MetaFilter posts tagged with hobby

World's Most Experienced Airline... in the garage

armage — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:30:26 -0800

Anthony Toth has recreated a first-class Pan Am cabin in his garage.

They're models, not toys!

gamera — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 19:37:28 -0800

Building and flying free flight model airplanes is a pastime so obscure it doesn't even register on the geek heirarchy. But in the period between Lindberg's flight across the Atlantic until the start of the Second World War, thousands of boys (and some girls) around the world succumbed to the allure of rubber, lube, and dope. Free flight was eclipsed in popularity by control-line models and later radio control, but a hard core of enthusiasts are still at work making wonderful flying things. It's now pretty much a pastime for old men, many of whom have returned to the hobby after retirement. It's likely that some of the kids in the newsreels linked above are still making models. Like many obscure enthusiasms, it has found a home on the web. Here are some highlights for your browsing pleasure: A gallery of rather small photos, and another. An extensive British site dedicated to free flight scale models, including lots of rocket-powered models. A gallery of antique gas-powered model planes. Twin pushers and other free flight oddities (previously on Metafilter). Unbelievably delicate and graceful indoor duration models. Actual flight starts at about 1:52. More Indoor Planes, including an ornithopter. Some of these planes are actually radio controled - Free flight designs and techniques are often well-suited for small radio control models. "The sport of kings" - 2005, Middle Wallop. An introduction (with music, alas) to the modern Wakefield class of high-tech rubber powered planes. A jewel-like V-12 CO2 Engine (more music, Steppenwolf this time). The Long Flight, a short 1968 amateur film about model aviation. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4. The story offers a clue why the sport/hobby isn't more popular. There's a long sequence where the young protagonist painstakingly builds his model, only to have it crash and break on it's maiden flight. For most kids this would end their fling with model planes. Luckily, this is a movie and 1939 Wakefield Champion Dick Korda is on hand to initiate him into the mysteries of the model plane. The Plan Page has free plans and construction articles for classic models scanned from old model magazines. Finally, a bit about a personal favorite, Bob Copeland's streamlined Wakefield from 1939. Pictured here and in this forum thread.

Аста ла виста, беби

madamjujujive — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 15:30:31 -0800

Stalin's Secret Weapon - a Russian hobbyist's terminator-esque diorama painstakingly constructed from military action figures. (Via buzz

Wait. Wait some more. Turn around. Wait.

lucia__is__dada — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 03:17:38 -0800

As Orwell said, "another English characteristic which is so much a part of us that we barely notice it,... is the addiction to hobbies and spare-time occupations". Of those, trainspotting must be the most misunderstood. But now you can try it yourself with the online trainspotting simulator and join in the fun!

My Life In Ham Radio

jackspace — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 12:00:22 -0800

"Ham Radio is a life long learning experience. You never stop learning." Don, W3RDF, is a CW enthusiast who shares with us his love of a hobby that has been a source of many friends from around the globe. With Solar Cycle 24 just beginning, the Ham Bands have been heating up with activity. Perhaps you might want to listen to what they are saying.

“Please keep your ass crack covered at all times.”

arcanecrowbar — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 15:50:36 -0800

"I’m Charlie Cappa floating through his nightclub in a sharp Italian suit in MEAN STREETS, Henry Hill being lead through the back door of the Copacabana to a table right in front of the stage in GOODFELLAS, or Ace Rothstein at the dead center of the frame as he walks through the Tangiers in CASINO. I’m also Michael Barnes and I am walking through Atlanta Game Factory on a summer day three years ago. Imagine the Ronettes or the Rolling Stones on the soundtrack and you’ve got a pretty good picture of what it felt like to walk into AGF at the peak of its powers. All my life I wanted to be a game store owner." Gameshark has just posted the tenth and final installment of the strange saga of the rise and fall of the Atlanta Game Factory.

Current insulator fun

tellurian — Wed, 21 May 2008 22:52:04 -0800

From a .com to a .info netting the price of a Westinghouse (R-Skirt) "Telluride" Type B. SB (part of the Greatest Insulator Find in the History of the Hobby). via Zoltan Drinoczi. [previously]

The Edible Battle of Pelennor Fields

madamjujujive — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 22:49:23 -0800

What I did over Christmas vacation - a scale model of Minas Tirith during the Battle of Pelennor Fields from Tolkein's The Return of the King. In candy. (via oink) Photo gallery of the construction Other notable models of Minas Tirith: 1/72nd scale model Lego model (via boo_radley)

HobbySpace

Upton O'Good — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 00:22:33 -0800

HobbySpace hosts an exhaustive collection of information and links about space-related hobbies, including amateur astronomy, satellite design, and rocketry for both beginners and experts.

Heaps and Heaps of Origami Designs.

Effigy2000 — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 16:27:35 -0800

Got some spare time? Then let's learn origami! Check out this large collection of origami designs (suitable for beginners too), and here's some instructional origami videos to help you along.

Do Ya Think My Caboose Is Sexy?

amyms — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 00:24:01 -0800

"It means more to me to be on the cover of Model Railroader than to be on the cover of Rolling Stone." Rod Stewart has spent 12 years, and thousands of dollars, working on his model train hobby. Via. Learn more about model railroading here and here. See pictures of model railroads here, and a previous model railroad post on Metafilter here.

Souvenir Glass Collection

tellurian — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 20:06:44 -0800

Thomas Graz has a collection of glasses with pictures on them. Mainly from the countries of the former Austro-Hungarian Monarchy and the German Empire, but including some other countries too. A novel way to navigate history, architecture, people and landscape. Oh! and he needs help with some of them too.

Titillating treasure trove of tit torture tidbits.

goodnewsfortheinsane — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 19:54:37 -0800

Matt Nicholson's Breast Punishment Primer discusses the history of tit torture, the anatomy of breasts and the motivation for torturing one (or two), and various manners in which one might torture a tit. That and tit torture trivia. All links NSFW.

Bill Wyman Is All About The Metal

amyms — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 21:18:53 -0800

Former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman has a Signature Metal Detector. It's not about security, it's about treasure hunting, baby. Let Bill tell you all about (and sell you on) his hobby. Via the J-Walk Blog.

What do you do in your spare time?

tellurian — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 19:54:50 -0800

Mengermania tracks the progress of building a level four Menger sponge out of index cards (related - level three with business cards). [via]

Come fly with me

caddis — Mon, 04 Sep 2006 17:54:49 -0800

Flight simulator. As a hobby, this guy built his own Boeing 747 flight simulator. No, not just a PC simulation, but a full cabin with hydraulics motion simulation a correct control panel and the full works, just like the real thing. (via Neatorama)

I’ve probably got around 30,000 of them filed away now…

furtive — Sun, 03 Sep 2006 07:25:44 -0800

During his downtime on early worldwide tours with DEVO, Mark Mothersbaugh began illustrating on postcards to send to his friends, which he still creates, and has been creating every day for over 30 years. It's an obsessive habit/hobby which still yields anywhere from one to a couple dozen new postcard-sized images per day.

Artist trading cards

bigmusic — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 11:12:58 -0800

Artist trading cards (ATC's) have three rules they shouldn't be sold, they are to measure exactly 2.5" by 3.5", and on the back they must have the artist's name, contact information, title of the ATC and it's number in the series. Since M. Vanci Stirnemann started this hobby in 1997 it has spread the world over. [previously on metafilter]

Oxfordshire church photos

nthdegx — Thu, 27 Apr 2006 07:55:49 -0800

Oxfordshire church photos. For all your Oxfordshire church photo needs.

What do they do with those plastic horses?

zonkout — Fri, 10 Mar 2006 10:41:09 -0800

The exciting w o r l d of model horses.

Welcome To IOTA NA-178 Mission Control

jackspace — Wed, 15 Feb 2006 15:41:19 -0800

Welcome To IOTA NA-178 Mission Control On behalf of IOTA Ham operators WorldWide, the SouthEast Farallon Island - Project NA-178 HAMS HELPING HABITATS project (conducted by K6VVA & K9AJ) will assist the Farallon National Wildlife Refuge ("The Refuge") by transporting materials and equipment via helicopter from the mainland for an important habitat restoration project on SouthEast Farallon Island ("SEFI"), as well as the return of old unwanted infrastructure water pipe from the Island for disposal.

If you thought Eco-tourism was passe, try a DX-p e d i t i o n! Of course hams have also put their personal concerns aside for other things, such as helping provide emergency communications during natural disasters. One thing you might not realize is our penchant for broadband Internet via BPL (Broadband over Power Lines) may interfere with this hobby of radio enthusiasts.

Maximize Your View

afx114 — Mon, 13 Feb 2006 09:29:59 -0800

Room With A View. Has the view out of your living room window become boring and stale? No problem, build yourself a million dollar Rotating Home. A former office manager, self prclaimed "hobbyist" Al Johnstone has built quite the technological feat [PDF] despite having no engineering background, obtaining around 30 patents in the process.

Cruel crafts

madamjujujive — Fri, 27 Jan 2006 11:09:37 -0800

Beutiful art made with knitting - (via buzz)

Crafty geeks

madamjujujive — Mon, 30 May 2005 11:43:52 -0800

Whether its crocheted hyperbolic models or Lorenz manifolds, a lace pi shawl or knit Fibonacci socks, some math geeks find expression in the fiber arts.

The TV Typewriter

braun_richard — Mon, 28 Feb 2005 19:45:06 -0800

Typing...on a screen! Text (and cover image) of a 1973 issue of Radio-Electronics mag, showing a new fangled way of typing with a TV screen. I like how the mag is billed as "for MEN with ideas in electronics." Heh...