I like tinkering with my Cutlass; however I also have other interests.
I am an Amateur Radio operator and like to stuff two-way radios into all of my vehicles.
One day I talked to a Russian Cosmonaut in orbit “Musa Maranov”.
A few years later, I was in Moscow teaching a group of Cosmonauts how to install Amateur Radio projects on Space Station Mir.
So far, I have built and flown 4 Projects in Space and have 1 projects on the International Space Station (Slow Scan TV aka SSTV).
I like to call myself a Volunteer working for the Russian Space Program. www.marexmg.org

I am also restoring my 1979 Suzuki GS 750 that I bough new.

PS this is a Great thread, I love some of the neat artwork.

Flying a Soyuz simulator in Star City.




My toys waiting for Spring.

 

Very kinky. Duct tape, I suppose? Most people use handcuffs

 

Very cool Justin. Great pic!

 

Geez dude, we're playing with trains and your building stuff that lunches ito orbit! That's pretty cool! That reminds me...

 

When my daughter became this thing called a "teenager" we weren't getting along very well. So I decided we would build this. And it worked

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It's a 10 inch Newtonian reflector. We don't get it out much anymore but for a while it was every weekend.

 

[QUOTE=Macadoo;668246]When my daughter became this thing called a "teenager" we weren't getting along very well. So I decided we would build this. And it worked

Neat Scope.
Thanks for the tip. My Teenager hates electronics and space stuff (except Iphone). So am thinking about a pair of enduro motor cycles may get her interest.

 

What a great story.

 

My other "hobby" is my 1965 Egg Harbor sportfish. In the past 10 years I have completely rebuilt it, wiring, plumbing, hull and of course the two small-block chevys! Last winter I took it from Rhode Island to Florida and back, about half of that solo.With a wood hull, it stays in the water all year, I'm sitting in it now with it covered in shrink-wrap with the heaters going
[IMG][/IMG]

 

Bluecab,
That looks like an awesome mancave.

 

But wait, there's more! Now she's a college grad, with honors, in math and astrophysics...........living on my couch! But I'm not kicking her out until I get the motor installed back in the car

 

Oldsmobile Collectibles, Advertising and model cars (I got a butt load of them). Wine collecting. I use to do model railroads but am selling most of it off.

I also attended COD in Glen Ellyn

 

Still a great story.

With my daughter, we renewed our relationship by watching all the episodes of the Columbo TV series. She's still in college, but the couch will always be hers whenever she needs it.

 

Never had much time for hobbies as I was always working to get back on my feet after a divorce that literally left me with nothing. My take home after child support and alimony was $40. So I moved in with my girlfriend, bought a house, reno'd it, but another added to it, built a garage, child support and alimony was finally over, so we concentrated on working to build up a retirement, My wife retired at 60, and I went out 2 years ago at 55 due to Disability. The only thing I really knew all my life was working, either construction or the last 31+ years worked as a Tool Designer and Tool & Die Maker.

Cars used to be a hobby, or I should say a side job as my dad and I had a body shop. I haven't done much with cars for the last 15 years or so, until I bought the wife a '64 Cutlass last year. And I did buy a mill and lathe to still tinker with. Hopefully I can get into building some model engines if I ever find any free time.

 

Here's my left handed tape measure collection.The one on bottom is a right handed one.
railguy

IMG_3898.jpg

 

Columbo?! Lol, awesome!

Sorry to hear of your troubles Kevin. But it sounds like you finally landed on your feet. And now we know who to hit-up for machine work

 

Haha, I'm not sure if you're having a joke or not. Just checked my tape measures and they all seem to be right handed..

 

I'm a southpaw and I've never heard of it. But that doesn't mean they're not real, lol.

 

Hold the tape in your left hand the numbers are all upside down.Also if your clip the the it to your left side you have to turn it a round to use it.When I started carpentry years ago they made lefts and rights even refill blades lefts and rights they don't even make the refills anymore. Every time I see one I pick it up.
railguy

 

There ya go, I learnt something today!

 

I fixed the olds this summer most problems where found at the house and beforehand it was completely done seriously and used often. my insurance is up reeal soon on it. I am back into the final leg of my model railroad so guys what will you be doing this winter to stimulate your creativity for your olds.

 

well it is almost 2 cold to work in a un heated garage all of the time guys. I for 1 would not pay a heating bill for a garage unless needed and garages in general have less insulation across the line. I just use my time efficiently all year round as much as possible. so the question stands how are your other hobbies to spend your time with this winter excluding the lucky ones who have decent weather and you are lucky for that whoever you are. I personally am having a full on mode for my railroad and have around 200 hrs in already and am speeding towards a full finish with just light detailing afterwards. I am adding all lighting around 25 to 40 extra pieces I bought at a train swap meet for about 20 bucks and were new and packaged.

 

Man that sucks , but at least your heading up hill now . Me and my wife are on the way out down the road , but I told her if she tried to do something of this nature to me she'd disappear . Naw , I'm glad she's not that kind of gal , that's for sure . I'll NEVER EVER do that or date again , I can assure you that !

 

My other hobby or "things I spend dumb amounts of money on" lol are vintage toys. I unearthed my toys from late 70's/80's childhood (GI Joe, Starwars, HeMan, etc) and started trying to complete the ones that were missing parts or accessories. I'm trying to build a wall display for all my GI Joes (over 100) and my vintage Starwars collection. You think some car parts cost a lot....this will beat you over the head if you let it.

 

I make my living as a photographer but still love it as a hobby. I like to make things my current kick is coin rings and night lights

 

Love the marker night light! I've got a pair of those I was thinking of doing something similar with.

 

I don't know what rock I've been living under, but I've never heard of a coin ring. They look great.

 

I always heard that the American dream was to own a house. But I aways thought that the American dream was to make a living doing something you enjoy doing.
Railguy

 

Running - marathons, trail races, generally being out on my feet... Training for the Dusseldorf marathon at the moment, and then planning to race a 50 mile trail run around Brussels... Between that, the rescue dogs, and work I struggle to get much garage time at the moment!

 

I do feel fortunate in the work I have but my dream was to shoot for national geographic and travel the world. I did not get that but still love what I do.

 

That's pretty cool

 

I worked with stained glass projects for a few years. Made my wife several stepping stones with stained glass (flowers, birds.butterflies ect.) embedded into them. We poured a concrete sidewalk to the flower garden and pressed them into the freshly poured concrete. It's OK ,but Number 1 is still cars. Larry

 

I'm new to this site. Just bought another Olds this Spring...68 Cutlass S Convt to sit along side my National Show Winner 76 Cutlass Supreme. Always wanted a convt so we did it and now during the summer we take turns every other weekend with convt ride and the next weekend on our 30' Baja down on the river. Now that it is Winter boat and cars are put away and we have the sleds out waiting for snow....lol

 

We spend every day we can in the summer on Cayuga Lake in the Finger Lakes Region of NY

 

Wow Mike your pics of Cuyuga Lake bring back memories! I grew up by Fort Niagara(Youngstown) & my Aunt Betty & another family co-owned a 50 acre spread close to Penn Yan. It was in a little town called Potter. It was primitive,no running water,out-house etc. but they had a huge pond,lots of trails in the woods,it was a blast! I spent every summer there from the mid '60s to mid '70s. My other money-pit hobby is my '05 Roadking. I've got stupid $$$ in it but I just love it( just like my 442 it's paid for!!)Plus I able able to keep it through my divorce!! I re-did the whole bike myself,it puts out 103hp at the rear wheel,it's a blast to ride!!

 

Building large scale RC battleship models and vacuum tube audio equipment both vintage and new. Currently I have little time for my fun hobbies beacause I bought a worthless dump of a house that I’m renovating.

 

Yesterday my hobby was ice fishing at a nearby lake with a friend, today it's plowing the 10" of snow we received last night. I've always welded and fabricated so now that I've retired I've had a bunch of small welding jobs around here.

 

Ice fishing? It's only been below freezing once or twice around here so far.
Railguy

 

Reminds me of the old "Hudson and landre??" Joke. When he said his brother in law who was of a certain nationality ....went ice fishing and caught 200 lbs of ice, his wife fried it and they both drown.
Railguy

 

I haven't been ice fishing in the last how many years . We use to do a lot of Pike and Walleye fishing at night ( Tip ups ) . It's more work lugging all the gear out there / drilling the holes then it's worth now . You definitely need an ATV / snowmobile for that . My friends and I came up with a cool light system for the tip up when the flag goes up at night . We should of put a patent on it back in the day . We would take a Christmas light / socket with a foot of wire behind it , a 9 volt battery , and another piece of wire to make the bulb light up when the flag was triggered . It was bright enough to see from quite a distant so you didn't have to sit out in the middle of the lake waiting ( if you don't have a shanty ) I can dig up a tip up and post a picture if someone is interested to see what I mean .


edit .... We caught the Walleyes at night , not the Pike . The pike would shut off before dark IIRC .

 

That's a great idea if you fish at night. I don't fish at night but always interested in fishing gagets. We do use snowmobiles and I pull a togoggan I built to get to the mountain lakes which makes hauling our gear very easy. We also bought an awesome battery powered ice auger, 8" hole. I drilled 60 holes just to see if I could run the battery down. I got tired of drilling and the battery was still going strong.