Unusual hobbies

[webishop14]

OK, so I make chocolate candies. May be weird, but I'm always welcome wherever I go. Wheee!

[Jimmy W]

I did keep a Black Widow spider once. She lived in an egg shaped glass container and I fed her insects. She finally produced a number of eggs in egg sacks then died. The eggs were probably infertile and didn't hatch.

black widow 2.jpg

[Jimmy W]

Brewing beer at home ain't a hobby. Various friends do it and its serious and has a payday , of sorts.
Did ya'll know its legal here to own a still and make yer own spirits too.....

I'm not sure of the laws, but there is a place not too far from here that sells stills. Also not far from there is a craft distillery, but don't really know just what they make.

[Nicholas Carey]

I'm not sure of the laws, but there is a place not too far from here that sells stills. Also not far from there is a craft distillery, but don't really know just what they make.

They can sell stills.

But you are required to register your still with the IRS/BATF. Simple possession of an unregistered still -- which can be construed as nothing more than a simple coil of copper tubing such as one might buy at the hardware store -- can send you to prison for 5 years per offence and a $10,000 fine.

[I would recommend paying cash. Ditto for books on distilling hooch. And figure out how to buy malt and sugar in quantity without getting flagged by the excisemen.]

26 USC 5601

And, it gets better: just being present when a run is on constitutes presumption of guilt:

(b) Presumptions

Whenever on trial for violation of subsection (a)(4) the defendant is shown to have been at the site or place where, and at the time when, the business of a distiller or processor was so engaged in or carried on, such presence of the defendant shall be deemed sufficient evidence to authorize conviction, unless the defendant explains such presence to the satisfaction of the jury (or of the court when tried without jury).

Edited to note: I forgot to mention that operation of an unregistered/unlicensed still . . . can result in forfeiture of the property on which it is situated, per 26 USC 5615

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/5615

Years ago (1980s) a good friend of mine, and her dog, were hiking in the mountains down in Laurel County, Kentucky (SE Kentucky).

Her dog led us to a big still in a holler. Not the sort of still your grand-dad runs to make artisanal 'shine. More like the sort of still the mob runs to make the sort of ****e that blinds people.

We lucked out - nobody around. Decided to get the hell out of Dodge ASAP, 'cause getting killed for being in the wrong place at the wrong time was not appealing.

[P.I. Stazzer-Newt]

The HowTo http://silent.org.pl/home/2022/06/13...loppotron-3-0/

[MushCreek]

No wooden boat building? I had my hopes up when I saw 'Planking', but alas, it was some other silly activity. I'm guilty of some of the hobbies on that list. I have a short attention span, so I go through a lot of hobbies.

[David W Pratt]

how odd arguing gun control on esoteric forum dedicated ostensibly to the design, building, and repair of woodenboats?

They're singing our song!

[Garret]

Dumpster diving is a hobby? Huh? Isn't it something one just does?

[Bflat]

"I collect spores, molds, and fungus." -Egon (ghostbuster)-

[CWSmith]

I did keep a Black Widow spider once. She lived in an egg shaped glass container and I fed her insects. She finally produced a number of eggs in egg sacks then died. The eggs were probably infertile and didn't hatch.

I think you might be in the running for the most unusual hobby.

[JayInOz]

I put two big huntsman spiders, of equal size, in a container once. One spider ate the other. I thought that was quite an impressive accomplishment. I also kept a giant centipede in a cage with the front covered in old fashioned wire fly screen. The centipede spent its days in a small enclosed section at the top of the cage. I use to drop big grasshoppers down the bottom. The centipede would run diagonally down the wire and the hooks on its feet would catch and make a real clatter. It would run over the grasshoppers from the rear, open its jaws across the grasshoppers head and -crunch. JayInOz

[Chip-skiff]

Collecting and restoring vintage fountain pens (about half of them pictured with some modern pens).



I've slowed down a lot recently and am thinking about selling the collectible pens.

I also clip twigs from the local shrubs and make pencils, which I give to friends at Christmas.

[David W Pratt]

I'm trying to get the Vermont state sales tax on art removed.

[birlinn]

A late pal collected old model plane engines, back to one of the first Brown Juniors. He must have had a hundred or so.

[Rigadog]

Catfish Noodling... now that's weird but it will feed a family. who needs fingers anyway?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgX8LL4ULuI

[jpatrick]

Collecting and restoring vintage fountain pens (about half of them pictured with some modern pens).



I've slowed down a lot recently and am thinking about selling the collectible pens.

I also clip twigs from the local shrubs and make pencils, which I give to friends at Christmas.

I've long had a fondness for fountain pens but must admit that I only own one modern example. A pelican. The pencils are great! They remind me of the wooden pens that I used to make on my lathe. I used Bic pen ink inserts for those. I'd buy the pens in quantity and pull out the plastic ink/nib thing. Then insert that into the wood pen body. Haven't made one of them in a long time. But I might have a go at a pencil.... if you don't mind?

Jeff

[Chip-skiff]

I might have a go at a pencil.... if you don't mind?

Jeff

No worries. My friends loved them and I thought about selling some on Etsy, but when I searched there was a glut of twig pencils.

[RFNK]

I also have engaged in several of those activities.

But the one that caught my eye was Witchcraft. I think exploring in that direction would be fascinating. A new approach to science, sorta. And it fits in with my spirituality. I'm not churchy at all, but identify with (if anything) the Druids.

Rabbits hate you!

[CWSmith]

I really feel for those of you who are secretly brewing beer, smoking bacon, and baking bread.

You can send those things to me and I will help you hide your shame.

We will never speak of this again...