Other hobbies

[Hornisse]

I loved building model cars and planes when I was a kid.  I had many of those same kits.  Stored them in the attic of my parents house in San Antonio back in 1976 when we were stationed overseas.  By the time I got around to getting them out of the attic many years later they were all in sad shape! 

I'm more into collecting LP's the last 12 years or so.  I had over 1500 at one point in the 1980's and sold them off by 1990 to pay bills.  I'm back up to around 2K and hit the local Goodwills and SA's as often as I can.  This photo is about 5 years old.



The Hornet is an ongoing hobby.  My late Father-in-law remarked that AMC stood for "A Mechanics Crisis."

[Muzikman7]

Since Mark's nifty BaCH thread started including other hobbies, maybe we should have a thread for other hobbies. So far, Star Trek, model trains and aircraft carriers are popular. What else? I'll start.

I have a small collection of toy Studebakers, bunches of old model kits and am currently working on a couple of Indian motorcycles.

What about you guys?

Hey Denis ever been to the Indian museum in Springfield Mass. ? very intresting if you like Indian motorcycles.

[Highlander]

I built a 1/24 Airfix, back in the day, when it was a new kit, again with loads of detail and detachables... I saw a Seafire on your shelf - there's a flying one over here, this is her...



I really like this one, too... It was a very windy day and they had to make sure they stayed down - lucky enough to see them form a nine Spitfire "diamond" - seriously cool...



I'd love to get that big Airfix Mosquito kit, but the price is ridiculous...

detailing...?

watch this...



took to long on this... Scott... Hawk Javelin... that IS an old kit... very nice... there used to be one as a "gate-guardian" not that far from here, more 1/1 scale... 

Al... we've looked after what we can, and know where to take those that we can't, seen lots of really sad, cruel things that children and adults have done to them, wings cut off and fox-cubs nailed to trees are minor ones, and we know of much kindness... one site we used to go to used to take in small primates, the damaged ones that people no longer wanted, private owners, and zoos - one was "gay" the person running the site told us - "Michael" was his name, he would only groom "males" - he was let loose, ran over Penny's shoulder (the lady that ran the site), over Jackie's shoulder and straight onto mine, wrapped his tail round my neck, and proceeded to ensure I was "bug-free" - Jackie held his hand and commented how like soft leather it felt - it sent us both cold - I know this will "offend" some, but we gave away our leather jackets that same week - just couldn't wear them again - that was in our early veggie years... we couldn't really do an voluntary work post the birth of Roshina, but we may start up again now she's "of-age" to be involved if she wishes to... I totalled up the "critter-feeders" in the the garden this week - there's over twenty... we have had to budget this, too, so they have to make do with the lesser quality, but then again, we have all had to do a bit of belt-tightening, from time-to-time...

Yep Denis, this thread's got legs...

[Psycho Bass Guy]

On the ornithology front, I'm not any kind of "watcher," but I seem to attract rare birds. Even though I live in an urban setting, I'm from a farm in the country, and evidently, the country followed me here. The first day we moved into our house about nine years ago, when I went out the back door, there was a large Redtailed Hawk sitting on top of my garage.  I see them everywhere it seems. I also see Bald Eagles every few months.  Last month, I saw a Great Grey Owl sitting in my neighbor's yard on the ground (at first I thought it was a small dog!) Last summer, a Peregrine Falcon killed a dove in front of me while I was walking down the street, not ten feet away. They are very rare here, but there is a nesting family on a nearby water tower. Also a few years ago for a day, a large pigeon, no exaggeration, the size of a big chicken, just sat on my front porch all day. It wasn't sick or hurt and even let me pet it! It flew off after few hours, and I never saw it again

My best bird stories come from my parent's house: while walking through the woods, I saw a Golden Eagle flying through the trees. Its body looked like a barrel it was so big, and its wingspan was easily bigger than my height of six feet. How it navigated the dense trees was unreal!  They do venture this far east, but not often. Another time, while jogging, I ran into the middle of a flock of  20 or so wild turkeys, who totally ignored me. I stopped and talked to them, and they just looked up and then went on about their busness scratching the ground. I would have stayed with them for a long time, but my dad's fat German Shephard finally caught up to me, and he chased them off.

- 2 odd scale mini kits (a TU144 and an XB70 - I have a "delta-wing" thing)

I have a 1/48 XB70 and tons of various 1/48 versions of the Blackbird, A-12. SR-71A and B, and a 1/48 B-1B unbuilt. I used to have two built 1/48 SR-71A's detailed down to the seatcushions, one in Vietnam era markings and the other in low visibility markings.  The low vis was a thing of beauty until my mother gave it to my then two-year-old nephew to play with as a toy, who did what you would expect a kid his age to do: destroy it completely.  The Vietnam one made out slightly better, but not unscathed. I've got dozens of 1/72 jet fighters, my favorite build was a 1/72 Sea Harrier- they just look classy.  I also have a Revell 1/48 Apache that pissed me off when the glue fumes fogged the canopy- never had that happen before or since.

I have lots of oddball fighters unbuilt, mainly Russian stuff, SU-27s of all kinds including the SU-34 and 37 and some of the Kamov helicopters, as well as the "teen" US fighters, F14's, 15's and 16's ( never cared for the F-18, but I would like a YF-17 and a Super Hornet). I'd love to find an YF-23 model of Northop's prototype that lost to the F-22, and I'd like to find a 1/48 Mig 25 or 31 as well as the Avro Arrow, the plane that made them possible. I'd also like to find Testor's 1/48 F-14D "Black Bunny." The 1/72 F-14A version I find alot; the other, not so much. That's just what I remember off the top of my head. I'm sure I have more stuff in the tub.

a 1/48 Eurofighter in RAF colours - still hoping for a "tiger" decal to emerge

I would love to see it. It's a hell of a jet.

a 1/100 Vickers Viscount in 1950's BEA trim (my first flying experience - I also own a window from a scrapped real one - sad but true)

Hey- you've got a part. A few years ago, someone sold a vertical stabilizer from an SR-71 on eBay, and it went for cheap, around $100, because no one could afford to ship it! The titanium in it is worth ten or more times that just for scrap.

- kits pending are the super large Revell Saturn V, the 1/48 TSR2, a 1/72 Concorde...

kick ass!

AMT NCC1701D - The plan is to light up with all the relevant coloured LED's - I have blue and white (redundant Xmas lights) but am still looking out
for some other colours to suit - going to open up most of the windows, light up all the relevant nacelles and engines, bridge, reflector, etc - no rush on this one and will post when starting...

There is a documentary on Paramount selling off a bunch of Trek props including the ILM models.  The 10-foot Enterprise D went for over $600,000 IIRC. It was the later, lit version. In the early days, every shot was actually a composite of three different models, one for color, one for shadow, and one for lights, and they were smaller, around 6 feet. The big lit model didn't get built until Season 3. Paramount got rid of them because every Trek show and movie after "First Contact" has been all CGI.

[Lightyear]

I'm a wood worker and mainly build mission furniture but still love the shaker stuff too.  I'm a major geek for for old hand tools especially Stanley and Bailey hand planes - have a bunch of restored planes that I use reguarly.  I'm a constantly do a home renovation or building something - lately its been a library for my wife and I have long list waiting

I love to watch and feed my birds but since I'm in a new neighborhood it's slim pickings - I spent most of last year watching one little male shrike and he left me as soon as a female showed up   I'm also into native plants and plant for the birds and butterflies - I did have a huge number of humming birds hanging about this fall ( almost said hummers but realized that would just get folks worked up  )

[SKATE RAT]

well my first love is Skateboarding. shredding since '84. with the scars to prove it. way too many injuries. street, ramp or pool. grinding the lip of a 9' pool is with ya for life. so is falling to the bottom. though now at 37 years old,working 6 days a week and playing in 3 bands doesn't leave me much time. record collecting is another big one for me. but i haven't had much time to hunt lately. a lot of record stores closed down in the last few years and ebay has taken a lot of the fun out it. besides playing in bands i still go to lots of shows. i've also done most of the art work for my bands (record covers,shirts,flyers etc.)and i also have a '73 Triumph bobber that need a shit load of work. this past summer i did a lot of bike riding. (ex-bike messenger) in the past.......i used to surf a lot (Rock, Rock, Rock-a-way beach). and i averaged 25 days a season snowboarding up until 4 or 5 years ago,when all my snowboarding buddies moved away.its not the same with out the crew.
when i broke my ankle in the mid 90's my roomate bought me a model car.and for a while i got really into it. i built a ton of muscle cars and hot rods. but i gave 'em all to a kid in my building when i moved.

[OldManC]

Before I got married I collected cars. Over the years I had two '67 RS Camaros, a '69 Corvette Stingray, a '56 Chevy 210 Hard Top, a '67 Cougar, an 82 Mustang GT, an '82 Jeep CJ7, and a '70 Ford Torino. A few bikes as well.

I also liked to do this when I was younger:

[gweimer]

I did that with my band a few times.  Once, my wife made me prove to the kids that I actually could do it.

[Barklessdog]

On the ornithology front, I'm not any kind of "watcher," but I seem to attract rare birds. Even though I live in an urban setting, I'm from a farm in the country, and evidently, the country followed me here. The first day we moved into our house about nine years ago, when I went out the back door, there was a large Redtailed Hawk sitting on top of my garage.  I see them everywhere it seems. I also see Bald Eagles every few months.  Last month, I saw a Great Grey Owl sitting in my neighbor's yard on the ground (at first I thought it was a small dog!) Last summer, a Peregrine Falcon killed a dove in front of me while I was walking down the street, not ten feet away. They are very rare here, but there is a nesting family on a nearby water tower. Also a few years ago for a day, a large pigeon, no exaggeration, the size of a big chicken, just sat on my front porch all day. It wasn't sick or hurt and even let me pet it! It flew off after few hours, and I never saw it again

I have always been a bird watcher as a child (boy scouts). As of late IU have been trying to photograph them when they visit my yard. See a golden Eagle & Great Grey owl must have been incredible. My brother gets Sand Hill Cranes that visit his yard.
A picture of two cranes fighting with a red tailed hawk after the hawk caught a Chipmunk.


A humming bird that flew into his window and was stunned.


A gold finch outside our kitchen window last summer.


A hooded Merganser & chicks from vacation.



I think one of the coolest birds I saw was a huge Pileated Wood Pecker in Northern Michigan

[Barklessdog]

Before I got married I collected cars. Over the years I had two '67 RS Camaros, a '69 Corvette Stingray, a '56 Chevy 210 Hard Top, a '67 Cougar, an 82 Mustang GT, an '82 Jeep CJ7, and a '70 Ford Torino. A few bikes as well.

I also liked to do this when I was younger:

We did that with the other end- both ends burning!

[Denis]

Wow, that's awesome! Hey, Custer was killed at Little Bighorn the same year your flag was made. He came out very much second best...

Mark, EMD used to be owned by GM, right? Aren't EMD marked locomotives generally demos or new models out for testing?

Hey Denis ever been to the Indian museum in Springfield Mass. ? very intresting if you like Indian motorcycles.

I've heard that museum is pretty sweet but have never made it up there to see it. A few years ago some friends rode their Indians up to Springfield for Indian's 100 anniversary and some of them picked up a couple of bricks from the State Street Factory. I wish I had one!

Here's an older pic of the Scout in progress. I have newer pics but I guess they are all on the home computer.


When it's done it will look more or less like this one.

[ack1961]

Some of you guys have really cool hobbies.

None of my hobbies are really that creative.
I play on 2 hockey teams and play twice a week, and I ride dirtbikes on weekends through the woods of NC.
I started building basses from billets, but I haven't finished any yet. This was therapeutic until I got real close to finished with a Telecaster bass build and ruined the neck pocket. This happens.
I guess turning our Bonus Room into a Jam Room is an ongoing (and expensive) hobby.  Both of my sons (16 & 11) have started to play music (Guitar/Bass/Vocals & Drums/Vocals). I've had to do quite a bit of research and purchasing of sound gear and instruments.
Their bands tend to practice here a lot, so I figured I might as well make sure they're outfitted properly.
Just bought drum mics and another mixer, so that project is still underway.  Starting to get them started recording their music into the PC. It's hard to believe you can fit this much stuff into an 20'x20' room.
I consider my bass playing a hobby, too.  I'm new to it (a few years), but I love it. It's relaxing, and my only aspiration is to one day get on a stage (or an open mic night somewhere) with my 2 sons.

Steve

[Denis]

Owls you say?

We have a pair of Great Horned Owls that moved in our neighborhood. I took this one morning in our back yard. Sometimes he hoots so loud when he sits on our house it rattles the windows. Cool at first, but becomes irritating when they hoot all night (mating season is fall )
I used to collect dwarf conifers, but ran out of room in our yard (and don't have the $$$ anymore). Have a small Koi Pond
Blue Heron feeding pond, I should say

A pair of Barred Owls moved into the neighborhood a couple of years ago and embarked on reproduction. I couldn't believe all the weird noises they made while courting. On the following Labor Day, the entire family was in my yard. The parents were teaching the chicks (if you can call an 18" tall bird a chick) how to fly and land and whatnot. It was fascinating.
Love the gardens by the way!

[Denis]

Some of you guys have really cool hobbies.

None of my hobbies are really that creative.
I play on 2 hockey teams and play twice a week, and I ride dirtbikes on weekends through the woods of NC.
I started building basses from billets, but I haven't finished any yet. This was therapeutic until I got real close to finished with a Telecaster bass build and ruined the neck pocket. This happens.
I guess turning our Bonus Room into a Jam Room is an ongoing (and expensive) hobby.  Both of my sons (16 & 11) have started to play music (Guitar/Bass/Vocals & Drums/Vocals). I've had to do quite a bit of research and purchasing of sound gear and instruments.
Their bands tend to practice here a lot, so I figured I might as well make sure they're outfitted properly.
Just bought drum mics and another mixer, so that project is still underway.  Starting to get them started recording their music into the PC. It's hard to believe you can fit this much stuff into an 20'x20' room.
I consider my bass playing a hobby, too.  I'm new to it (a few years), but I love it. It's relaxing, and my only aspiration is to one day get on a stage (or an open mic night somewhere) with my 2 sons.

Steve

Where do you ride, Steve? I've a Montesa Cota which I need to rebuild but tooling through the woods on it is great fun!

[Denis]

Here's one of the owl "chicks" in my birdbath.


Here's one of the parents giving me the stink eye.