Interesting hobbies.

[Stavros]

Not to direct attention away from Kirk's vertical adventures, but I thought we should have a general hobbies thread. So, name your hobby (and a story) and feel free to contribute pictures.

As for myself, my dad got the idea to start making armor. The kind seen in museums from the 15th century. Plate armor. It started with my step mom telling my dad that she always wanted a suit of armor. My dad knew he wasn't going to be able to afford a real 15th century suit since all of those are either in private collections and museums and cost upwards of a couple million to own. So my dad said he'd learn to make some. Of course we haven't started right off the bat making grieves and gauntlets. First we, or I should say I, started with chain mail. I started with 0.6 mm galvanized wire. It took me about a day to figure out a simple 4-in-1 weave. So after I figured that out (sitting on a park bench at uni) I came home and undid all my work and tried a more advanced weave: European 6-in-1.

All in all it took me about or a little less than 2 hours to complete this much of the weave. Total of 115 rings, roughly 27 per row.







Soon we plan on working with sheet metal. The goal is going to be to make a complete suit of armor. Still have a few tools to buy (floor press, English wheel, etc.).

[DNR]

Hey stav, good idea on the hobby thread.

Well, my hobby was/is shooting. It would be rifle, shotgun or pistol and we/I would shoot targets that are human sized. While most people will practice First Person Shooter in games, I had the opportunity to practice for real with some real pros. While I was not a police officer at the time, I was a member of a police pistol team when I was only 18.

Targets would revolve around shooting scenarios with cover or barricades, rapid fire, adverse lighting, and even noise.

I call it a hobby because now in my semi-retired state, I don't think I'll use the skills again. It is just a neat thing to be able to put a bullet exactly where you want it, under difficult conditions. Skeet and trap, regular marksman stuff was just too slow.
BTW you know guns are rated by how many rounds they shoot per minute right? I have the distinction of shooting 7.5 rounds per minute one time. (450 rounds in one hour)(putting a baretta m9 through a endurance test, it was SMOKIN')(the slide was loose after a year)

some hobby eh?

DNR

[bad_brain]

wow, nice...
you should get in touch with Necrix, Stav.....he does similar stuff and is about to start selling it in an online shop:
http://lupinecreations.com/

[Gogeta70]

Stavros, that is pretty cool. Unique too ^_^

DNR, i would have to say that shooting is my hobby too. Only problem is that i don't have any guns, and i'm too young to buy a pistol (21 to buy a pistol, 18 to buy a rifle), since i'm 19. However, shooting the m16's, m4's, 249's, 240's, m203 grenade launchers, and the AT4's (bazooka) has really turned me on to shooting. I want to buy a rifle, but i haven't been to a gun shop lately, and my budget is kind of tight at the moment to be spending hundereds of bucks on a rifle + ammo and cleaning supplies.

Oh well. When i do buy my first gun, i'll be sure to post pictures for you all.

[floodhound2]

My hobbies are numerous but it seem that I am prone to frequent the subsequent:

• Guitar
• Designing Robots

My wife thinks that I am brilliant on the Guitar and I am grateful she puts together positive remarks while I perform. I can pronounce that I'm not as she would illustrate. I find it irresistible to make the time pass while in search of patterns and the placement of such patterns on my 6 string acoustic.

Robotics is an addiction to me. It transforms me to a nauseating meadow of mathematics and logic where I devour and gorge its seemingly infinite obstacles. It never fails that I will over indulge and get a vicious recoil from it. You see, every time I try to program an artificial intelligence or, a self programming program; I wind up becoming to philosophical. I get misplaced in "the creation of man" ideology. Its entertaining yet hazardous for me.

[Kirk]

@floodhound That was very poetic. You made robotics a romantic and intimate thing. I would like to hear one of your songs and see one of your bots.

Excellent idea for a thread.

[Shimo]

Well I guess I should throw in my hobbies...

*Writing
*Reading
*Gaming
*Computing
*General repair
*Lock picking


Personally I love to repair broken things... I can sit there and take every screw out and remember exactly where it was. My all time favorite thing to repair are old pocket watches, just to imagine all the gears turning in unison is a dream come true.

And I find lock picking an extremely relaxing venture. I have a unique talent where I can imagine what something looks like simply by feeling it. So when I take the pick and caress the pins I can see every bump nick and scratch in the lock, pushing up every pin and hearing that magical "CLICK" as the top pin shift of beyond the sheer off point and the bottom one becomes loose to the touch is a magical feeling knowing that you can beat the mechanical design in a lock...

Oh and I almost forgot writing, I can't really go all that in depth on it. Suffice to say I was in creative writing and won contests in school for writing and have met Sheri D Wilson in person.. Well I guess I'll leave you guys with a piece of my writing, this piece I did as part of a speed writing contest for literacy festival I had 15 minutes to write. And yes I do get lazy when I type online.



The Forever River Of Life

Rafting down the forever river of life
Fun and games afoot
I forever float
On the forever river of life


Standing up from takeing off his shoes the older of the two brothers looked down to the smiling face of his brother, “Great day fer a swim aint it?” His brother’s eye’s shined with enlightenment and glee. “Are we goin to the rope?” A smile grew across his brothers face as he turned and ran.


I fly in the wind
And I fly through the trees
Forever will I fly
For nothing will ground my wings


Rushing through the tree’s bare foot the two ran laughing and giggling the whole way. They knew the path well, knowing every bend and every tree to their youthful dreams.


As long as he is by my side
I will never be alone
I will always be happy


Bounding over rocks and twigs the two came to the edge of the creek. Abruptly stopping the two looked into each other eyes, smiles from ear to ear they both shouted to each other in glee. “River’s high today!”


Never will I forget him
He has changed my life forever
The light in the darkness I always had
Forever ending my nightmares


Rushing along the creek side the two continued to jump and bound over every obstacle in their way. “I’m gonna beat ya lille bro!” Running they came to the to the side of the river, the older brother jumped first. “Come on the waters fine!”


When he was around
Even the pain dulled
As beer in hand
Came crashing down
Knowing he was there
Made it all worth while


The two sat floating in the water, looking into each others eye for a few moments they both burst into laughter… Looking down to the bend in the river where it meets the larger part the older brother says aloud. “Just round the bend and were there.


A band aid for the salt that stained my wounds
And a sling for my broken will
A hero
A god


Moving slowly towards the centre of the river the two fought the current… “Hey big brother… Ready ta float down?” Smiling his brother slid back on his feet to land on his back in the water and began to float down, following suite the little brother joined in.


He was invincible
He was who I wanted to be
To grow into
I loved him


Floating down the river the two came around the bend and hit the fast water of the main river… “Brother the waters to fast!!!” pounding the water to get to his little brothers side, he shouted out. “HANG ON!!!! I’LL GET YOU OUT OF HERE!!!!”


Before I knew it
I would lose everything
All I had would be lost
Washed away


Flailing down the river the two made it to the edge of the river… “Grab on brother!!!!” Reaching for a branch the brothers held on for dear life… “Can you make it brother?” As his brothers hand began to slip..... Pushing his foot into the soft earth he made a final hard push shoving his brother up to the ledge.


He may have saved me one last time
But it hurt more then any lashing or beating
Losing him
Was like losing myself


Laying his hand on the coffin, tears rolling down his cheek he began to talk. “I love you little brother…. And thank you for always being there….”


No more was I living in the world of Peter Pan
Reality weighing so much
Soon my back would break…

…..
..
And all I knew
Would join the ages
……..


By: Shimo

I took my real name out. And yes I know it's sloppy, it's deffinitly not one of my better pieces.

[DNR]

Shimo,
That was actually pretty good! It reads nicely - some poems just kill your eyes, but this one read along like a little stream...

DNR