Not logged inAmerican Welding Society Forum
Forum AWS Website Help Search Login
Up Topic Welding Industry / Welding Safety / Welder's foot protection
- - By Mwccwi (***) Date 05-11-2008 11:17 Edited 05-11-2008 11:19
I've been in shops that when you look at the laces on most of the welder's boots you see the laces burned away (been there myself). I know the boots with built in metatarsals are the best option and are the recommended way to go (but they are expensive) and pull on boot don't have laces the flaw with this option is that they rarely provide the reinforcement to protect the instep of your foot from let's say a dropped hammer. The lace up boots has the padding from the tongue and the flaps for the laces and the laces themselves provided some cushion. The over the boot snap or tie in spats are what are recommended in my shop. The problem with the spats is that the under the foot strap often gets worn out quickly and becomes a trip hazard.
I'm asking does anyone know of some Spats/metatarsal protection that can be laced into the boot laces with out exposing the laces themselves? Like the spats in the Dress for success posting with riveted eyelets on the underside to facilitate lacing on to the boots
Attachment: ..dressforsuccesssuggestions.pdf (0B)
Parent - - By mechan (**) Date 05-11-2008 11:35
If you are going to wear lace up boots and work in the metal trades then you should be using raw hide laces not the ones provided with the boots.
Parent - - By Mwccwi (***) Date 05-11-2008 11:44
I do, and they burn out too. but what I'm looking for is a idea to share the folk I Train and Inspect for. What started it was I'm diabetic and it seems that the younger I get the more restrictions my Doctor applies, the latest was having me order diabetic steel toe work boots with no seams in the inside and this padded liner, that sunk me  $300.00 bucks and my insurance is giving me a hard time about reimbersment.
Parent - - By aevald (*****) Date 05-11-2008 16:20
Hello Mwccwi, I have seen the metatarsal flaps that lace into the bottom couple of laces of the boot and then the rest of the flap folds over the laces and back towards your ankle, these do protect the laces at the same time that they serve their function. I'll see if I can find some information or a link for you when I get back to school. Best regards, aevald
Parent - - By Mwccwi (***) Date 05-11-2008 18:23
Thanks,
Parent - - By aevald (*****) Date 05-14-2008 19:52
Hello Mwccwi, I thought that one of my students had the lace-on type, however they turned out to be the type that were an integral part of the boot and not the add on type. I did a little googling and found a couple of the lace on/detachable types. If you google "Alpenco ALFB-101 metatarsal guard" you will find one example, another can be found by googling "Intersafe metatarsal guard". Just googling metatarsal guards or various combinations of this topic yielded a number of different choices in complete boot/metatarsal offerings, they did range in price from slightly under $100 dollars to over $300 dollars. If I do run into other examples I will try to send them your way. Best regards, Allan
Parent - - By lonestarwelder7 (**) Date 05-14-2008 21:45
wolverinebootsandshoes.com
Parent - By and4rik (**) Date 06-07-2008 01:45
Is that spat just supposed to protect your laces?  I cant tell you how many times my steel toes were also steel ankles:)
Parent - By DaveBoyer (*****) Date 05-12-2008 04:50
Some of the production welders at the auto frame plant used the metal metatarsal guards. They also duct taped extra layers of old welders jackets over areas of clothing that took excesive abuse.
Parent - - By CHGuilford (****) Date 05-12-2008 14:34
Just curious - how often do the laces burn out?  How much do replacement laces cost you?

I tried using "Snow Seal" to my rawhide laces; it seems to make them last a little longer, but was a pain to remember to do it.  No matter what I did, they only lasted about a month.  But generally, whenever I bought laces I always bought 2 or 3 packs and kept the spares in my gear.  When I had to tie broken laces together, that was the reminder to add laces to the shopping list.
Parent - By Lawrence (*****) Date 05-12-2008 14:56
When I remember.... I've found saddle soap and a good polish extend the life of both boots and laces... Cheap and looks sharp.

The BBs and sparks just seem to bounce off the well cared for boot... and when I don't care for them they dont' last long... Which is costly when you buy spendy work shoes.
Parent - By Nitesky (**) Date 03-25-2009 00:27
It is getting harder by the day to find leather laces here in Thunder Bay, Ont.  WalMart gets Chinese leather laces and they don't even stand up to being tugged snug the first time they are used.
Found some at Zellers but I guess I got the last ones cause they don't stock them anymore.

Am gonna ask at the Welding Shop next time I go there.
Parent - By ctacker (****) Date 06-06-2008 02:57
our company supplies the kind that has a strap that slips under the laces and has no under the boot strap. I'll try and get a link for them in the near future.
Parent - - By boilermaker (**) Date 02-06-2009 14:56
just me being a smart @ss....but if you keep the weld metal on the steel that you're welding, you won't burn laces...:)
Parent - By 357max (***) Date 02-06-2009 16:51
That is not being SMART, but a very good comment Boilermaker! Consulted in a customer's shop with 20+ year old Miller CP 300's; excellent machines. But, set for 20+ years wrong! They had every machine's output tap set for High Inductance/Stabilizer for 0.045" S6 wire short circuit. "Set the machine, don't question, this is the way the machines weld"!! Lots of metal on the floor!
Parent - By ctacker (****) Date 02-06-2009 18:00
when gouging the back of a root, I try not to leave any metal on the steel I'm welding. and when playing contortionist, sometimes its better to hit your feet rather than your shirt or pants with the spray from gouging.
Parent - By Metarinka (****) Date 02-15-2009 03:56
In this instance I've wondered why Velcro never made a bigger splash in adult foot wear...

Then again I don't think nylon velcro would holdup any better than laces
Parent - By ctacker (****) Date 02-15-2009 07:12
I bought some of these about 6 months ago, I love them!
http://www.steel-toe-shoes.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=CA9539&Category_Code=104

they have built in metatarsal
Up Topic Welding Industry / Welding Safety / Welder's foot protection

Powered by mwForum 2.29.2 © 1999-2013 Markus Wichitill