As I’m starting out I’m constantly on the look out for cheaper ways to set up my workshop. There are lots of tools you can’t skimp on, so anything that I can save money on is welcomed. I was in Aldi the other day and I found this great welding apron. I know it probably isn’t for everyone but I was like a child at Christmas! And imagine my joy when I discovered it came with gloves. All for the bargain price of €14.99!

While soldering isn’t as dangerous as welding it’s still very handy to have something heat resistant to protect your clothes. Thankfully being short has its advantages so with the piece I cut off I’m going to use it as a bench skin. (jewellers bench skins usually cost around €50!) A bench skin is tacked below your bench to catch anything dropped into it and also to collect metal fillings/offcuts which can be sold back to your metal supplier as scrap.