Any weird hobbies out there?

Rob MacLennan

Rob MacLennan

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Just wondering if anyone else has some oddball hobbies, or if I'm the only one. A few years back I started making costume grade chainmail armour and jewellery, then started collecting what I sometimes refer to as my Zombie Apocalypse Fallback Plan (replica swords, a couple of bows, making bows out of PVC pipe....). Here are some examples:

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Jeebus Rob, you made those? I used to know people that made chain mail from wire and it takes forever. Respect.
 
I've been collecting a lot of guns recently. I know thats a deviance in society because the government doesn't want me to have them
 
I'm looking for a new hobby, will be following this thread closely. So far not much, tried a few but didn't take. Need something more interesting for the down times.
 
I have the world's largest collection of sea shells.
I keep them scattered on beaches throughout the world.

~Steven Wright.
 
I enter contests. Lots and lots of contests.
I also collect pens. From hotel cheapies to Cross to Mont Blanc.
I also have a collection of oversized pens. Yes, my pen is huge. ?

Sent from the Purple Zone
 
GreyGhost said:
Jeebus Rob, you made those? I used to know people that made chain mail from wire and it takes forever. Respect.
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Something like 80-90 hours for a chain hauberk, from start to finish. I make a lot of my own rings too for work in aluminum, brass, and bronze. Hopefully will be doing a test on cutting stainless steel wire soon, but I suspect it's too hard for my homemade rig.

[video=youtube;psIGKM4TD-Y]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psIGKM4TD-Y&list=PLWNYUmmMUIYfFzB7IjXrCTiZX91Bm521D[/video]

Joe Bass said:
I enter contests. Lots and lots of contests.
I also collect pens. From hotel cheapies to Cross to Mont Blanc.
I also have a collection of oversized pens. Yes, my pen is huge. ��

Sent from the Purple Zone
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I used to have a small pen col..... a totally normal pen collection. Totally normal.

RockerGuy said:
I've been collecting a lot of guns recently. I know thats a deviance in society because the government doesn't want me to have them
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I once considered collecting replica percussion and flintlock firearms. At least until I found out that a replica Civil War percussion revolver is considered a restricted weapon. I stopped at one.
 
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Race bikes
Shoot guns
Collect guns.
They may seem odd to some, but are perfectly normal to me and my circle of friends.
 
mimico_polak said:
I'm looking for a new hobby, will be following this thread closely. So far not much, tried a few but didn't take. Need something more interesting for the down times.
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Have you thought about leather working? Tandy Leather has a shop in Mississauga and there are a lot of good instructional videos online.

Or if you're fiscally challenged and like poking holes in things, PVC archery is dirt cheap. You can make a bow for maybe $20.00 in materials and as little as $30.00 in tools.
 
Rob - Yes I have actually thought about doing some work with leather, simply because I love the look of it, and think it'd be interesting to make something useful. I've done some woodworking (very very basic). Also tried out some Arduino / RPi but very basic and doesn't seem to be moving forward on those. Money's not even the biggest hurdle, it's deciding on what to do. After I started riding a lot of my hobbies went by the wayside (snowboarding, biking, hiking, etc.)

Now getting back into hobbies with fitness at home as the little one does take a massive amount of time after work! Anyway sorry to hijack thread, please continue showing off your hobbies!
 
For the past few years, with the crazy escalating house prices, building things to make the house look better has been a good hobby.

Basement cabinets (replaced a window blind they had over the electrical panel)
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Garbage Shed
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Deck
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Shed (Coming Soon) (The ladder is removable)
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Rob MacLennan said:
Have you thought about leather working? Tandy Leather has a shop in Mississauga and there are a lot of good instructional videos online.

Or if you're fiscally challenged and like poking holes in things, PVC archery is dirt cheap. You can make a bow for maybe $20.00 in materials and as little as $30.00 in tools.
Click to expand...

I have a friend that makes bows out of discarded cross country skis. He cuts the back parts off and joins the fronts with a centre block. I've never seen one but they sound brutal.

Myself, I make miniature ice sculptures. I put an ice cube in a glass and add a non toxic solvent to eat away the cube by swirling the glass. I sip out the solvent to obtain different erosion levels and shapes. The first few don't look so hot but by the time I've made four or five they start looking pretty good.
 
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^^^ Well done, Sir!?

Sent from the Purple Zone
 
nobbie48 said:
I have a friend that makes bows out of discarded cross country skis. He cuts the back parts off and joins the fronts with a centre block. I've never seen one but they sound brutal.

Myself, I make miniature ice sculptures. I put an ice cube in a glass and add a non toxic solvent to eat away the cube by swirling the glass. I sip out the solvent to obtain different erosion levels and shapes. The first few don't look so hot by by the time I've made four or five they start looking pretty good.
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I miss the like button.
 
GreyGhost said:
For the past few years, with the crazy escalating house prices, building things to make the house look better has been a good hobby.

Basement cabinets (replaced a window blind they had over the electrical panel)
...
Garbage Shed
...
Deck
...
Shed (Coming Soon) (The ladder is removable)
Click to expand...

Nice stuff :)

I wish that I had room for an actual wood shop. I'd love to make some display cases for my stuff but all that I have room for is an oscillating sander, mitre saw, and a small router table. A planer, jointer, and table saw would help a lot.

nobbie48 said:
I have a friend that makes bows out of discarded cross country skis. He cuts the back parts off and joins the fronts with a centre block. I've never seen one but they sound brutal.

Myself, I make miniature ice sculptures. I put an ice cube in a glass and add a non toxic solvent to eat away the cube by swirling the glass. I sip out the solvent to obtain different erosion levels and shapes. The first few don't look so hot by by the time I've made four or five they start looking pretty good.
Click to expand...

I thought about trying skis, but they don't seem to be flexible enough. I'll ultimately have to try laying my own fibreglass and CF mat, to make bows. That's well in the future though.

I hope that's not good Scotch that you're watering down like that. I have friends that would deeply offend.
 
I've been doing quite a bit of woodworking around the house. My dad helped me with a shed

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mimico_polak said:
Rob - Yes I have actually thought about doing some work with leather, simply because I love the look of it, and think it'd be interesting to make something useful. I've done some woodworking (very very basic). Also tried out some Arduino / RPi but very basic and doesn't seem to be moving forward on those. Money's not even the biggest hurdle, it's deciding on what to do. After I started riding a lot of my hobbies went by the wayside (snowboarding, biking, hiking, etc.)

Now getting back into hobbies with fitness at home as the little one does take a massive amount of time after work! Anyway sorry to hijack thread, please continue showing off your hobbies!
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No hijack at all. If it helps you to figure out a hobby that you would like to pick up, then all the better :)

You can pick up a kit from Tandy that has some of the basic tools and supplies to make some simple projects, or you could just pick up a pre-stamped belt blank and a buckle, some dyes and brushes, and make your own custom belt.

https://www.tandyleather.ca/en/category/starter-sets
 
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I'll bite.

I have a collection of over 120 hardcover books and thousands of magazines, brochures and catalogues related to motorcycles (I read them all & go into every used book store I see and buy all their bike books.) My oldest book is from 1913.

I'm also a reptile geek. I have a couple of pet lizards at home, in nice terrariums.
 
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Rob, will that mail actually stop a sword or just decorative? Rings seem pretty flexible. ...yer a Whovian too?

Collected pens for a long time, now have to get them used up and no one writes anymore.

Have a few swords, but they are mostly the kids. They are better armed than I ever was.

Gonna try making some PVC bows sometime.

Used to keep fish, but gave it up...

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