Other hobbies or past times outside of detailing

Mike Hoekstra

Mike Hoekstra

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I know we all have a love of detailing autos in this group, but I'm wondering if anyone else has other hobbies or interests to occupy the free time? Myself personally, I build and paint model cars, figures, sci-fi kits etc. and also do custom painting and commissioned art work for people outside of my day job.

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I was heavily in to model making growing up, I sought of lost interest in my 30s. But due a couple of changes in circumstance, I find myself spending time, and money, on it again. I'm not working at ATM, due to the other circumstance, we moved to another city, 2 hours north, so I left my job, and got 10 weeks of unused leave paid out, so I don't need to work just yet. Also, packing up the old house, I found a bunch of old kits I hadn't started or finished. That gave me the bug, so I worked on a couple, then bought a few more. Below is the alien ship from Indepence Day, I made this about 15 years ago, and the other is a 1/72 X-Wing from Bandai, made a couple of weeks ago. Both are now on display in the new media room, above the height my little nephew can reach. I also collect die cast cars, mainly hot wheels size. I started when I saw a couple of classic muscle cars in a bargain bin in a supermarket, 10 years later I'm at well over 2000. Once you start collecting something, it's very hard to stop, especially when they only cost 2 or 3 dollars.

Dave View attachment 69830View attachment 69831

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Picked up astronomy again (also learning Astro photography, steep learning curve tp photograph nebula and galaxies correctly, at least for me)
 
Markymapo said:
Picked up astronomy again (also learning Astro photography, steep learning curve tp photograph nebula and galaxies correctly, at least for me)
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I completely forgot about astronomy, although if I'm honest, it's more of an interest than a hobby for me. I have a cheap telescope ($700 - $800), but it rarely comes out. I'm more likely to get the reclining camp chair and the binoculars out. I will get up early to watch a meteor shower, if the weather doesn't screw me. I do subscribe to Australian Sky & Telescope, they jost had an article about the new Sony astrophotography camera last month, looks good, but I wouldn't get the use out of it.

I was up early one morning in March, and caught a Starlink train, 16 or 17 satellites all in a row crossing the sky. Awesome sight, but it does play havoc with astrophotography.

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Markymapo said:
Picked up astronomy again (also learning Astro photography, steep learning curve tp photograph nebula and galaxies correctly, at least for me)
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I met a guy at a figure painting workshop who does some awesome astrophotography. He and his friend drive out to the country without light pollution and shoot the galaxy trails etc. It's really cool.
 
Markymapo said:
Picked up astronomy again (also learning Astro photography, steep learning curve tp photograph nebula and galaxies correctly, at least for me)
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I've also been into Amateur Astronomy for many decades. Still have two nice Refractors, 5.2" Apomax, a 4.1" AP Traveler, and a Byers Mount.
Sold all my Astro film cameras, a Pentax 6x7, and a Nikon F-3HP. Never really started up with CCD.

Had a friend in New Mexico I lived close to who used to make the Flip Mirrors and Color Wheels for CCD Imaging, Andy Homeyer. Used to make very nice rock solid Mount Cradles for C-14's too. He sadly passed about 5 or so years ago at age 74.

Once had a very nice Celestron C-14 and a bought new Astro-Physics 1200GTO Mount, sold them both, sure wish I hadn't

Like shooting sports, fishing, and audio. Still play Drums and also dabble with electric Bass Guitar too.
 
Avid bowhunter. Whitetail deer mostly but have arrowed many other animals including 2 black bear
 
To Markd51. I just picked up a new AP1100 using with a SV130 10 years old) learning the ropes. The problem is Astro photography occurs typically late at night and lake fishing very early so only a few hours in between and then if my buddy is wakeboarding he swings by at 8am after I have been fishing early am . And my wife asks why I am sleepy Saturday by noon
 
Other than detailing, I love to spend time with my wife and dogs.

But fishing is my other love.

I'm also the guy that people come to when their small engines won't run. I like to work on them, but helping my friends and neighbors is what I enjoy about it the most.
 
Uhh let's see...mmm come on here to pick with every one . That's my loved hobby .
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Too many to list them all, but one I have that relates to car detailing - restoring furniture. Specifically mid-century modern teak furniture. 90% of the furniture pieces in our house are teak pieces that I have hunted down and then restored.

Here's a piece I finished up during the lockdown. It's a neat sideboard with tambour doors that I purchased from the son of the original owners, who purchased the piece in Sweden while the father was stationed overseas in the early 60's. It was then shipped home when they returned to the U.S. The son inherited the piece (and several others that I also bought) and his wife proceeded to "ruin" it by keeping a flower vase on top of it, complete with a water leak. The teak used for indoor furniture is different than that used for outdoors and it does not tolerate water well. Hence the horrible water mark and stain on top, with the added blackening thanks to a reaction to minerals & chemicals in the water. Not only was the water mark a terrible stain, it also left a slight depression in the teak wood. The wood was also suffering from generally poor care ... no maintenance oiling and damage from too much sunlight. This was one of my bigger challenges ever. The process was to carefully "bleach" out the water mark/stain with an oxalic acid solution, then let the wood recover for a couple weeks, then repeat. It took 8 bleachings to completely remove the mark. Some of the depression was relieved by the bleachings but I also had to do a very light/careful sanding of the whole top of the sideboard to even things out. Finally, I applied teak oil over multiple sessions a week apart to rejuvinate the wood and bring back its natural color/hue.


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Programming. Web dev, C#, TypeScript or JavaScript. Used to do it for money but that took the fun out of it.
 
I’m into bowling. Haven’t done it since mid March as bowling alleys are all closed in PA at the moment. My average will probably tank after this long of a break.
 
I just started taking up bowling n then Covid hit. Maybe next winter. I work in Malvern so need to find something local
 
BSoares said:
I’m into bowling. Haven’t done it since mid March as bowling alleys are all closed in PA at the moment. My average will probably tank after this long of a break.
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That is cool. Hard as hell to bowl.

I got lucky and hit about 130 once. Lol
 
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