[SomeWhatLost]

I am sure at least some of us here have non-machining type hobbies that we waste time on every now and then...
one of my hobbies that has absolutely nothing to with machining or even anything remotely mechanical really is Home Theater...
so I was installing a new projector, re-using my existing "universal" mount (oddly enough, those Chinese guys can make and ship a mount across the ocean for less $$ then I could get the materials to make my own for, how does that make sense?) and it was~4inches to long, that part of it was just a simple tube, so I just threw it in the (manual) Lathe and all was good...
these kind of non-related hobby collisions happen all the time I would guess... maybe everyone doesn't have a lathe, but they have a mill or a cutoff wheel or etc...
regardless of what custom bracket/doodad/thingy our non-maching hobbies may require from time to time, I am sure we all have figured out a way to create said doohicky...
I grew up with a fairly well stocked (non-CNC) machine shop in my parental unit's basement, so when any random hobby required a custom doohicky there was always a path to create one...

anyway, that made me think... and that hurt, so I vowed to stop doing that...

presumably there are people out there that do not have even a simple CNC mill, or any mill or other tools for that matter...
how do they survive?
do they just not have any hobbies?
statistically speaking, at least some of people here were total newbies that never had any sort of mill/etc before getting their Tormach (I am guessing Tormach as this is the Tormach sub forum, but really any mill works here...), how did you survive your pre-tool days? did you just have no hobbies?

[WOTDesigns]

I had lots of hobbies pre machining. I bought what I needed. Pretty simple. Once what I needed wasn't available I bought a mill. Once I got a few customer (by accident) I CNCed it. Once I a needed lathe so I bought one. Then I had to much work for my little CNC so I bought a Tormach. Then I had to much work for the Tormach so I bought a Haas. Haas wouldn't fit in my garage so I got a 2000 sq/ft shop.

It's all perspective. I could ask how anyone survives without a $5K tumbler. I can't imagine life without mine. Same thing for my Renishaw probe. My neighbor uses wiggle edge finders on Mori Seki mills... what? That's equivalent to using an angle grinder instead of an end mill. I watch videos of people excited about the surface finish on a G0704 or extatic about a 2 in MRR... or my own video when a 3/4" rougher at .25" DOC was the most incredible thing i had ever seen... now I would throw the part away if it came of my mill like that and anything less than 10 in MRR better be a chamfer mill or finishing tool.

Perspective.

[SomeWhatLost]

I was really only thinking from the no tools vs having tools point of view...
ie as long as you have something, you can always make do...

[kstrauss]

One of my hobbies is amateur astronomy. Advanced amateurs without a machine shop buy exorbitantly priced adapters, purchase custom machined pieces (there are many places that specialize in that sort of work) or do without.

A number of friends/acquaintances have proudly told me that they "built their own house". When questioned it turns out that their idea of "building" is that they hired an architect and wrote the necessary cheques.

[popspipes]

My hobby was RC planes and boats to start with, the parts I needed that I couldnt buy or afford then is why I started buying machine tools, and it evolved from there.

Garages and basements are made for machine tools and hobby stuff right??

[Steve Seebold]

My hobby was RC planes and boats to start with, the parts I needed that I couldnt buy or afford then is why I started buying machine tools, and it evolved from there.

Garages and basements are made for machine tools and hobby stuff right??

I keep telling my wife garages aren't for cars, garages are for stuff. She doesn't agree.

[handlewanker]

Hi, in the early 50's at age 14, my first lathe was a 1/4" Wolf electric drill held in a wooden block clamped to the kitchen table......cutting was done with needle files and lots of patience......when the Devil drives then needs must be.
Ian.

[tonyaimer]

The question was- what do guys do if they dont have workshop capability?

Well - the answer is they come to those who do.

I can vouch for the astornomy contribution. Very expensive attachments etc.

But slowly these guys acquire some tools and a workshop and consign cars outside!

I have 6 cars and two double garages and cars STILL stand outside! And I just
completed an additional 2700 ft2 workshop.

Then they acquire more tools and gear and before long they become just like us. Is that
not how we started ni the beginning?

Unless they have very deep chequebooks when they collect expensive cars, boats and women. <g>

But long term satisfaction and contentment belong to us.

In the Old Testament, craftsmanship in wood and metal is often equated to wisdom.

Tony

[daniellyall]

best way to do it think what you wont to do when you retire and buy anything that is close to that then do little jobs for mates and other then when it comes time to retire you have everything you wont but you don't retire those people you did little jobs for will have mates that need odd jobs done as well so no shed will be ever be to big.

[Steve Seebold]

When I bought my 1100 I had owned a real shop in the past so I thought "ah shucks, I can make running gear for gas powered model boats and have plenty to do". My stuff is on the expensive side, so I don't sell much in the USA, but Europeans like it.

Well, it turns out the American model boaters are not willing to pay the prices I ask for my stuff. That's OK though. I have called on some of my old customers from when I had my shop and so far have been able to stay as busy as I want to be. Sometimes even busier.

I have also learned that when you make parts for your hobby, your hobby turns into a job and then it's not fun any more so you don't do it.

[handlewanker]

Hi, my sentiments exactly......when I retired 10 + years ago I swore I'd not make anything for money again.......retirement is meant to be a fun thing as and when you feel like it.

The lure of making things with a potential cash outcome is all too easy to do, so it's an individual thing.

Too late you will realise that if you sell your life for money, you'll never make enough to buy back one minute of it again.............they don't put pockets in shrouds I'm told....LOL
Ian.