Other Hobbies

[AlexThePalex]

I've got lots of hobbies. There's so much interesting things to do.

I spend a lot of time riding my bicycle, I try to make at least 1000 km each month. Have been sitting idle for the last 2 months because I broke my collarbone when my bike slipped, but last week after the final med check, I've finally been able to get back in the saddle again. Then the creative arts, I'm pretty advanced (I think  :) with the guitar and voice, like to write my own songs, and I try to get the hang of the keyboard now too. I like to draw and paint too, but I haven't done those for a while. Also reading, I love thrillers, SF and fantasy novels. Asimov, Tolkien, and everything Star Wars. Also a great fan of Lee Child's Jack Reacher series. 

And computer stuff. Lots of computer stuff. Great toys. I like to build them and program them with VB or C++. Nothing fancy though, just my own little utilities to make my digital life easier. Or make websites, been webmaster for 3 gaming clans by now. Quit the last one 2 years ago though. And I often use programs like Cubase for my music and Photoshop for many visual things. And of course simply browsing the web for information or fun stuff like the FOG.   

And I must admit I had a total regression to my childhood the last two months. Getting bored sitting at home with my injury, I bought some used Lego lots and been bricking away. Haven't touched the stuff for over 25 years, but had great fun again.
           

 

[jacko9]

jacko9- what do you hunt with the air rifles and what kind do you use?

for hobbies i ride bikes around town and go backcountry skiing, mostly in california in the spring time.

I got into Air Rifles this past year after the California Ground Squirrels invaded my garden from the open space behind my property.  They absolutely destroyed my vegetable garden last year while I was busy with a land scape project ( It took me a while to notice the damage).

First I did a web search then I contacted Air Guns of Arizona and spoke to the folks there about a good air rifle to shoot to 35 yards.  My first purchase was a German Import Weihrauch HW95 which is a break barrel springer in .22 caliber.  I shot that for a while and realized that those critters were a lot smarter and they just moved out of range so, next comes a Pre-Charged Pneumatic from Sweden the FX Royale 400 in .22 caliber.  That air rifle is dead on at 100 yards and comes with a 12 shot magazine.  Of course I had to buy a Carbon Fiber Air tank to be able to charge the rifle from time to time (it gets anywhere from 65 to 100 shots per charge depending on power setting).

I think my garden will be safer this year ;-)

Jack  

 

[Kev]

Rofl Kev, you really need to put effort into those romantic dinners & walks to retain a high acceptance ratio on you gadget collecting hobbies

I guess I'm almost as bad with photography equipment (people & landscape), all things computer gadgets, collecting comics, fine dine & slow cooking and reading fiction. On the activities front I do boxing, sea kayaking and swimming and target shooting when I find time.

I spent massive amounts on cameras and video cameras back when the kids were little. I'm trying very hard to suppress the urge to rush out and buy a Sony Alpha 7R as I think it's suit my "mature" needs rather than going all out or going exotic.

 

[Kev]

I've got lots of hobbies. There's so much interesting things to do.

I spend a lot of time riding my bicycle, I try to make at least 1000 km each month. Have been sitting idle for the last 2 months because I broke my collarbone when my bike slipped, but last week after the final med check, I've finally been able to get back in the saddle again. Then the creative arts, I'm pretty advanced (I think  :) with the guitar and voice, like to write my own songs, and I try to get the hang of the keyboard now too. I like to draw and paint too, but I haven't done those for a while. Also reading, I love thrillers, SF and fantasy novels. Asimov, Tolkien, and everything Star Wars. Also a great fan of Lee Child's Jack Reacher series. 

And computer stuff. Lots of computer stuff. Great toys. I like to build them and program them with VB or C++. Nothing fancy though, just my own little utilities to make my digital life easier. Or make websites, been webmaster for 3 gaming clans by now. Quit the last one 2 years ago though. And I often use programs like Cubase for my music and Photoshop for many visual things. And of course simply browsing the web for information or fun stuff like the FOG.   

And I must admit I had a total regression to my childhood the last two months. Getting bored sitting at home with my injury, I bought some used Lego lots and been bricking away. Haven't touched the stuff for over 25 years, but had great fun again.
           

I'm a massive scifi fan and I love the multi volume epics. Things like the Deathstalker series by Simon R Green, the Miles Vorkorsigan series by Lois McMaster Bujold, the Sten Chronicles by Chris Bunch should appeal to you ... left field a little maybe the - Tad Williams Otherland series.

Greg Egan writes some great technical scifi.

I also think the Red, Green, Blue Mars series by Kim Stanley Robinson is an absolute work of art.

There's a great scifi/fantasy bookshop in Sydney and when I was living a more relaxed life I'd bus and ferry to and from the cityi and typically consume a couple of novels a week ... alas, not these days [sad]

 

[NHSP759]

Mountain Biking. I can't wait for spring! I've got over four feet of snow in my front yard! Pretty soon it'll be clear and I can hit the trails. Remember...if you ain't bloody and muddy you ain't mountain biking! Also I've gotten into hiking over the last couple of years and am trying to conquer all of our 4000 footers here in NH.

 

[ShawnRussell]

I have gotten into sandblasting on glass, stained glass, fusing and slumping. I dabble a little with photography and have taken up an interest in learning to cook well.

 

[Handyman Mike]

Western Martial Arts (WMA), also called HEMA (Historical European Martial Arts) for me. Basically, it's fencing with historical weapons (longsword, side sword, rapier...) with grappling and dagger play thrown in. Most of the gear is hand made and thus expensive, so it can be an agonizing choice whether to buy another Festool or another sword. Can't have too many swords, you know.

 

[RC]

I'm trying to stay put and not order a Fujifilm X-T1 even thou it screams 'obtain me' every time I look at it... I need a good travel camera in the summer 2016 and I'm trying to get by with my 5Dm2 until then... Just not planning on carrying that package with my L-glass around the world high and low.  [cool]

 

[Kev]

Western Martial Arts (WMA), also called HEMA (Historical European Martial Arts) for me. Basically, it's fencing with historical weapons (longsword, side sword, rapier...) with grappling and dagger play thrown in. Most of the gear is hand made and thus expensive, so it can be an agonizing choice whether to buy another Festool or another sword. Can't have too many swords, you know.

Get a sword saw [big grin] [cool]

 

[Frank Pellow]

Like Kev, I consider participation in sports and things like hiking, biking, canoeing, etc. to be activities rather than hobbies.  So, just what is a hobby?  For me, at least, it is creating something for pleasure.  If I am lucky the pleasure will be shared with others.

With that definition, currently my main hobbies are woodworking, carving, stained glass work, and photography.  Both carving and stained glass work are recent spin offs from woodworking and they now occupy about as much of my time as does woodworking. 

I fully expect that my answer to this question five years from now will be somewhat different.

 

[leer]

I used to build high power rockets, an extension of the model rockets Estes Industries pioneered back in the early 60s when I was a kid.  With the buildup of the space program, every kid I knew was flying rockets and dreaming of going to the moon.  I even started college planning to study aerospace engineering, but switched to electrical when the space program was cancelled earlier than expected.  About 10 years ago I got into RC planes a bit while working for a small UAV company, and that can be an incredibly expensive hobby! I found a new pastime that my wife enjoys as well -- birding.  We have had a small parrot for almost 15 years, but only got into enjoying birds in the wild a few years ago.  That also pairs well with my love of photography, since we plan many trips throughout Colorado, and can combine scenic and wildlife photography in rhe same trip.  I have been transforming our backyard into a bird sanctuary, with feeders, birdhouses, heated birdbath for their winter use, and maybe 50-75 perennials to attract birds, I kind of lost count of the total, but plan to do maybe that many more in the next year or two.

And after 5 years of not riding a bike, I finally bought one last year.  I had a hip replacement 3 years ago and it changed my life.  I can climb stairs easily, run, and now, ride a bike again.  If it wasn't so darned expensive, I might start skiing again, but I think I have way too many activities now, although I just retired and certainly have the free time.

This next year my woodworking activities will focus more on completion our home remodeling, that has been dragging on for a couple years.  A few months ago I did a slight remodel on myshop to incorporate a large MFT-style workbench for my new track saw, which will allow me to more easily build high quality cabinets for some of the room remodels, as well as eventually more cabinets in my shop, to get stored items up on the walls to free up floor space.

Finally, I am a gun collector and target shooter, which again can test a budget like the other hobbies or pastimes.

As many new retirees claim -- "I am not sure how I ever had time to work".  

 

[jacko9]

I used to build high power rockets, an extension of the model rockets Estes Industries pioneered back in the early 60s when I was a kid.  With the buildup of the space program, every kid I knew was flying rockets and dreaming of going to the moon.  I even started college planning to study aerospace engineering, but switched to electrical when the space program was cancelled earlier than expected.  About 10 years ago I got into RC planes a bit while working for a small UAV company, and that can be an incredibly expensive hobby! I found a new pastime that my wife enjoys as well -- birding.  We have had a small parrot for almost 15 years, but only got into enjoying birds in the wild a few years ago.  That also pairs well with my love of photography, since we plan many trips throughout Colorado, and can combine scenic and wildlife photography in rhe same trip.  I have been transforming our backyard into a bird sanctuary, with feeders, birdhouses, heated birdbath for their winter use, and maybe 50-75 perennials to attract birds, I kind of lost count of the total, but plan to do maybe that many more in the next year or two.

And after 5 years of not riding a bike, I finally bought one last year.  I had a hip replacement 3 years ago and it changed my life.  I can climb stairs easily, run, and now, ride a bike again.  If it wasn't so darned expensive, I might start skiing again, but I think I have way too many activities now, although I just retired and certainly have the free time.

This next year my woodworking activities will focus more on completion our home remodeling, that has been dragging on for a couple years.  A few months ago I did a slight remodel on myshop to incorporate a large MFT-style workbench for my new track saw, which will allow me to more easily build high quality cabinets for some of the room remodels, as well as eventually more cabinets in my shop, to get stored items up on the walls to free up floor space.

Finally, I am a gun collector and target shooter, which again can test a budget like the other hobbies or pastimes.

As many new retirees claim -- "I am not sure how I ever had time to work".  

leer,

If you like target shooting and you want to test your budget get into Air Rifle competition I'm sure that you can find some nice Air Rifles from FX, Daystate, Weirauch, etc.  Check out the Air Guns of Arizona web site AOA.com.

My latest entry into this is the FX Royale400 in .22 caliber with a walnut stock.

Jack

 

[Sparktrician]

My latest entry into this is the FX Royale400 in .22 caliber with a walnut stock.

 

Dang!!!  [eek]  That thing's as spendy as my custom McMillan .308 that gives me 1/2" groups at 100 yards!!! 

 

[jacko9]

My latest entry into this is the FX Royale400 in .22 caliber with a walnut stock.

 

Dang!!!  [eek]  That thing's as spendy as my custom McMillan .308 that gives me 1/2" groups at 100 yards!!! 

I can't do it yet but, there are shooters at the Arizona Extreme Benchrest Comp. that can shoot 1/2" groups at 100 yards.  I have been able to get head shots on ground squirrels at 90 yards and the nice thing is it is almost totally silent.

Jack

 

[Sparktrician]

My latest entry into this is the FX Royale400 in .22 caliber with a walnut stock.

 

Dang!!!  [eek]  That thing's as spendy as my custom McMillan .308 that gives me 1/2" groups at 100 yards!!! 

I can't do it yet but, there are shooters at the Arizona Extreme Benchrest Comp. that can shoot 1/2" groups at 100 yards.  I have been able to get head shots on ground squirrels at 90 yards and the nice thing is it is almost totally silent.

Jack

I like the silent part a bunch.  Neither the McMillan nor the Remington 40-XB in .22-250 are anywhere close to silent.  Then again, I could get the tax stamp and a suppressor for each.  Last year I put together a 10/22 clone that gives me better groups with Mini-Mags than with Green Tag, and is just a bunch of fun to shoot. 

 

[jacko9]

My latest entry into this is the FX Royale400 in .22 caliber with a walnut stock.

 

Dang!!!  [eek]  That thing's as spendy as my custom McMillan .308 that gives me 1/2" groups at 100 yards!!! 

I can't do it yet but, there are shooters at the Arizona Extreme Benchrest Comp. that can shoot 1/2" groups at 100 yards.  I have been able to get head shots on ground squirrels at 90 yards and the nice thing is it is almost totally silent.

Jack

I like the silent part a bunch.  Neither the McMillan nor the Remington 40-XB in .22-250 are anywhere close to silent.  Then again, I could get the tax stamp and a suppressor for each.  Last year I put together a 10/22 clone that gives me better groups with Mini-Mags than with Green Tag, and is just a bunch of fun to shoot. 

Very nice!  I would have installed a bi-pod but at my age I shoot off sticks with a folding tri-stool.  The nice thing about the sound suppression is that you don't spook the other ground squirrels when you take one down.  The other thing I like about the Air Rifle is a box of 500 quality .22  pellets is ~ $12 when bought in 5 packs.

Jack

 

[Sparktrician]

My latest entry into this is the FX Royale400 in .22 caliber with a walnut stock.

 

Dang!!!  [eek]  That thing's as spendy as my custom McMillan .308 that gives me 1/2" groups at 100 yards!!! 

I can't do it yet but, there are shooters at the Arizona Extreme Benchrest Comp. that can shoot 1/2" groups at 100 yards.  I have been able to get head shots on ground squirrels at 90 yards and the nice thing is it is almost totally silent.

Jack

I like the silent part a bunch.  Neither the McMillan nor the Remington 40-XB in .22-250 are anywhere close to silent.  Then again, I could get the tax stamp and a suppressor for each.  Last year I put together a 10/22 clone that gives me better groups with Mini-Mags than with Green Tag, and is just a bunch of fun to shoot. 

Very nice!  I would have installed a bi-pod but at my age I shoot off sticks with a folding tri-stool.  The nice thing about the sound suppression is that you don't spook the other ground squirrels when you take one down.  The other thing I like about the Air Rifle is a box of 500 quality .22  pellets is ~ $12 when bought in 5 packs.

Jack

Thanks!  And I bet you don't have any trouble finding the pellets like I have finding reloading components right now.  I almost soiled my armor a couple of weeks ago when I actually found a shop that had two boxes of 1,000 primers each and a container of 748 and actually let me buy them all.  When I load .308 and .22-250, it's almost $0.85 every time I pull the trigger.  If I bought commercial, it would be more like $1.50 every time I pulled the trigger.  By comparison, 500 rounds would be $750 for commercial and $425 for handloads.  That air dinger is looking more advantageous every time I think about it. 

 

[jacko9]

My latest entry into this is the FX Royale400 in .22 caliber with a walnut stock.

 

Dang!!!  [eek]  That thing's as spendy as my custom McMillan .308 that gives me 1/2" groups at 100 yards!!! 

I can't do it yet but, there are shooters at the Arizona Extreme Benchrest Comp. that can shoot 1/2" groups at 100 yards.  I have been able to get head shots on ground squirrels at 90 yards and the nice thing is it is almost totally silent.

Jack

I like the silent part a bunch.  Neither the McMillan nor the Remington 40-XB in .22-250 are anywhere close to silent.  Then again, I could get the tax stamp and a suppressor for each.  Last year I put together a 10/22 clone that gives me better groups with Mini-Mags than with Green Tag, and is just a bunch of fun to shoot. 

Very nice!  I would have installed a bi-pod but at my age I shoot off sticks with a folding tri-stool.  The nice thing about the sound suppression is that you don't spook the other ground squirrels when you take one down.  The other thing I like about the Air Rifle is a box of 500 quality .22  pellets is ~ $12 when bought in 5 packs.

Jack

Thanks!  And I bet you don't have any trouble finding the pellets like I have finding reloading components right now.  I almost soiled my armor a couple of weeks ago when I actually found a shop that had two boxes of 1,000 primers each and a container of 748 and actually let me buy them all.  When I load .308 and .22-250, it's almost $0.85 every time I pull the trigger.  If I bought commercial, it would be more like $1.50 every time I pulled the trigger.  By comparison, 500 rounds would be $750 for commercial and $425 for handloads.  That air dinger is looking more advantageous every time I think about it. 

Check out the Air Rifle forum to see if there are people close to you that will let you experience their air rifles at a local range or on their property.

http://www.network54.com

Jack

 

[leer]

Wow, that air rifle is nice!  And expensive!  I was thinking paintball gun prices based on the description.  I'll have to take a look.  I bought a S&W 15-22 a few years ago to be the low-cost alternative to shooting .223, but I haven't seen .22LR for over a year.  (I've seen it mail order, but prices and quantity restrictions are crazy.) I have a bunch, but since you cannot reload, you tend to buy up what you can when you see it, if reasonably priced.

I like the idea of silent.  Our neighbors refuse to keep their cat in (violating city ordinance), and it kills birds in my yard periodically.  I've warned them several times, so it is either call the pound, or look into air rifles. 

 

[jacko9]

Wow, that air rifle is nice!  And expensive!  I was thinking paintball gun prices based on the description.  I'll have to take a look.  I bought a S&W 15-22 a few years ago to be the low-cost alternative to shooting .223, but I haven't seen .22LR for over a year.  (I've seen it mail order, but prices and quantity restrictions are crazy.) I have a bunch, but since you cannot reload, you tend to buy up what you can when you see it, if reasonably priced.

I like the idea of silent.  Our neighbors refuse to keep their cat in (violating city ordinance), and it kills birds in my yard periodically.  I've warned them several times, so it is either call the pound, or look into air rifles.   

All I can say is that my closest neighbors don't know I'm shooting.  Here is a web site that tries to compare noise of different air rifles.  The perceived noise is relative since the sensor position is critical and the signal frequency response is important.  The relative deducible  level seems to be in the 90 -93Db range for high powered air rifles.

http://tedsholdover.com/video/reviews/sound-comparison-of-six-pcp-air-rifles/

Jack