I keep looking at the Shapeoko and X-Carve 2.5 axis desktop CNC machines. A true 3 axis machine would be cool, but you're talking thousands at minimum at that point.
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Hobbies? What keeps you sane?
- Thread starter Rob MacLennan
- Start date
A friend's father bought a house with a bigger garage so he wouldn't have to leave his car out. The bigger house came on a bigger lot that meant a riding mower and accessories that meant he still had to leave his car out.
Nikola Tesla
Well-known member
Ah focaccia nice, good fresh bread is amazing, homestead bakery in Barrie and blackbird bakery in Toronto are very good, need to make my own sometime
Started doing more baking last year when covid reared its ugly head. But was a bit discouraged because the hoarders got at all the supplies. I found that sourdough was the easiest because it was flour, water and salt. But the technique and small details were the clues to really good sourdough.
Oh, and riding.
Oh, and riding.
Priller
Well-known member
Lately the hobby has been working on the RC51 (most recent battle is having a bolt extractor crack off inside the sheared bolt - I didn't shear it, I hasten to add! - making drilling it out a million times harder).
Previously it was playing bass, which has tapered off a lot since covid. After some years mucking around in garage bands, I ended up playing every Sunday at church, which was a lot of fun (Anglican, so pretty chill, lots of old hymns to go with the contemporary stuff). Between the move and covid, that's gone by the wayside for now, so I'm pretty rusty these days. I'm sure I'll pick it up more regularly soon, especially if we settle into a church we like that has a need. Online church isn't the same for getting a connection to the community...
Previously it was playing bass, which has tapered off a lot since covid. After some years mucking around in garage bands, I ended up playing every Sunday at church, which was a lot of fun (Anglican, so pretty chill, lots of old hymns to go with the contemporary stuff). Between the move and covid, that's gone by the wayside for now, so I'm pretty rusty these days. I'm sure I'll pick it up more regularly soon, especially if we settle into a church we like that has a need. Online church isn't the same for getting a connection to the community...
I have, however, seen a lot of excellent online collaboration between artists who have home studios.
On the online collaboration front, there have been a lot of youtube creators shipping things around to make cool objects. Eg handforged blade gets shipped to a woodworker to make a handle then a leatherworker to make a sheath, then sent along to someone they all respect. Cool stuff.
This isn't common knowledge: Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts is the best high school by a landslide in North America (possibly the world) for classical string instruments. They competed and beat US college/universities in the past.
Best part is they're in Toronto =)
Really well played and produced. Miles and miles better than high school bands I have heard in the past. For obvious reasons (equipment availability, room size, room treatment, etc.), not the best recording ever.
Priller
Well-known member
Yes, if you have the gear and know-how, it can work very well, though nothing comes close to playing as a group, live in a room, in front of people. There's a communication that you get when you play together a lot (how someone stomps a foot, raises a guitar, gives a look, nods their head, etc.) that allows for improvisation that's really hard to do online.
I was playing in BC, so having moved back to Ontario have stopped playing with that church, as we're no longer congregants. Here, we haven't settled into a local church, as we're not attending in person. I got so used to the cycle of prepping during the week for the song selections on Sunday that it structured my practice time. Without that weekly rhythm, I've completely fallen off my practice schedule. For me, bass is best as a collaborative instrument, as it bridges rhythm and melody, so playing alone is a lot less fun.
I'm sure once things get closer to normal, I'll find an outlet somewhere. I really admire your craftsmanship, and am always tempted to pick something like that up as a hobby. My grandfather did stained glass, and it's something I've always had in the back of my mind, but have never taken that step of figuring out what's involved beyond the most basic research. Maybe when the bike is 'done' and I can reclaim more of the garage...
BigEvilDoer
Well-known member
Inherited a 4 foot long, incredibly detailed model of the Bismarck. Going to start it soon.
Otherwise, I play/referee hockey (when Covid is done with of course), used to paint miniatures (32mm tall, would take 20-35 hours each to complete)... And of course, using my smoker to do a variety of different foods.
Otherwise, I play/referee hockey (when Covid is done with of course), used to paint miniatures (32mm tall, would take 20-35 hours each to complete)... And of course, using my smoker to do a variety of different foods.
From what i understand it takes a true craftsman to do stained glass work. The different colours and grades of glass expand and shrink at different rates, when heated, so balancing everything is a real chore. If you can manage that, you'll have my admiration.
Priller
Well-known member
From what I've been told, it's one where starting small is key. My grandfather got as big as about 3'x4' windows before he quit doing it (it's how he rolled: take something up, get good at it, never do it again. Also applied to baseball, sailing, model building, golf, darts, snooker, farming, among others). Aside from the craft of what you mention, the art of assembling blocks of colour in clever shapes to trick the mind into adding detail really appeals.
Could you consider using the lathe as the mill? Some smaller hobby metal lathes come with an attachment so instead of the tool post you have a 90degree plate that you mount the work to. That gives you Z and either X or Y. I think there was maybe a moving vertical component to the plate that would provide the third axis.
Hack
Well-known member
Over this past winter....
Refurbished a '97 KLR.
For the last 30 years it's been guns and sport shooting.
'Been all over North America shooting competitions of various types. Mostly what's commonly referred to as "3-Gun".
Justin Trudeau has put the brakes on much of it though via his idiotic OIC last year which banned the one firearm pretty much EVERYONE uses in 3-Gun.
Covid has also slowed things down as ranges and the border have been closed.
Refurbished a '97 KLR.
For the last 30 years it's been guns and sport shooting.
'Been all over North America shooting competitions of various types. Mostly what's commonly referred to as "3-Gun".
Justin Trudeau has put the brakes on much of it though via his idiotic OIC last year which banned the one firearm pretty much EVERYONE uses in 3-Gun.
Covid has also slowed things down as ranges and the border have been closed.
I looked into a milling attachment for the lathe, and it does make a machine do two jobs. I'm thinking ( maybe over thinking ) the change over from one process to another will be limiting and a pain. That and the lathe I picked up is pretty compact , I'd be limited to a pretty small XY axis.
I may just bite the bullet and buy a mill/lathe combo machine, sell this lathe off.
I have one of the Chinese mini lathes that are available at just about any discount tool place for under $1,000 and I have a Vertical mill / drill with decent power, Busy Bee item. Both work with accuracy issues being 90% operator based.
I use them for both metal and wood. The mill is something that one buys but can't explain why. Then you find yourself making things you never thought of.
Another game changer is the steel cutting circular saw blade. I spoke with the rep from Diablo and he frowned on me using one with a table saw, a concern about kick back. I just stand clear and wear a face shield and hearing protection isn't a bad idea either.
The last time I used it I neglected to consider I was wearing a short sleeve shirt. I could feel the chips bouncing off my bare arm and ignored them. Afterwards I realized they were doing acupuncture as they bounced off. My right arm looked like the aftermath of a black fly terrorist attack.
Diablo now has blades for stainless and aluminum as well.
I cut the tongue of this dovetail on the mill using a tilt vice.
and in the background, the shop is still a a mess
From Ecclesiastes:
An empty shop is easy to clean but there's no profit in an empty shop.
I thought the metal cutting saw blades liked much lower speeds? They really are game changers for what you can easily build in a small shop.
I know NS pretty well. Have you picked a spot yet?
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