- All Other Hobbies

My two new time wasters

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 20:33:55 +0000

I build stuff with virtual legos
I use lego cad on pc and leo cad on mac.
Also i take coloring books of mostly muscle cars use 3d paint on pc to color pages.
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Gun stock

Sat, 14 Jan 2023 16:45:40 +0000

Been a while since I did any woodworking worth posting, but I bought a gun a while back that needed a new stock added. I could buy many different ones starting at around $50 up to several hundred, then another $50 would get me the required adapter ring to fit it to my gun. I've been wanting a new bandsaw since I sold mine during a move years ago, so this was my chance. Bought one for $160 and I had some scrap maple and everything else I needed so what a delight to get something practical done. Here's the whole project in one post:

Cut the blank on the bandsaw, note the pencil line. I cut the blank in two so I could cut the tapers and basic shape with the saw.

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After cutting the basic shape on the bandsaw, I glued the parts back together, then sanded it smooth with a belt sander. I used a circle cutter and a Dremel tool to cut the groove that fit on the end of the gun in place of the adapter.

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I spray painted the wood stock black to match the gun

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Here it is attached to the end of the gun. Added a rubber butt pad to cushion any recoil.

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So, for a little bit over the cost of the stock and adapter, I wound up with that plus a bandsaw, and had fun building it.

One other hobby of mine

Sun, 06 Mar 2022 04:51:43 +0000

This is my other hobby which I mentioned in the Lego Train Thread. Here are my lego fire trucks that I have built for my lego fire department. The name of the department is Portage County Lego Fire / EMS Department. This department is an entire county owned department. I do have incidents that I take pictures of from time to time especially if it is a working structure fire or a working commercial structure fire. The department also assist other lego fire departments in the Lego Metro Fire Department which is consisted of a bunch of other lego fire departments owned by other people. Below are some pictures of the apparatus that I currently have built with more coming in the next 1-2 years.

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Lego Trains 8 Studs Wide

Sun, 06 Mar 2022 04:07:08 +0000

Yes you have read that correctly, Lego Trains. These are trains I have built from instruction by Brick Model Railroader. They are very well detailed trains and you can pretty much build any railroad you want to. They are 8 lego studs wide instead of the traditional 6 wide lego has for sale year round. This hobby is about as expensive as model railroading because if you don't have the pieces you either have to go to a website to purchase the pieces or buy lego sets to get those pieces. Each one of these below has ran me about $180 a piece just to get pieces and decals. Don't get me wrong this is something I love to do among other things with lego's like building lego fire trucks, but it can get costly at times. So enjoy these photo's. Two of them are not completed at this time as pieces are on back order.

Western Maryland Caboose. This is correct for this one because I did a lot of research. The WM did cover up four windows sometime during it's service.

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NOT COMPLETED AS OF 3/5/22 Reading Railroad GHRX Gondola

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Western Maryland Covered Hopper N-17

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NOT COMPLETED AS OF 3/5/22 Western Maryland Caboose

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Cataloging photos

Wed, 02 Feb 2022 18:55:52 +0000

(02-01-2022, 08:29 AM)Charlie B Wrote: I have been organizing scanned photos and it seems to be a never ending job. I have a large collection of photos from the family that date back to pre civil war times as well as my train photo collection. Most of the scanning is done but the files remain to be renamed and photoshopped. I don't have anyone helping me, and I am the oldest one in my line so I am the only one that has a chance of identifying some of the people. I actually have some grandchildren that are interested so I will continue.

All,
Sorry for going off topic, but not sure how to respond elsewhere.
Only just learned last week that some Big Blue features are only accessed after signing in, after years of lurking!

Hello Charlie,

I am in a similar situation, but have barely begun to scan. A major problem for me is file naming and cataloging. I remember reading a RR magazine article on train photos, which argued the only way to prevent filename confusion and duplication was to somehow incorporate a date/time in a unique filename.

I have toyed with the idea of this filename format:
YYYYMMDD, xxx (number scanned that day), pluse (family last name initial, to ditilnguish my father's family from my mother's).

So the 15th scan of my father's family photos, scanned today, might be
20220201015S (assuming Smith for last name)

Info retrieval seems to be a major issue for me in this hobby, as well as family history.
Anyone have thoughts on this on this method?

Should this post be move to the photography section?
If so, how?

Barry Bee

Tue, 18 Jan 2022 16:45:36 +0000

It's been a long time since I posted anything regarding my woodworking challenges. A while back my son bought what he thought was a decent-looking bee whirligig for his wife's garden. What he got was not what he ordered, Amazon gave him full credit and he didn't have to return it to China. So he asked me if I couldn't make it look like a bee. I gave him a new head, a fatter body and put bearing in his wings, then a new paint job to make him look like Barry Bee. The first photo is what he got, the other two are what it looks like now:

OLD BEE:

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NEW BEE:

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Other hobby teminology-a riddle of sorts

Sat, 27 Dec 2014 17:25:39 +0000

Now, if you think that we have some strange terminologies for stuff we use in model railroading, I can across something the other day that really puzzled me. I needed something (I'll tell you what later), and there it was at my local Walmart, and only $0.97 each. When I looked at the package, it was labeled, "fat quarter". Huh, :o what the heck is a fat quarter and why is this call one? When I got home, I had to Google the term before I know what it was, otherwise, I wouldn't have a clue even now .

My question is, I'm wondering how many of you know what a FAT QUARTER is without looking it up with Google or any other search engine. Be honest, how many really know right now? No peeking on the Internet, no looking it up in a book, no asking anyone else, you either know, or you don't. However, guesses are allowed and welcomed.

It has to do with a very popular hobby that dates back to early America, and possibly before.

Give it a shot, guess if you think you have an idea, but if not, I'll come back in a bit and post a hint..... believe me, the answer left me shaking my head.

My other hobby

Sun, 28 Sep 2014 07:23:57 +0000

Hi there,
I´m a big fan of vintage US-Iron since a long time and have build a lot of US-Cars and Trucks ind 1:25 and 1:24.In 2009 I bought my first vintage car,an ´69 Buick Wildcat 4 door sedan,430cui, TH400.Was a nice ride and I´ve had a lot of fun with that cruiser...

You could rent the car with me as a driver for wedding for example.In the same year i bought my second ride,an ´68 Buick LeSabre Custom 400,4 door hardtop,350cui TH 400 transmission and in original condition with no modifications.

I bought both cars for a very nice price,fresh from the USA I was the first owner here in Germany...My wife and the kids loved to drive with me and my wife loved it so much that sche wanted a car for her own so we bought her soemthing special.
1965 Chevrolet Corvair Monza 2 door coupe.The car seems to be made for here.She´s a fan of the old VW Beetle so the Corvair is the perfect alternative solution...

In 2011 I sold the Wildcat and was looking for something else.And I found what I´m looking for after some searching.
1965 Chevrolet Impala SS, 327 cui,powerglide,white interior.Condition of the car was okay but I think the last owner wanted to convert it into a lowrider or so,don´t know but I wanted to change it.So I bought new suspension,wheels and tires and a lot of more parts,reworked the interior,elektrik,new exhaust,front disk breaks etc. Exterior Color is similar to the original Orchid Evening GM color.

Driving the Impala is very different than driving the buick....The 68 drives like a boat on the sea and the Impala more like a sportscar...but it´s always a lot of fun.The Impala is mostly finished,have to do some small detail,just got the correct rear corner mouldings for it.The season is over for this year I think so it will be stored for the winter and I could work on it from time to time....

Cheers,Chris

Tarantula Madness

Tue, 23 Sep 2014 21:15:27 +0000

You know, since having preserved bugs behind glass wasn't enough for me!

This is my Avicularia avicularia, also known as a Pink-Toe Tarantula. I figured it was a little more colorful and interesting than the generic big dessert tarantulas, though its a little smaller, only a 3 inch legspan right now. It can get up to 5" if I'm lucky. This one likes to live in the trees (arboreal).

So far its been a huge headache. In reality, these things are SUPER LOW maintenance, but because I'm new to large tropical spiders, it makes me neurotic all the same. Apparently, tarantulas in general have such a low metabolic rate they can go ages without eating, barely need any water, and sometimes they don't even move for days. Mine has decided to go the former route of not eating anything for a month. Normally, they might only eat 6 to 8 crickets in a month, and that would be considered a lot! In the wild, it likely survived on much less.

This makes sense to me, because how many creatures are going to stick around when a giant spider comes walking by?

In any event, its a VERY docile spider, and you can actually almost pet it, as it doesn't seem scared and it doesn't try to attack or bite (unlike some wolf spiders I had in the past, that would attack ANYTHING that went near them). I usually avoid bothering it though, since even though these things probably don't perceive the world like mammals do, bother it probably does disrupt it somehow.

My other Money pit…….

Sat, 02 Aug 2014 00:31:19 +0000

While I do enjoy trains I also have a 73 Nova SS with a 427 SBC paired to a TH350, 3.90:1 rear gear. I could bore you with all the engine components but let it suffice to say….it's pretty damn quick.

Here are a couple videos of before I started replacing the rear quarters. It has been out of commission for about 3 months now and I hope it is only about three more before I get her on the road again. I am repairing all the body work and replacing wiring harness, dash cluster and replacing the TH350 with a 700R4. The interior is gutted right now. I plan on painting it Metallic orange (I wanted burnt orange but the color I want is about $650 per gallon)

Note the license plate. The cops around here have a GREAT sense of humor. I've only had two try to race me.

Here are a couple videos. I have no idea how to embed them or if it is possible.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jL1gW_6 ... cm_ZfpxCuw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGC0UnO ... uw&index=5

This one is a blast. I flattened my buddies stomach with this one….

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YztEG9c ... cm_ZfpxCuw

And for the burnout fans:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WkA2ok ... cm_ZfpxCuw

I think you can see where my real passion lies…..

My other hobbies.

Tue, 29 Apr 2014 10:12:46 +0000

Well, I try to keep my busy. I am in to also to cars and try to keep my first gen Sebring LTD conv. in shape and spend loads of time with my guitars or at gym. I also am in to photography, driving and paintings. With paintings and photography I have had a few exebitions thay have gone pretty well and I paint and photograph mostly landscapes as I love taking on vacations my car and camera to Norway, which is a incredible country.

With Music I do have a small studio and is planning to do some recordings and as i am a metal fan, you might guess what the recorded stuff will sound like. I play guitars and bass and own several of them. I also have a old synth which i will use too, though I am not a keyboard player. Drums will be dealth with a drum machine. Music seems to be everywhere i am and I stumble to differnt Projects, mostly then to promotion, photograbhy and some CD-covers.

I bought the car 2 years ago and have been upgrading its shape. I have the belts replaced once I bought it so it will in good mechanical shape for now. the body is rust free and I have dealt with aminor corrosion underneath. It is nice top down ride in sunny day and it nice to cruise around and listen to music.

I wish I had more time to paint but it usually does take time as I paint mostly in gouche, which is a water colors that covers as nice as acrylics so my way of painting is not exactly the usual stuff you see with water colors. I am playing on the ideas of paintings of cars aswell. But all that will be when i get time for it. Maybe if I am in the mood, I have a open house when the tourist season starts over here in July. As I previously have worked with events, I can pretty easily do a classy arrangements.

Gym is fun, mostly for it pushes all the limits you have both physically and mentally and it is nice to feel the reward you get from a decent work out. I am not doing it for the beach season, just for fun of it. besides it is nice also have a long walks wheter with Company or my own.

Photography i have done on and off for years, as hobby, semi proffessionally and also to catch scenes and places I love to paint some day so I have loads of them when I get to paint. Semi professionally I worked with bands, some famous some just locals, the local hockey team and companies. I also have it with me when railfanning or just photograph whatever intersting protoypes I find. Plenty of railfanning photos can be found on my website http://www.olaviahokas.com/trainstuff
Thanks for Reading!

Cheers!

All that has prevented me from building a layout but I guess I have so many ideas that I guess I can incorporate the best of to the day when I get that going.

A question about movie clips

Mon, 03 Feb 2014 14:54:54 +0000

I have a bunch of analog stuff, thousands of feet of 8MM film and a whole bunch of personal VCR tapes that I've decided it's about time to digitize them and get them on DVD disks. I have an A/V to USB converter for the VCR tapes, and I have a way of copying the 8MM film as well. My problem is that the software that came with the converter is absolutely impossible to work with. The printed manual was obviously written by a programmer who assumes we know as much about the program as they do. I've been able to capture a tape into an .mpg file and I can run it with Windows media viewer, but I've yet to convert it to a DVD since the software creates the file, but won't let me use it to burn a DVD, and otherwise crashes when I use their native file. The program that came with the converter is "Honestech VHS to DVD". I have also downloaded "MoviePlus, starter edition" since I'm familiar with some other of Serif's software, and, I also have "Windows Movie Maker" on this XP machine. MoviePlus did create some .wmv files which I can also read with the Windows media viewer but have not yet tried to burn a disk using one.

My question is, do any of you put your videos on a DVD disk, and if so, what software do you use? I've got far too much time working with the Honestech and will switch to one of these others if need be, but if you are using some other software that is more intuitive and easier to use, I'm willing to give that a try.

The big plus with the three programs that I already have, is that I've paid for the one, and the other two are free... A definite plus.

One other frustrating thing is that one would think that a company that makes video capture software would have a video on how to use it.

Minerals, Rocks and Fossils

Wed, 27 Nov 2013 18:02:38 +0000

I occaisionally try to pick up some neat pieces of earth. Here is a bunch of my better pieces-

My other hobby

Fri, 18 Oct 2013 20:32:47 +0000

This one of my cutting of a scrolled steamed loco I did for a fiend of mine.

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General electronics and or robots

Sat, 07 Sep 2013 05:50:32 +0000

I have not much to post here yet but these 2 subjects are of great interest to me, I know quite a bit about the general field of electronics and have been an armchair roboticists(still have not been past the reading phase on robots but will some day build one from a kit and then again from scratch). Anyone else out there have similar interest?

I do believe that a roboticists that is just starting out should start with a kit to learn the ins and outs of robotics then the next step is to modify a kit and then make a robotic creation of your own.