Model engineering not so expensive a hobby!

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Model engineering not so expensive a hobby!

Home Forums Beginners questions Model engineering not so expensive a hobby!

Viewing 23 posts - 1 through 23 (of 23 total)
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  • #243333
    nigel jones 5
    Participant
      @nigeljones5

      Ive always thought model engineering was quite an expensive hobby – until I started taking my daughter for days out. Two adults and a 3 year old, one day at the zoo (chester) just short of £70 for entry, £30 for food, £20 for fuel!! Same for most similar attractions. I can buy a lot of brass for that and it will keep me occupied for weeks. Just need to get daughter a lathe and the savings will be huge!

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      #8170
      nigel jones 5
      Participant
        @nigeljones5
        #243349
        Boiler Bri
        Participant
          @boilerbri

          My wife and I had four children so when we did anything that cost beer credits I always divided it by 6. Most things then became reasonable. Only trouble with having four children was that anything we wanted, table n chairs , family tickets etc we found that things were based on two plus two not six. Cars were the biggest problem. We always had to have people carriers. The first one we had was a two litre prairie. I ran that into the ground, gear boxes were not up to pulling the weight.

          On the modelling we have done it all Rc boats, cars, aircraft- mostly brought back home in kit form.

          None of my kids have taken up modelling – they are all of the computer age even after lots of encouragement

          Bri

          #243358
          Nick Wheeler
          Participant
            @nickwheeler

            There's no such thing as a cheap hobby! At least our equipment is useful for other things; try fixing a broken saucepan handle with a set of golf batssmiley

            #243359
            NJH
            Participant
              @njh

              Hmmmm

              Best not to think too closely about costs ……………………..

              N

              #243366
              MW
              Participant
                @mw27036

                Yep, it's all in the material cost…until that next drill snaps or goes missing. And then there's all them unexpected surprises to sort out.

                MIchael W

                #243373
                anthony brooks 2
                Participant
                  @anthonybrooks2

                  When I read model engineering magazine articles(especially here in the US) I get a bit of an inferiority complex! Some of these blokes have machines worth more than my house. I have a pretty worn 9" South Bend, a Grizzly Mini Mill and a very flexible Craftsman table drill press. Some of these lads have a lot of extra cash. The funny thing is the well heeled locals will not change a flat tyre and making something is not in their list of abilities.

                  #243384
                  Bazyle
                  Participant
                    @bazyle

                    Why are you taking a 3yr old anywhere expensive? At that age walking to the local park is like the other end of the earth and playing on the swings with their dad will be the only thing they remember, if anything below the age of 5. The only time to pay for food out is when you are supplementing the sandwiches you took by supporting your ME club if they charge for coffee.

                    #243385
                    Robbo
                    Participant
                      @robbo

                      Fizzy,

                      Can it really be 3 years since you announced you were waiting for the arrival of Harriet Grace!

                      No wonder I feel old!

                      Time for an Avatar update?

                      When I was 3 years old we never went anywhere – but then WW2 ended!

                      Edited By Robbo on 19/06/2016 09:32:26

                      #243392
                      nigel jones 5
                      Participant
                        @nigeljones5

                        She might not remember the days out but she is learning and enjoying at the same time as we are. And there are my memories too. It is indeed three years ago!

                        Yesterday she was bitten by a vulture – only a passing nip (as opposed to tearing the flesh from her limbs!) but how many other kids have had such an experience, three or otherwise? She can name every animal in the zoo unlike a familt who were pointing out the tapiar and explaining to their children that it was a hyena like in Jungle book…I kid you not

                        #243395
                        here again
                        Participant
                          @hereagain

                          When I started buying I said I d equal big purchases on holidays..Still succesfully hidden milling machine thiugh

                          #243396
                          Clive Hartland
                          Participant
                            @clivehartland94829

                            Well you do have to wonder when some townie kids do not know where milk and butter come from nor fruit's origins.

                            It is said that parents no longer read books to kids as they have no time left! Under five years of age I was reading through a whole set of encyclopedias, 12 of them 2 " thick. Then at tech school i read all the books about world war 1 in my dinnertimes.

                            Learning and experiences are life forming and exploring ones world whether accompanied or not is essential for a balanced life.

                            Good for you Fizzy for taking an interest in your Daughters lif and future.

                            Clive

                            #243399
                            Involute Curve
                            Participant
                              @involutecurve

                              I see buying tools as simply moving money from one account to another, and if you buy well you get interest…….

                              Shaun

                              #243404
                              Russell Eberhardt
                              Participant
                                @russelleberhardt48058

                                If you see the prices that are being asked for some completed models model engineering could be a very low cost hobby indeed!

                                Russell.

                                #243405
                                Danny M2Z
                                Participant
                                  @dannym2z
                                  Posted by Clive Hartland on 19/06/2016 09:54:47:

                                  It is said that parents no longer read books to kids as they have no time left! Under five years of age I was reading through a whole set of encyclopedias, 12 of them 2 " thick. Then at tech school i read all the books about world war 1 in my dinnertimes.

                                  Learning and experiences are life forming and exploring ones world whether accompanied or not is essential for a balanced life.

                                  Good for you Fizzy for taking an interest in your Daughters life and future.

                                  Clive

                                  Clive, how right you are.

                                  I gained my fascination for engineering while reading my grandparent's collection of encyclopedias as a mite and also learned how to read before attending primary school.

                                  Reading any kind of story to my children at bedtime was a natural thing to do and probably as therapeutic to me as it was to them. They grew up ok.

                                  My grandfather also had an allotment where I was sometimes allowed to visit and learn where food actually came from.

                                  When neighbours come for a visit the TV gets turned off and we actually talk, same when I visit them…Old fashioned or just good manners?

                                  * Danny M-Z *

                                  Edited By Danny M2Z on 19/06/2016 12:28:44

                                  #243407
                                  NJH
                                  Participant
                                    @njh

                                    Fizzy

                                    Money spent with your family is well spent I think. Yes we can fill our workshops with wonderful kit which is a joy to use and we ( or rather some of you! ) may create magnificent models which amaze our friends. All of this is nothing compared to a good relationship with our kids. Days out like yours will stick in all your minds and form the patchwork of memories for you all to enjoy for the rest of your lives.

                                    Good on you – you've got it right I think !

                                    Norman

                                    #243408
                                    Hopper
                                    Participant
                                      @hopper

                                      If you think modeling is expensive, try mucking about with classic motorbikes. Makes a day out with the kids at the Ritz look cheap.

                                      #243423
                                      Rik Shaw
                                      Participant
                                        @rikshaw

                                        It's as expensive as you allow it to be. To keep my costs down I have various ways of sourcing materials/tooling most of which involves avoiding retailers. Car boot sales, scrap yards, and bargain hunting on ebay being just some of my suppliers.

                                        My acquisition of supplies has become an enjoyable hobby in itself but doing it my way calls for a particular personal quality – patience – which I have by the bucket load together with the willingness to buy quantities of stuff at knock down prices when it become available – even if I have no use for it at present it will come in handy eventually.

                                        Patience? That's the bit that's needed when you need something you don't have. Seek and ye shall find. A couple of weeks back I was stuck for a bit of inch diameter (thereabouts) to make some collars for a shaft on my sons tractor. A box of odd bits at the local boot this morning yielded an old but large cotter pin which will fit the bill perfectly.

                                        I am lucky in that I am retired and have the time to do things my way – not everyone can or wants to "faf around" as some might describe my methods but I like it and it suits me and keeps a smile on my face laugh

                                        Rik (surrounded by "stuff" and loving it.)

                                        #243424
                                        David Colwill
                                        Participant
                                          @davidcolwill19261

                                          I gained my fascination for engineering while reading my grandparent's collection of encyclopedias as a mite and also learned how to read before attending primary school.

                                          I saw a sign in a shop window the other day that read:-

                                          For sale

                                          complete set of Encyclopedia Brittanica.

                                          No longer needed due to marriage.

                                          The wife knows everything.

                                          #243426
                                          Neil Wyatt
                                          Moderator
                                            @neilwyatt
                                            Posted by fizzy on 19/06/2016 09:41:51:

                                            Yesterday she was bitten by a vulture

                                            Sounds like a healthy childhood to me – never did Mowgli any harm!

                                            I got bitten by a pelican, butted by a goat and an elephant ate my crisp packet (I scanned the local paper for a week afterwards expecting tho read 'elephant dies in suspicious circumstances'.

                                            Neil

                                            #243427
                                            Neil Wyatt
                                            Moderator
                                              @neilwyatt
                                              Posted by Involute Curve on 19/06/2016 10:26:38:

                                              I see buying tools as simply moving money from one account to another, and if you buy well you get interest…….

                                              Shaun

                                              Could you write that up for MEW so we an all share the details with our pursers?

                                              Neil

                                              #243428
                                              Neil Wyatt
                                              Moderator
                                                @neilwyatt
                                                Posted by Danny M2Z on 19/06/2016 12:24:23:

                                                When neighbours come for a visit the TV gets turned off and we actually talk, same when I visit them…Old fashioned or just good manners?

                                                Good manners!

                                                Our telly has only been on for a few of the footie matches in the last week – oh and Question Time because my daughter's tutor was in the audience.

                                                Neil

                                                #243442
                                                Mark P.
                                                Participant
                                                  @markp

                                                  What’s this telly thing, not had one for at least 10 years! Don’t miss it one bit.
                                                  Mark P.

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