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So besides playing with toy cars, what else to all you folks do with your spare time?

When I'm not pissing away the day on the computer, er ... I mean WORKING HARD! I'm usually outside playing in the garden or the woodshop. Why just today I built four caddies for hose parts because I'm tired of picking up the hose nozzles, sprinklers and other paraphernalia that gets used at the end of a hose. Usually they get knocked down in the dirt, which doesn't do them any good, aside from the fact they can never be found when needed.

A couple weeks ago I tuned up the 35 year old engine on the wood chipper. I don't think it'd ever been done before, if it had, it's been well over 10 years if it's been a day. Got to use the chipper for the first time last weekend and it ran like a champ, starts easier, doesn't stink like varnish, and didn't use hardly any gas in the 3 hours it was running.

I've always got a laundry list of "Honey Do's" as long as my arm. Now that the weather is turning it's time to get some of it done, like the drain at the garage door and fix the threshold so that water and leaves are no longer blown under it. I cut out the trough in the patio for the drain last year which stopped the run-off from flooding the garage, but well, I never quite got the drain installed and the concrete put back.

Anyway, what other things besides RC do you guys do?

I'm right there with you on honey-dos. I actually dedicated like 15 hrs last weekend to all the outside related ones because it will be getting cold and that's the only thing that can make the experience worse. I sit at a computer all day too and have about 9 months of slow time a year that is just getting started. I'm seriously waiting for them to yank my internet access at work because I goof around on r/c and other sites all day. Luckily that will never happen. To make a long story short(which is impossible at this point) Other than r/c I'm way into music and computers. Home Entertainment is way up there too. Over the past few years I've really gotten into BBQing and cooking. They're great beer drinking activities. My 3 year old daughter is my favorite past-time though. I even gave her my Midnight Pumpkin.

THEYTOOKMYTHUMB wrote:Over the past few years I've really gotten into BBQing and cooking. They're great beer drinking activities.

I excel at beer drinking! I'm actually a home brewer and did a batch of pumpkin ale on the 3rd (Monday last week ) for Thanksgiving. I bottled it yesterday and with a little luck it will be ready and quite the tasty treat come T-day and our dinner with friends. I've got a great pale ale that is perfect for long summer weekends working in the yard, or cold winter days sitting at the computer, or, well, just about any time you want to be enjoying a brew. My next feat of prowess will be to come up with a decent porter for a special brew called Double Shot, which on top of the porter, coffee and chocolate are added to the final stage. If you like porters, coffee, and chocolate, you'll love a Double Shot.

Double Shot sounds perfect for me. I forgot to list "Insomnia" as one of my constant projects...

I hate insomnia! The older I get the more it seems to be a problem, though I don't think it's the age, I think it's more SOSDD.

How about a little game of pool? A little 8 ball, or 9 ball, or whatever you like. We could wager a couple of bucks just for fun. I don’t get to play very much anymore, my eyesight is pretty much shot..... don’t worry, you can trust me!!!

Halgar wrote:So besides playing with toy cars, what else to all you folks do with your spare time?

i play with REAL cars.

i'm a painter at a collision shop, and that's my job (when i'm healthy enough to actually go there ). but, my dad and i build hot rods, customs, restos, etc. at his house. it's full time for him, and i go up at night during the week and on weekends. it's kinda like having a second job, but not really. it's just another hobby, and i get paid to do it.

Bongo, that's what precipitated the purchase of my woodshop! My sister decided that she wanted the front room of the house converted from my office into a rec room, so we decided what we wanted to do, then spent a month remodeling the house to make room for the $8,000 pool table she bought (white maple with 2" slate ) which then needed a wet bar to go with it (hence the shop ) This was as far as I got before we sold the house. Between the refrigerator and door was supposed to be glass fronted overhead cabinets, and in the corner behind the door was supposed to be a corner cabinet that would house a TV and stereo unit.

I even designed and built the light for the table On the wall directly behind the pool table light was an electronic dart board.

scr8p wrote:t's full time for him, and i go up at night during the week and on weekends. it's kinda like having a second job, but not really. it's just another hobby, and i get paid to do it.

It's nice when passions merge with income. I've found that when the making of money is attached to things I enjoy, I cease to enjoy them because everything becomes about the business and money, not the original intention of pure enjoyment.

Modern HO scale freight trains and HO scale trucks mostly intermodal containers frames and trailers yet another addiction. They have to fight for my attention with vintage rc lately its about 80/20 rc's winning. I use to build race cars road race german cars audi/vw/porsche real cars just cost to much so small ones have to do. I was a avid skateboarder sence i was 10 but the chance of injury is just to risky so i just roll around now kinda look old doing that

reign79 wrote:I was a avid skateboarder sence i was 10 but the chance of injury is just to risky so i just roll around now kinda look old doing that

You'd be surprised just how many older adults are using skateboards and razor scooters as commuter transportation while at work. My girlfriend works with a guy in his 40's that uses a skateboard to go several blocks between offices. I've seen probably 4 razor scooters ridden by adults in the past two weeks. Even though gas prices have dropped to half of what they were over the summer, I think a lot of folks are either used to alternate transportation or enjoying the freedom from the pump.

Halgar, that’s some sweet looking woodwork.

There was a guy back at my fairly large & spread out college that used a skateboard to get around, powered by a Doberman! The dog would pull him around, it was a blast to watch him jump curbs and such at an astonishing rate. Used to go by our place, we’d yell at him, and he would turn around and yell back, all while steaming along. Just as incredible as anything I’ve ever seen the Hawk and gang do. The Doberman would sit at attention outside the classroom buildings waiting on him. Anybody could pet him no problem, but he would not move from his spot. Simply incredible. And in these energy strapped days looking quite sophisticated even. Hope no PETA fans are offended!

I mentioned before, I run a Paintball Field, just so I can "somehwat contribute" monetarily. Ive been trying to get RC going around here for about 3 years. Its been no different than Paintball has been. Something about our area I guess, EVERYBODY'S gung ho, at first, just cant keep a consistant interest, in either one.

The Family is every thing else. Twin 12 yo girls, and 8 yo (later this month...me too) boy, oh yeah, and the Wife.

Halgar- very nice craftsmanship (and scr8p- same from the other threads)

Community service takes up some of our free time- I am on the local School Board and my wife spearheaded raising about $50k to put in a new playground at out local elementary school last spring. My kids take up the rest of my time- kart racing at a local track (just rental league for now), running their quad, riding bikes, piano lessons, ski club. We also like camping and right now have a nice pop-up (I appreciate getting off the ground now that I'm getting older). We're planning a Smithsonian trip-- possibly next year-- as the kids are really into all sorts of museums now. Basically we are trying to enjoy their youth while they still tolerate us.

The "honey-do" list is always long, but we have finished our basement, put up a pool and built a 12x24 deck, put up a shed.... Man, what free time!!!

Bongo Fury wrote:Halgar, that’s some sweet looking woodwork.

civilguy wrote:Halgar - very nice craftsmanship (and scr8p- same from the other threads)

Thanks guys. I'm a sucker for raised panels, which raises the bar a fair bit on the skill level. My very first project out of the shop was a Barbie Doll armoir. At the time I was active in a local woodworking group and a contest was posed where we all worked from the same set of plans (a magazine clipping ) to build the project. The plans were not to scale, didn't fit Barbie clothing, and used faux raised panels and details. I, of course, couldn't let that slide, so a bit of research ensued to find the right size for clothing, then to bring it to scale proportions, and THEN to figure out how to do raised panels in miniature. Because of work, I wasn't able to complete the project under the contest deadline, but I did finish it.

These are actual raised panels and arched top.

Halgar, I can appreciate craftsmanship.... That is some mighty beautiful work

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As far as myself, other then the husband and daddy duties,
Ford Transmissions. Both at work under new car and extended warranties, and custom/off road units at home
(Benchwork only) I also repair desktops and laptops when I can....

I am also into N scale Trans, specifically KATO.

I also am working on collecting all my fav toys when I was a kid...
doing well so far...