to get them into the washer

By Paladin (***)

Date 03-30-2009 02:46

Lapco's are plenty heavy. They are more fun in the winter than during a Texas summer. I actually prefer Carhartt, just not so stiff and heavy. But they seem to be hard to find and the sizing has changed. Starching will make them last longer. I think shirts get burnt up the most when they are new. The fuzz on a new shirt seems to burn more than one that has been washed- dryed a lot and slicker. I usually wash them several times before I weld with them. My wife doesn't starch her stuff much less mine. And I sure am not going to do it.

Once I was on a job out of state and we sent our clothes out to be cleaned. I was doing a lot of arc gouging and was really getting BURNT up. I had mostly new jeans and shirts but they were about ruined with burn holes. Come to find out the laundry was dry cleaning them. I don't know what was in that but it sure helped the cotton burn. I got the laundry to WASH the clothes and everything was back to normal.

One other thing. The more experence you have the more metal you put in the weld and the less on you.

By low_hydrogen (**)

Date 03-30-2009 04:10

(winter) Carhart XX starch leather sleeve and clothes pin right arm. (summer) wrangler xx starch leather sleeve. the only problem I"ve had is carharts top button is a snap and it likes to pull your facial hair out OUCH! useally crush the last snap with a pair of pliers wrangler is a lot lighter and top button is sewn on and not a snap.

By ZCat

Date 03-30-2009 04:48

Don't buy FR shirts to weld in unless the job requires it. Sparks go right through that stuff.

By bigrod

Date 03-30-2009 05:58

i have about 15 lapco's... half fr and half regular. i get them extra heavy startch from the dry cleaners for around 13 bucks when i take in 5 and plus they are done the next day. the only time i have in it is gathering them up and dropping them off. summer t shirt and lapco. winter under armour long sleeve shirt hoody and lapco before i have to break out the bibs and the jacket

By welderjack (*)

Date 03-30-2009 22:11

i use lapco and when i get new ones i let the cleaners know and they will starch the new ones three times befor i get them back and then they hold up better and it is only one dollar a shirt in crosby off of fm 2100 next to the old wal-mart

By Stringer (***)

Date 03-31-2009 00:47

15 shirts for 13 dolla/rs? Are you kidding me? I'm paying four to four-fifty a shirt. My old work jacket just came back and it was 12.50 just for cleaning.

By Martin G (**)

Date 03-31-2009 02:22

This is Dana, (Martys wife) again. I decided on a few things and wanted to share. I also have a question for you all if you don't mind...I will get to that in a sec. I talked to Marty this morning when he got home and turns out he already read this thread before I posted lol. See? Anyway, I didn't want to look completely clueless on here so I didn't mention my confusion about the starch with fire resistant clothing. I read on a care instruction page online not to ever put it on them b/c it would ruin the frc properties. Shawn did mention that to me after my posting though so thank you. I guess you all are not really buying frc's but if Marty works in a refinery (which he does at least once a year) then you have to have them or wear their prison looking outfits so this is what I am getting. http://joesboots.com/detail.aspx?ID=1698 I will get 7 of these and I still haven't decided which fr jeans to get. We are going to keep his clothes seperate just like we do with winter/summer items and when I wash them I won't use fabric softener or starch unless they lose their ability to do what they are supposed to. As far as regular jobs go, I have decided on Riggs utility jeans for him that Wrangler makes. He has some already that have held up pretty well and they have double knee which is good b/c he of course sometimes welds while on his knees. He likes them. I found them here for a pretty good price. I will get 7 probably. http://www.denimexpress.com/riggs-jeans-102.html and 3 of these, http://www.denimexpress.com/rigg-jeans-103.html He picked out these shirts....he has already owned this particular one before and really liked it. http://joesboots.com/detail.aspx?ID=243 I am almost done. :D I also already took the advice of a poster on here to get these. Sorry guys, they only had 2 left and I got them! https://www.tractorsupply.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10551_10001_47437_ Marty agreed that it was a pretty nice shirt for a good price too so thanks! Now, it is true I have decided to keep all of his non frc starched so I decided he was going to have to compromise some too. I am going to be getting an iron press to cut down on time. http://www.amazon.com/Singer-ESP-2-Electronic-Steam-Press/dp/B000WOG7NI/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1238461181&sr=8-2 I am deciding between this one and a pantman press. I am not sure yet which is better. I will probably go with the one I posted the link for. It is afterall, a Singer which is a brand I trust. Thank you all for your input and now for my question. I want to order this one style of shirt for him but neither of us understands the measuring listed on them. I could guess but I do not want to order the wrong thing. It is on the Lapco shirts. They only have inches listed for size. Is the first measurement the chest and the second the length of the shirt? He wears a large normally and he is 5'10" so he wouldn't need it longer than a regular which is? They don't have anything on there I could see to help explain. Sorry my post was so long. I don't like coming into his territory but you all know and I don't so thank you in advance to anyone who took the time to read this.

By Cumminsguy71 (*****)

Date 04-01-2009 12:35

Hello again Marty's Wife Dana! The shirt sizing that I've seen is usually neck size then arm length, i.e 15 1/2 x 33. I have seen them list as medium/regular or medium/tall. This guy here has a pretty good size chart for the Lapco's I bought from him.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320352221304&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT&viewitem=&salenotsupported

By Martin G (**)

Date 04-01-2009 17:46

Thank you so much Shawn. I type like I talk and knew I had to be overwhelming you or anyone else that read that lol. I later thought about the sizes (the 16in) and realized there was no way it could be chest size when his head is bigger than that. (Way bigger) :D kidding. Anyway, thank you again for having patience with me. I am going to order him some now. Hope you are having a good week!
Dana

By Dart Date 01-29-2019 11:19

I recommend everyone to see my review - https://garageworkshop.online/the-best-welding-shirts-a-buyers-guide/