Your hobbies

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Hello! As you are on this forum I suppose that you are interested in DIY activities. However, I am wondering what are your other hobbies? I love cooking and experiments in kitchen! What is more, I am very interested in sport. I have also practised volleyball but I resigned. Then, when I was spending a lot of time in my house, I revealed that DIY is for me. I started from simple things like doing some origami etc. but now I am working on aquaponic system! What are your other hobbies? How you started your interests with DIY?
 
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Hi,

Good question GO7. :)

Machinery restoration.
Cabinetwork.
Veneering.
French polishing.
Wood turning.
Metal Turning.
Mechanical engineering.
Vintage radio restoration.
All aspects of DIY from foul drains to chimney pot.
Making useful machines/tools from scrap.
Installing 3 phase winding own transformers.
Furniture making.
Gardening.
Forums.
Enjoying life with my wonderful wife.
Just an whole list of hobbies too numerous to mention. I'm just starting work making a new front porch for our bungalow. 70 years old and not enough hours in a day.

As long as I'm busy I'm happy.

Kind regards, Colin.
 
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I would not call it a hobby, but I am now into questioning everything? There are so many things now days that are poorly designed. There is so much of it, it almost seems planned by powerful people. It is like how could everything be so bad. I hope to get people thinking and asking "Who are these people?"
 
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Hi,

Who is actually to blame Don for the way things are these days. We complain about poor design and things which are designed to break down the day after the warranty expires; we now live in a throw away society with so much controlled by electronic circuit boards that once the board expires its cheaper to buy new but then this is called saving the planet and protecting resources.

Our previous washing machine broke down it being the circuit board at fault; £35 for the call out and quoted £100 for a new circuit board; we bought a brand new washing machine for £190 all because of a small circuit board which costs very little to manufacture.

Power tools can be bought extremely cheaply and these are expected to perform like the more expensive power tools? People now want something for nothing and in order to meet such expectations manufacturers have to trim everything back to the absolute minimum; I like to buy old scrap cast iron machines then fully restore them usually taking only a handful of tools and at the cost of a few bearings or drive belts; the motors are designed and built to last a lifetime as is the machine; no electronics at all to go wrong just simple honest design that anyone can understand and repair if they want to get their hands dirty and put some effort in.

Our neighbour has just suffered an accident in his car which activated three airbags; no one was seriously hurt and the car had minimal offside front damage which a few years ago would have been repaired; the cost of the new air bags and installation meant the insurance company wrote a decent car off and we all pay for this modern technology by increased insurance costs. Just another example of saving the planet.

Bron and I dislike plastic window frames and doors etc preferring wood; wood has been around millions of years; wood can be repaired or replaced by more wood the old wood easily disposed of; if looked after wood is very long lasting; our wooden window frames and doors are still like brand new but at over 50 years old; about four years ago I replaced the double glazed units leaving the still perfect wood frames in place; six double glazed units only cost under £350 and I did the job myself.

I mentioned in post #3 I was just starting work on a new front entrance for our bungalow; this is now completed as seen in the pictures below. It's made entirely by me from good old fashioned redwood; the redwood is completely sealed and should with care last well over 50 years even in this exposed valley side location.

Old skills are dying out at a rapid pace with few guys these days interested in hands on hobbies; Bron and I have saved an incredible amount of money working on our home rather than getting someone in; the money saved in labour meant we could then buy top quality materials. We often get told its all right for us because we've got the skills; we've got the workshop; we've got the tools and machinery etc but we weren't born with these; whilst our friends and neighbours are off on foreign holidays or dining out we remain home putting our hard earned money to good use but then we are all different; we never say its all right for you because you've just been on a foreign holiday its down to choice. We love our home and we can have days out whenever we wish; because of our lifestyle I was able to fully retire aged 53 so we also get told its alright for us because we've got the time; before retiring I worked in a very stressful job and we never have holidays away from home; during working on one holiday period Bron and I replaced the bungalow roof whilst our neighbours were away on holiday; strange though the neighbours always return home from holiday as miserable as they left?

Generally I think we get what we deserve; if we demand things but don't want to pay what can we expect?

I'm now restoring two large coach lamps I bought at Rufforth Auto Jumble costing £3 the pair and I enjoy doing things like this than going away on holiday; our lifestyle isn't for everyone but we're happy.

Kind regards, Colin.

Porch_001.JPG

Redwood door under construction; through wedged mortise & tenon joints; cost very little other than materials and my time and the door will last a lifetime or two if looked after; All the wood is fully sealed with top quality paint.

Porch_003.JPG


The new front entrance completed; all woodwork is done by me as is the metal decking only cost being materials. The only plastic we have are the rainwater goods and even these are painted to match the woodwork.

Coach lamps_001.JPG

One of the coach lamps stripped. Another interesting project for me. It's going to take a lot of time to restore these and even if I fail all I'll lose is £3 plus time.

Coach lamps_002.JPG


Two bought for £3; I've seen similar on eBay for up to £90 each.
 
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Hi,

This morning has flown by whilst I've enjoyed a workshop session making a new tool rest. I intend having a go at metal spinning because the reflectors on the coach lamps are corroded and I'd like to experiment seeing if I can make new reflectors.

The tool rest is for my Graduate lathe this lathe being 1.5hp with variable speed; I now need to make the tool.

Kind regards, Colin.

Tool rest_001.JPG


Made from lumps of metal I had to hand; a bit of metal cutting; drilling and a bit of turning on my engineering lathe; a quick welding job completed it; a coat of paint will improve its appearance.
 
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Hi,

Try something new 2dark4u and leave your comfort zone; make lots of mistakes and enjoy yourself. When Bron and I are told "I can't do that" the person/s saying this are oh so right because they haven't tried and never will? :)

I completed the coach lamps shown in a post above; I had to learn metal spinning from scratch in order to make six new reflectors seen below; it was a very steep learning curve whilst I ruined a few aluminium circles and fractured a rib but I quickly caught on and spun perfect reflectors as seen below; I've never done much light sheet metal work but I also just about replaced the original lamps using new aluminium sheet. My fractured rib healed itself in a few weeks and I learned I needed to use a platform to stand on whilst metal spinning the lathe as it is works perfectly for woodturning but I need to be higher for metal spinning allowing the metal spinning tool handle to nestle just under my shoulder; I was using the tool too low down but no problem I've fractured a rib previously so wasn't unduly worried; I just gave up taking deep breaths for a while. :D

What do you fancy tackling because if you really want to succeed you will succeed if you stick at it?

Kind regards, Colin.

Lamps._001.JPG


I needed six reflectors so I spun six on my Graduate woodturning lathe; a steep learning curve but enjoyable and now I'm interested in combining metal spinning and woodturning to experiment a bit.

Lamps._002._012.JPG


One of the two completed coach lamps; I used lead came to mount the lens; I plan to fully install the lamps each side of our front door once the weather improves.

Lamps._003._004.JPG



Initial attempt at metal spinning but I was getting the hang of it pretty quickly. Have a go at something new 2dark4u and surprise yourself. I'm told it's OK for me because I've got the machines and tools but I wasn't born with these nor were I born with skills how to use them; the Graduate lathe was virtually scrap when I bought it but I enjoyed rebuilding it as I did in rebuilding my extremely rare Lorch Schmidt metal lathe; I've restored many machines over the years which is a nice hobby in itself.
 
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I play a lot of golf.

I keep several of these;

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I mess around with this.


This


and these.


I play the tenor sax seen in the above video

and this

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I did all the hard landscaping in our garden, built the patio, koi pool, paths, ornaments, woodwork etc, many years ago when I was working before I retired, "when I had more time."

 

Ian

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I think like most of us here, my hobbies are building & fixing things - but I particularly like anything electro-mechanical. The availability of cheap and easy to use microcontrollers is wonderful to see, as it gives me a handy way to do things that would have been out of reach a few years ago. I really enjoy technology, but at the same time I like to keep things as simple and reliable as possible. If there's a problem, I like being able to build something to fill the need!

Aside from my workshop, I enjoy getting out for a cycle/walk in the sunshine (ideally with a pub lunch at the end :D) and running forums like this one. Also very much into anything aerospace related :).
 
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Hi,

I like the word "cheap" Ian. :D I too like to build things rather than just hand over money; it's amazing what can be made from offcuts of metal and wood; lots of our furniture both freestanding and built in including the hardwood kitchen are mostly offcuts costing very little in monetary terms; our kitchen wasn't done in a week; it took 25 years whilst I've kept adding to it as it evolved; I've got a truly special wife in Bron who never complains and never wants things yesterday; Bron fully supports me knowing I never start jobs without finishing them.

I've played around with electronics and for ten years restored vintage valve radios but I never ever trust anything with a circuit board; as a kid I was taught using slate and chalk and these never broke down; as long as chalk was available it was 100% reliable; on a training course many years ago I was in a classroom where I was the only one using a slide rule the others using digital calculators; I could always beat the others with the answer. Yes we've progressed over the last 65 years but even now Morse Code can beat Texting. Our TV remotes drive me mad as do mobile phones; I tried to do something online a couple of days ago needing a password; please enter your mobile phone number and choose call ot text; get lost I can manage without what I was after. 4 year old kids are light years ahead of me with mobile phones but I'll not lose sleep over it.


I like playing with electrics especially transformers and electric motors; I'm all for electric cars but not electric car batteries; batteries are another pet hate of mine usually discharged when needed most; I must be one of few guys on the planet to have physically handled over 1,000,000 electric motors of sizes from being lifted with one hand to monsters needing fork truck or crane.

There's something special though isn't there Ian in watching metal come to life and also in making something useful.

I've a friend who is deeply into the spaceX program; each time new progress is made he emails me; I find the technology to be wonderful but I'm a stick in the mud happy to be at home here in Yorkshire with zero thought regarding ever venturing into space;


You'll be aware of spacex Ian?

Many old skills are dying out which is a shame but kids these days appear more interested in texting; drugs and violence and its getting worse. As kids we boys used to carry sheaf knives to school but during all my school years not one of my chums was stabbed; teachers knew we had the knife and it never bothered them unlike now;

https://www.sheffield-made.com/acatalog/8-inch-rosewood-Bowie-knife-ROSE8.html#SID=20

Many things are better these days but politeness; courtesy and being decent are increasingly rare.

Kind regards, Colin.
 

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I too follow SpaceX closely, it's fascinating to see the sudden reduction in price now that commercial companies are providing space services (still a tad pricy ;)). The way that SpaceX land their boosters after launch is incredible. If I ever had a chance to go in to space, I'd jump at it :). I'm hoping that we'll get to see a launch of one of the Falcon Heavy boosters later this year - we were hoping to catch a test in 2016, but there was a huge delay of the launch date and we missed it.

There's something special though isn't there Ian in watching metal come to life and also in making something useful.
I couldn't agree more, it's so satisfying to build and then use :D. Especially when it's a learning experience in the process, like your metal spinning project.
 
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Despite my increasing age, I've indulged myself by upgrading the kit for a couple of my several hobbies.

I've already posted a photo of my new leccy piano.

Then I treated myself to a replacement trolley and bag. I'm thinking of changing my irons too.

P1010027.JPG


As they say, you can't take it with you.
 
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Hi,

I like hobbies where I've something to show for my efforts; I'm not into any kind of sports or athletics at all and never watch any of these on TV in fact I seldom watch normal rubbish TV preferring YouTube classic movies where political correctness hadn't been invented and swearing was never heard.

I was out early this morning doing a small job that I've kept meaning to do; wasps have nested twice in the top corner of our front room window the nest in the wall cavity; last year I once again dusted the entrance but then by the time I got around to sorting it out it was much too cold. I've used sharp sand and portland cement mortar to seal the entrance; it looks a bit unsightly at the moment but once the mortar dries it won't be noticeable; the wasps will need an SDS drill in chisel mode this year if they want to take up residence again. I hate wasps because they are the skinheads of the insect world stinging just for the fun of it; I declared open war on wasps over 50 years ago when one got into my shirt sleeve and stung my arm twice before it escaped; wasps also make my life a misery tormenting me as I work outside. Bees I like and they don't bother me at all.

After dinner I feel a bit of lathe work coming on; I plan to turn two wooden mountings for the pair of restored coach lamps shown in post #8 then I can install the lamps getting them finally off the bench. Next job is to build a second garden hut 6' x 5' and the ground is already prepared; I can keep busy without resorting to watching rubbish on TV. :D

An interesting project coming up in two weeks; I'm collecting a petrol mower from my chum; my chum has spent a lot of time trying to get his mower to run for more than five minutes before it cut out; he hasn't the time to play with it any longer so he's bought a new Honda mower and kindly giving me his old mower for me to tinker with; this will be a lovely project for a rainy day.

Nice one Doghouse; yes do what you want to do whilst you can do it; your music and golf are your interests outside DIY & gardening so enjoy them. The only irons I play with are the ones I weld. :D

Kind regards, Colin.

Wasp nest._001.JPG


Entrance to wasp nest showing the dusting it looking unsightly.

Wasp nest._002.JPG


Entrance fully sealed and once the mortar dries it will blend in nicely; wasps now evicted to pester someone else.
 
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Hi

Playing games, listening to music, watching anime, cartoons and youtube.
If it wasn't for YouTube I reckon I'd brick our telly given the amount of absolute garbage shown as entertainment on normal TV. We're currently watching the old TV series "The Saint" and "It Takes A Thief" via YouTube. TV series made before the world went mad. We've watched series Robin Hood (Richard Greene); Sea Hunt; Highway Patrol; Whirlybirds; Dragnet: Taxi; Gideon's Way; Juliet Bravo; Ever Decreasing Circles and many music videos from the sixties; B&W movies too are excellent. :)

Kind regards, Colin.
 
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I've just given up one of my hobbies.

I've had this since 1986. A 4ft 6inch deep, 3000 gallon koi pool.

P1020431.JPG


But just over a week ago it developed a leak and needed a new liner.
This would have involved ;
Moving the fish into the filtered quarantine tank in the garage which is only 300 gallons. Really too many for such a small volume of water.
Emptying the pool (easy enough to pump it out)
Removing all the perimeter rocks, part of the waterfall and the bridge over the filter return.
Pressure testing the bottom drain and pump sump socket, to see if the leak was there.
Removing the liner.
Fitting a new one
Replacing the rocks,waterfall and bridge.
A big job.

So after 33 years I called it a day.
We now have this. It took a contractor three days to fill with 20 tonnes of hardcore, ballast, sand and flag it.

P1020527.JPG


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The fish went to a good home. A case of wheeling them around in three trips to a friend's koi pool a few doors away.

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My only hobbies now are, gardening, golf, my vinyl jukeboxes and wall boxes, my tenor sax, my leccy piano and collecting "film noir."
 
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