Hobbies

[Jay-Bone]

Other than stalking HS kid recruits, what other things do you guys / girls like to do?

I have an infant son now so my partying days are behind me. I'm wrapping up a huge work project and will have more free time soon. Time that's better spent off the cesspool. As I'm a structural engineer by trade, I like puzzles and to build things. I just put together one of these at nights after the little one goes to sleep:

Amazon product ASIN B07HDL2QCX
I also bought some basic robotics kits and am looking into online puzzle sites like Lumosity. Any other suggestions? Or maybe just mention strange things that peak your interest. Without a doubt there are some LARPers on here.

 

[QDOG5]

i have played guitar in punk bands for most of my life, and that dominates the time i spend outside of my job as a non-profit grant-writer. i also like reading fiction, biking, and cooking.

and i've recently committed myself to playing pick-up 2 - 3 times per week! i need a lot of work on the jumper...

Do you have some favorite punk bands/songs?

 

[boba]

Durban poison is a bear indoors. Kudos.

Not me, a friend. White Rhino and DP harvest (legal!) this weekend!
And yes DP is a problematic phenotype - large distance between nodes means lots of twisting and tying. Would like to put it outdoors here but there is a night-flying moth whose larvae find it especially delicious. We know it's night flying because when we did outdoor/indoor (pots put out in morning, brought back in at night) we had no problems, where plants left outdoors all the time were infested by harvest season.

 

[AreBee1969]

I’m actually looking into this now and I’m the same age as you. I need to replace pick up basketball.

It's a freaking blast and as long as you keep your body from impacting the ground, it's really easy on your body. I get lower back pain simply from standing for longer than 15 minutes. My knees and ankles would always take a beating when I played hoops. I can ride a mountain bike for 3+ hours with none of that. Just a little leg soreness to let me know I'm doing something right!

 

[HuskyHawk]

It's a freaking blast and as long as you keep your body from impacting the ground, it's really easy on your body. I get lower back pain simply from standing for longer than 15 minutes. My knees and ankles would always take a beating when I played hoops. I can ride a mountain bike for 3+ hours with none of that. Just a little leg soreness to let me know I'm doing something right!

I'm not sure I could get a bike up more than a 2% grade. I know I can't get it around my neighborhood, let alone on actual hilly trails.

That said, this is close. Southern New England Trunkline Trail
Not that hilly (separate hilly bike trails off the main trail). Might be worth a try.

 

[CTBasketball]

Surf and ski, lift weights, and recently chess. I want to be dumb and buy a sailboat.

 

[The Funster]

Spare time now is watching sports, reading and napping. I have a soccer sim management game I like to play on my laptop. When I retire in 9 years I'm looking to head south to golf and garden. Maybe rob some banks...not sure. /shrug

 

[Vancat]

I want to be dumb and buy a sailboat.

Ah, not all sailboats are money pits. We have a 14 footer that we launch off our beach (lakefront home) and let me tell you, there is nothing like it. My favorite thing in the world. Been enjoying it for almost 25 years. I guess if I had to trailer and launch it every time it wouldn't be so much fun. I'm truly lucky.

 

[RichZ]

this is why I love being a post. I can get old and my range stays the same...

After the years, the distance of my money shot as a post player has increased tremendously. It used to be about 6 inches. Now it's about 30". Pretty sure the basket's not any higher, but somehow, I just don't get as close on the release as I did 55 years ago. And the accuracy has suffered as a result. Last time, I payed, I was 0 for 1 before needing to take a break for the rest of the game.

 

[CTBasketball]

Ah, not all sailboats are money pits. We have a 14 footer that we launch off our beach (lakefront home) and let me tell you, there is nothing like it. My favorite thing in the world. Been enjoying it for almost 25 years. I guess if I had to trailer and launch it every time it wouldn't be so much fun. I'm truly lucky.

Teach me your ways. I literally know nothing about sailboats.

 

[jleves]

This is awesome. Just curious, where is "the local forge." I feel like my town is lacking one.

So I made this today at the forge. A steel rose that started as 6 flat smooth discs and a metal rod.

 

[Kathy]

So I made this today at the forge. A steel rose that started as 6 flat smooth discs and a metal rod.

View attachment 49334

Amazing!

 

[GemParty]

I’ve been an avid bowler for many years. Both ten pin & duckpin. I have a 7 yr old & we both started our own sports podcast. We follow UConn, the Celtics and Red Sox closely.

Records On Fire

Sliders & Curveballs · Episode

open.spotify.com

 

[CL82]

So I made this today at the forge. A steel rose that started as 6 flat smooth discs and a metal rod.

View attachment 49334

That is freaking amazing. How long did it take?

 

[jleves]

That is freaking amazing. How long did it take?

Thanks - about three and a half hours.

 

[Jaker]

Thanks - about three and a half hours.

You start from the inside and work out with the petals??

 

[jleves]

You start from the inside and work out with the petals??

First, pattern the disks with a cross peen hammer, stack them on the stalk and tack down the middle, bend all the disks up so it looks like a new bud, get it really hot in a forge and start bending the petals down with a curl working from largest to smallest. Then 15 minutes on the wire wheel to finish.

 

[Jaker]

First, pattern the disks with a cross peen hammer, stack them on the stalk and tack down the middle, bend all the disks up so it looks like a new bud, get it really hot in a forge and start bending the petals down with a curl working from largest to smallest. Then 15 minutes on the wire wheel to finish.

cool

 

[Bezzz]

First, pattern the disks with a cross peen hammer, stack them on the stalk and tack down the middle, bend all the disks up so it looks like a new bud, get it really hot in a forge and start bending the petals down with a curl working from largest to smallest. Then 15 minutes on the wire wheel to finish.

What's the alloy? Will it rust?

 

[jleves]

What's the alloy? Will it rust?

It's a mild steel so I'm sure it would rust outside. Inside shouldn't be a problem.

 

[CL82]

First, pattern the disks with a cross peen hammer, stack them on the stalk and tack down the middle, bend all the disks up so it looks like a new bud, get it really hot in a forge and start bending the petals down with a curl working from largest to smallest. Then 15 minutes on the wire wheel to finish.

If this was an option near me, I would totally do this. It looks like a blast.

 

[UConnSwag11]

Does anyone have hobbies that include panning, metal detecting, and/or wood carving?

I got a gold panning kit and looking to see if anyone can recommend some educational videos to watch and locations to try out. I know the northeast barely has any metals but I’m looking to learn more about it.

Also does anyone here go metal detecting or practice wood carving?

Looking to find some relaxing hobbies and I got hooked on these by watching some videos

 

[UC313]

Does anyone have hobbies that include panning, metal detecting, and/or wood carving?

I got a gold panning kit and looking to see if anyone can recommend some educational videos to watch and locations to try out. I know the northeast barely has any metals but I’m looking to learn more about it.

Also does anyone here go metal detecting or practice wood carving?

Looking to find some relaxing hobbies and I got hooked on these by watching some videos

I dabble in carving a little bit.

 

[Mister P]

Does anyone have hobbies that include panning, metal detecting, and/or wood carving?

I got a gold panning kit and looking to see if anyone can recommend some educational videos to watch and locations to try out. I know the northeast barely has any metals but I’m looking to learn more about it.

Also does anyone here go metal detecting or practice wood carving?

Looking to find some relaxing hobbies and I got hooked on these by watching some videos

I metal detect...see post #27
I enjoy it very much. It is relaxing but most of all I enjoy not knowing what will come out of the ground. There is a lot of history buried beneath our feet.

I was back home in CT a couple of weeks ago visiting family and I went out for a short “hunt”.
One of my finds was a 1787 Fugio Cent. This coin was the very first official coin that the US approved to mint. It was designed by Ben Franklin. A rare find which I will probably never do again.

Visit treasurenet.com
Its a great site which will help you with whatever type of treasure hunting you want to get into, even panning.
I enjoy the link “Today’s Finds.” This is where people post what they have recently found . You will be amazed and awed by some of the finds that get posted daily.

 

[UConnSwag11]

I metal detect...see post #27
I enjoy it very much. It is relaxing but most of all I enjoy not knowing what will come out of the ground. There is a lot of history buried beneath our feet.

I was back home in CT a couple of weeks ago visiting family and I went out for a short “hunt”.
One of my finds was a 1787 Fugio Cent. This coin was the very first official coin that the US approved to mint. It was designed by Ben Franklin. A rare find which I will probably never do again.

Visit treasurenet.com
Its a great site which will help you with whatever type of treasure hunting you want to get into, even panning.
I enjoy the link “Today’s Finds.” This is where people post what they have recently found . You will be amazed and awed by some of the finds that get posted daily.

Thanks. Yeah, I watch a lot of history and that's what got me into wanting to metal detect. Do you find stuff often, occasionally, or not so much? I know panning is more difficult in the NE

 

[UConnSwag11]

I dabble in carving a little bit.

Any tips for buying the first set of tools and what youtube videos to watch?

 

[UConnSwag11]

Metal detecting.
Been doing this on and off for a number of years. I really enjoy not knowing what I may pull out of the ground. Ive found thousands of things over the years. Gold and silver coins from the Colonial era through today including a coin that I found in CT that was pre 1776. Many artifacts from the Civil War including bullets,buttons and belt buckles. My wife also likes the gold and silver jewelry that she gets to where.

Awesome!!

 

[UC313]

Any tips for buying the first set of tools and what youtube videos to watch?

Mary May and Laura Irish are really good. As to tools ... buy good chisels. I use Pfiel’s. Two cherries are good as well imo. It can be a rabbit hole. I think mary may’s website has a well put together list of starter tools. Depends on what you want to carve too. If you want to do spoons n stuff Morakniv makes great knives. The flexcut whittlin jack is a good tool as well on the cheap.

Youre also gonna need to learn to keep your tools sharp. Thats a whole nother ball of wax lol. Im a water stone guy.

 

[Hoophound]

I did something I never thought I’d do and bought an RV three years ago. We had a couple of friends with one and they were always doing fun stuff. My wife likes to buy stuff first and ask questions later, so we did. I just wanted to placate her. I’m not an RV guy and she’s not an RV girl. Anyway, we bought one and made a few fun trips: beach, tailgating, Disney etc. The kids brought friends sometimes, we made fires, drank beer and grilled stuff. We made friends on the road and it has become quite interesting. You get the weekend warrior yuppies that just hike and bike all day then chill at night, the full time partiers and the regular families that just want to “get out there”. I have to say, RV’ing is an unexpected pleasure. I never expected the sense of community, nor did I expect the number of people similar to us that would be doing it. I will say we aren’t the norm. It is definitely mostly retired people and there is a decent share of rednecks. Still plenty of fun loving, educated, successful, family oriented couples that love a good time. It is truly an underworld.

 

[UC313]

I did something I never thought I’d do and bought an RV three years ago. We had a couple of friends with one and they were always doing fun stuff. My wife likes to buy stuff first and ask questions later, so we did. I just wanted to placate her. I’m not an RV guy and she’s not an RV girl. Anyway, we bought one and made a few fun trips: beach, tailgating, Disney etc. The kids brought friends sometimes, we made fires, drank beer and grilled stuff. We made friends on the road and it has become quite interesting. You get the weekend warrior yuppies that just hike and bike all day then chill at night, the full time partiers and the regular families that just want to “get out there”. I have to say, RV’ing is an unexpected pleasure. I never expected the sense of community, nor did I expect the number of people similar to us that would be doing it. I will say, we aren’t the norm. It is definitely mostly retired people and there is a decent share of rednecks. Still plenty of fun loving, educated, successful family oriented couples that love a good time. It is truly an underworld.

Im about to jump into the pool myself. This was good to hear.

 

[RichZ]

What's the alloy? Will it rust?

Rust is so '90s. That's called a patina now, and they charge extra for it.