Welding Tips and Tricks

When I was younger working in the cold bundled up in Carhartt's etc. I would burn myself up every now and then, over time I came to recognize the smell of things that were not supposed to be burning. When I smell it, I stop and look.

You're on the right track IMO, researching other peoples setups.
I would go to a leather worker and have a a suitably sized apron custom made to your leg size and chair clearance requirements, easy to fit/remove and gives total protection from sparks, slag etc. Gotta be better for you than "anyone smell smoke?"
Shop setup, you by now know what you need, heights and spacing etc, they are usually a work in progress until you're happy with the setup, you know how it goes.
Cheers

My shop is in a constant state of evolution. I'm not sure I'll ever be completely satisfied with it. I love seeing how other folks organize theirs. I'm not quite the polar opposite of a neat freak, so anything that helps keep things neat and organized is of great help to me. When I had my service truck, everything had a specific place and it was great. I haven't gotten to that point yet in my shop.
Cheers
-EB

I recently bought some leather stuff from a shop in London. Through etsy. Kingsley Leather. High end hand crafted and hand stitched. I paid a lot just for a billfold, but based on the quality of workmanship I got it will last a lifetime. Even though he's halfway around the world from me I'm thinking I might see if he'll make me a heavy duty apron.