Looking for manipulative hobbies as being shuttered in closes upon us

[dendrast]

Lock Picking - huge fun... It's basically solving a mechanical puzzle. There is competitive lock picking in the UK - called Locksport. In the US, lock pick tools are not illegal (as long as you are not caught committing a crime with them), they are very cheap ($25 for a basic set), and you can find locks to pick everywhere... (start with Master padlocks - once you can get a Master open in less than 10 seconds, move on to real locks - Brinks, anything made in Germany...) a lifetime to master the best locks.. plenty of youtube how-to videos.
Only downside is that once you realize how easy it is to pick an average lock, you are going to end up buying new locks for your doors... and not from Homedepot or Lowes either.

A friend of mine challenged me to get into his locked shed. I told him to time me. Before he got his phone out of his pocket, I was in. The look on his face was priceless.

How difficult are cars?

Safes. That's where the money is.

 

[Philos]

What about buildings for model trains? I have a house here.

Bilby and I bought this place because it has a train set building. A demountable annex that we plan to put a train set into.

Gaynor,

Techie Alert! I have every item made by Hornby Dublo in the 1950s. All metal, tinplate and in the original boxes. Put it on a large layout and listened to the heavy engines rattling around on the tin rails. All the buildings, Dinky buses and little lead people.

Put away now; dry stored.

http://www.advertisingarchives.co.uk/detail/12174/1/Magazine-Advert/Hornby-Dublo/1950s

A.

 

[Angry Floof]

What about buildings for model trains? I have a house here.

Bilby and I bought this place because it has a train set building. A demountable annex that we plan to put a train set into.

Gaynor,

Techie Alert! I have every item made by Hornby Dublo in the 1950s. All metal, tinplate and in the original boxes. Put it on a large layout and listened to the heavy engines rattling around on the tin rails. All the buildings, Dinky buses and little lead people.

Put away now; dry stored.

http://www.advertisingarchives.co.uk/detail/12174/1/Magazine-Advert/Hornby-Dublo/1950s

A.

You mean NERD alert.

 

[gmbteach]

What about buildings for model trains? I have a house here.

Bilby and I bought this place because it has a train set building. A demountable annex that we plan to put a train set into.

Gaynor,

Techie Alert! I have every item made by Hornby Dublo in the 1950s. All metal, tinplate and in the original boxes. Put it on a large layout and listened to the heavy engines rattling around on the tin rails. All the buildings, Dinky buses and little lead people.

Put away now; dry stored.

http://www.advertisingarchives.co.uk/detail/12174/1/Magazine-Advert/Hornby-Dublo/1950s

A.

Alex,

I am so jealous! We have the room for it, but nothing to out in it!

Gaynor.

 

[Underseer]

I like to kidnap Republican legislators, tie them up, and molest them by jamming Star Wars figurines in their rectums.

Does this count as a hobby?

Who cares whether it's legal. Think of it as a virtual hobby. You build a model of your target repbulicasshole and jam the figurines up it's clay arse part. Then you show them of Instagram or Facebook or even Twitter. You don't need to do the electronic stuff actually. I'm thinking the virtual operation would be curative enough.

Model.

Uh, sure.

I'm definitely using models. And if I'm not, they were asking for it by dressing provocatively.

 

[Tigers!]

Lock Picking - huge fun... It's basically solving a mechanical puzzle. There is competitive lock picking in the UK - called Locksport. In the US, lock pick tools are not illegal (as long as you are not caught committing a crime with them), they are very cheap ($25 for a basic set), and you can find locks to pick everywhere... (start with Master padlocks - once you can get a Master open in less than 10 seconds, move on to real locks - Brinks, anything made in Germany...) a lifetime to master the best locks.. plenty of youtube how-to videos.
Only downside is that once you realize how easy it is to pick an average lock, you are going to end up buying new locks for your doors... and not from Homedepot or Lowes either.

A friend of mine challenged me to get into his locked shed. I told him to time me. Before he got his phone out of his pocket, I was in. The look on his face was priceless.

I am not telling you my address.

 

[fromderinside]

A friend of mine challenged me to get into his locked shed. I told him to time me. Before he got his phone out of his pocket, I was in. The look on his face was priceless.

So he brought his shed over to your place so you could demonstrate?

If not, why did he file a police report the next morning?

I'll bet he was more surprised by the gun in your hand than by your skill in picking locks.

Inviting more appropriate responses to Malintent

 

[Malintent]

A friend of mine challenged me to get into his locked shed. I told him to time me. Before he got his phone out of his pocket, I was in. The look on his face was priceless.

So he brought his shed over to your place so you could demonstrate?

If not, why did he file a police report the next morning?

I'll bet he was more surprised by the gun in your hand than by your skill in picking locks.

Inviting more appropriate responses to Malintent

I happen to know where my friend lives... I do go over there from time to time to visit, even though my place is generally a better hangout.

What is so much fun is introducing others to the sport / hobby.... My parents were visiting some time ago when I had just got into it and I showed my stepmother how to do it... she popped her first lock in like 15 minutes... the surprise and satisfaction on her face was priceless... granted, it was a "trainer" lock...

Trainer locks are cool... they are normal padlocks with a key, except the body of the lock is made of clear plastic. That way, you can see all the pins and the cylinder while you pick at them to see what you are doing and learn the right feel for it. Also a great way just to teach how a lock works...you can see all the inner workings as the lock is operated.

 

[DolphinDynasty]

A friend of mine challenged me to get into his locked shed. I told him to time me. Before he got his phone out of his pocket, I was in. The look on his face was priceless.

So he brought his shed over to your place so you could demonstrate?

If not, why did he file a police report the next morning?

I'll bet he was more surprised by the gun in your hand than by your skill in picking locks.

Inviting more appropriate responses to Malintent

I happen to know where my friend lives... I do go over there from time to time to visit, even though my place is generally a better hangout.

What is so much fun is introducing others to the sport / hobby.... My parents were visiting some time ago when I had just got into it and I showed my stepmother how to do it... she popped her first lock in like 15 minutes... the surprise and satisfaction on her face was priceless... granted, it was a "trainer" lock...

Trainer locks are cool... they are normal padlocks with a key, except the body of the lock is made of clear plastic. That way, you can see all the pins and the cylinder while you pick at them to see what you are doing and learn the right feel for it. Also a great way just to teach how a lock works...you can see all the inner workings as the lock is operated.

Can you do a car starter without damaging it? I lost my car keys and really don't feel like paying more than the car's worth or having to take anything apart to get keys to work so I'm curious.

 

[Malintent]

I never tried an ignition lock... I would imagine it is like any other pin tumbler (the door locks are usually discus or wafer locks - similar in principle). Picking is non-destructive, so anything is worth a try. My wife had a car decades ago that started with a screwdriver... like, she needed to use a screwdriver to start it.

 

[bilby]

Back in the 1980s, I had a clapped out old Bedford van in which the ignition lock barrel had disintegrated; behind the barrel was a simple slot that actually controlled the switch, so if you simply took out the barrel, a standard flat-blade screwdriver worked just fine.

It was security by obscurity - the lock was apparently only there to give the impression to the uneducated that there was a need for a key. The thing was a total piece of crap though - if you had stolen it by use of a screwdriver, you would probably have got more money selling the screwdriver than you would selling the van.

 

[whollygoats]

I never tried an ignition lock... I would imagine it is like any other pin tumbler (the door locks are usually discus or wafer locks - similar in principle). Picking is non-destructive, so anything is worth a try. My wife had a car decades ago that started with a screwdriver... like, she needed to use a screwdriver to start it.

Didn't the alcohol and orange juice corrode the steering column?

It must have made the floor around the foot controls pretty sticky.

 

[whollygoats]

I like how people here think. Lock picks and tampering with elections overseas. And anal insertions to the deserving.

I recently faced this issue when I retired from my 'career' of some thirty plus years.

I, too, am somewhere near you in the wet side of Cascadia. In Puddle City, actually, where "put a bird on it" is a common catchphrase. So, I was looking at the means to burn up months of indoor captivity. I opted to go back to models. The plastic styrene types. I can't afford the print advert or super types. Aircraft. It kind of addresses my 'artistic', historical, and aviation interests in an activity which requires hand to eye coordination and fine motor skills.

That and surfing the net for free pornography provides all the manipulation I need for the time being.

I think that woodworking would be a far more useful set of skills to develop, but I've never been particularly adept at the skill set required and the investment in tools and materials in order to accomplish something prideful is daunting.

The one area which interests me is a small-scale furnace for metal work...but again, the investment barriers to entry are too high for me.

I did lampworking of glass, primarily of beads, as an adjunct to my wife's lacemaking hobby. It was interesting for a while. It's cheap and easy to get in to. Much cheaper than leaded glass, which I also did for a limited period of time (one finished piece).

A small lathe, perhaps?

My wife dabbled in being a musician. She did the fiddle routine and got sidetracked in to luthier work. For years, she played Irish harp. She tried mandolin, but finally settled on ukulele. I would point out that ukulele seems to be easy and excellent instruments can be got for decent prices. Me? I'm a dead loss at music.

 

[Mumbles]

Hmmm...

I'm convinced as far as learning to pick locks goes.

So, I was hospitalized for...reasons I discussed in another thread. When I got home, I was initially fairly weak and shakey, so I took up building Lego kits. They require fairly little coordination most of the time, and they help with re-learning how to follow instructions.

I eventually moved on, somewhat. I still do Lego kits, but I've also learned how to solder, and have rearranged spare apartment room into an electronics workstation. Unfortunately, I haven't pu together space for, say, a 3-d printer, but I do manual soldering, having put together, among other things, a clock using Soviet-era nixie tubes.

 

[Mumbles]

Here's what I'm thinking of...

 

[Malintent]

I like how people here think. Lock picks and tampering with elections overseas. And anal insertions to the deserving.

I recently faced this issue when I retired from my 'career' of some thirty plus years.

I, too, am somewhere near you in the wet side of Cascadia. In Puddle City, actually, where "put a bird on it" is a common catchphrase. So, I was looking at the means to burn up months of indoor captivity. I opted to go back to models. The plastic styrene types. I can't afford the print advert or super types. Aircraft. It kind of addresses my 'artistic', historical, and aviation interests in an activity which requires hand to eye coordination and fine motor skills.

That and surfing the net for free pornography provides all the manipulation I need for the time being.

I think that woodworking would be a far more useful set of skills to develop, but I've never been particularly adept at the skill set required and the investment in tools and materials in order to accomplish something prideful is daunting.

The one area which interests me is a small-scale furnace for metal work...but again, the investment barriers to entry are too high for me.

I did lampworking of glass, primarily of beads, as an adjunct to my wife's lacemaking hobby. It was interesting for a while. It's cheap and easy to get in to. Much cheaper than leaded glass, which I also did for a limited period of time (one finished piece).

A small lathe, perhaps?

My wife dabbled in being a musician. She did the fiddle routine and got sidetracked in to luthier work. For years, she played Irish harp. She tried mandolin, but finally settled on ukulele. I would point out that ukulele seems to be easy and excellent instruments can be got for decent prices. Me? I'm a dead loss at music.

I'm with you on the metal working... While a small, cheap DYI furnace can be made with a tin can (as a mold) and plaster (which does not hold up for many firings), welding requires a bit of investment in tools... I'm interested, but unable to invest the money or space.

Woodworking may be my main hobby, in terms of investment of tools... in my opinion, 1 table saw with a few home-made jigs is all any starting woodworker needs. almost any cut can be made on a table saw (with a tremendous amount of preparation - the jigs)... all other tools are just better / easier ways to do the same. pine is VERY forgiving... any soft wood... precision is not necessary to make pieces fit together.. unlike metal.

I'd love a lathe... some of the most beautiful (and complex) woodwork I've ever seen came off a lathe. It's just not the kind of work I do... maybe if I want a whole lot of wood bowls for something some day... Or did you mean a metal lathe? I'd rather a CNC machine if we're going that far, heh.

 

[Malintent]

Hmmm...

I'm convinced as far as learning to pick locks goes.

So, I was hospitalized for...reasons I discussed in another thread. When I got home, I was initially fairly weak and shakey, so I took up building Lego kits. They require fairly little coordination most of the time, and they help with re-learning how to follow instructions.

I eventually moved on, somewhat. I still do Lego kits, but I've also learned how to solder, and have rearranged spare apartment room into an electronics workstation. Unfortunately, I haven't pu together space for, say, a 3-d printer, but I do manual soldering, having put together, among other things, a clock using Soviet-era nixie tubes.

Cool.. you'll want to look for a training lock like this ($10): https://www.amazon.com/KINGLAKE-Pro...&qid=1514903992&sr=8-3&keywords=practice+lock

.. and then also start collecting regular padlocks from wherever you can find them... you can spend anywhere from $2 to $75 for one. Or, visit a locksmith and tell them that you want to learn to pick... they may just give you a box full... Or just ask your friends if they have any locks they lost the key for...

As for picking tools... https://www.southord.com/ is where I bought mine... the ones on Amazon are cheap, from China, and won't be delivered until 2019, if ever.

Also, stay away from "Disk Detainer Locks"... they are fairly rare, so the skill to open them is practically useless...but more importantly, they cannot be picked with normal lockpicking tools... they need a purpose-built disk detainer pic. Ever see those old bank heist movies where some contraption is connected to the safe with a big wheel on it that the thief turns while listening? That's a disk detainer pick... maybe worth your time to learn and play with... but good luck finding a pick for it for under $75 that ships to the US.

Also, please do check your local laws about picking... there are some places where the tools are illegal to possess unless you are a registered locksmith... In NY, it's fine, unless you are criminally trespassing or otherwise have been detained for suspicion of burglary.. if you have picks on you then it can be problematic.

In the UK, "locksport" is a thing... prizes and such.... sponsored by the security devices manufacturers... they get free "bug testing", in a manner of speaking.

 

[Malintent]

LEGOS! I almost forgot the Legos! I am too old to be playing with Legos... That what my wife said. She's wrong.

I am fascinated with the Lego Mindstorm EV3. I want to make this:

[YOUTUBE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xCd55oSgO4[/YOUTUBE]

 

[ZiprHead]

LEGOS! I almost forgot the Legos! I am too old to be playing with Legos... That what my wife said. She's wrong.

I am fascinated with the Lego Mindstorm EV3. I want to make this:

[YOUTUBE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xCd55oSgO4[/YOUTUBE]

 

[Mumbles]

LEGOS! I almost forgot the Legos! I am too old to be playing with Legos... That what my wife said. She's wrong.

I am fascinated with the Lego Mindstorm EV3. I want to make this:

[YOUTUBE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xCd55oSgO4[/YOUTUBE]

I'd love to look into that sort of thing, but the EV3's price, even used, is always just a bit rich for my tastes.