General Interest Hobbies

Do you think it would be a good idea to bring the joy and challenge of Radio Controlled Cars and exhibits to kids in hospitals and special needs camps? So does Art Roper.  He has set up a non-profit organization to gather funding for such a project and has qualified with the Pepsi Refresh Project.  If he receives enough votes, he will receive funding for this project.

To learn more about this or for the link to vote for this project, (CLICK HERE).

Sometimes what you play with as a child will influence what you do when you grow up.  In this story Steve Magnante of Speed TV notes that he got interested in antique cars when his mother would give him and his brother Matchbox Cars.

“That quickly led to building plastic model car kits. I appreciated how model kits usually gave the builder options to make the kit into a custom a stock car or a drag racer,”
Steve Magnante said.

Steve will be appearing at the Hitchcock Free Academy, 2 Brookfield Road, Brimfield, MA 01010, Tel.  413-245-9977 to talk about his interests on October 1, 2011. (Click Here) for more info.

A passion for scale models leads this hobbyist to create scale model boats.  Click here to read me.

On Saturday, October 22, 2011, iHobby Expo will offer free admission to all modelers bringing their creations to display at the annual iHobby Expo at the Donald E. Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois.  To learn more (Click Here)

Lightweight, rechargeable batteries have become increasingly popular with model aviation buffs who want an alternative to traditional fuel-powered model.

For more info (Click Here)

40,000 lights, 15,000 figurines, 500 cars, 10,000 trees, 50 trains, 1000 wagons, 100 signals, 200 switches and 300 buildings, that’s what it takes to build the worlds largest model airport in Hamburg, Germany.
Miniatur Wunderland continues to amaze visitors with the size and details of its exhibits.

The Battle-Gaming of Massachusetts club for teens meets on Saturdays at the Hamilton-Wenham Public Library.

For More Information – Click Here!

Pictures from the Boys Life Magazine, Boy Scouts of America

Pinewood Derby

Well, its pinewood derby season, so we thought it might be useful to give you a list of links you might find interesting when you build your pinewood derby cars.  Remember be safe when working with tools.

• Try this cool tool from the Boy Scouts of America, a Cub Scouts Pinewood Derby Design tool.  This tool will actually print out a scaled plan for you to work from.
  http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/CubScouts/Youth/PineDesign.aspx
• Find some design help here! http://www.pinewoodpro.com/pinewood-derby-howto-design.htm
• Where do you put those weights, ckeck out this link for more information. http://www.pinewoodprofessor.com/weight.html
• 5 Keys to Pinewood Derby Performance. http://www.maximum-velocity.com/fivekeys.htm
• How about a little hard core help, find it here! http://pinewoodfreak.com/
• General Information at Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinewood_derby

Do You Tinker?

Tinkering is focused exploration or activity with the right materials in the right environment that can lead to great new inventions by building self-confidence and fostering critical thinking skills and attitudes that increase interest in science, technology, engineering, and math. It teaches people that they can not only dream up an invention, but they can actually build it!

The hobby industry offers many products across a broad spectrum of interests that foster tinkering. Plastic model and robot building, model railroad scenery, dollhouse making and many other hobby projects cultivate this type of activity. If the hobby industry can find an effective way to promote tinkering they can increase sales of related product.  There are many supporters and programs out there that encourage this activity. Gever Tulley, founder of the Tinkering School, promotes tinkering at his summer camp, appropriately titled, ”Tinkering School.” Click here to read the Web Comic and get a look at some of the projects these campers have completed.

Exploratorium | The museum of science, art and human perception at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco has an entire “Tinkering Studio” where kids can explore, create and build. Two industry related projects offered at the museum are the Paper Airplane Launcher and Shadow Box and Lightroom Painting.  What can you do, as a member of the hobby industry, to bring this much needed pastime back to the forefront of children’s activities and get them away from the electronics and video games that occupy much of their free time?  The article below ties tinkering to the industry and highlights the decline of interest and participation in these types of activities.

To learn more, Click Here.

Ernest P. Checka, a 74-year old metal detector hobby enthusiast, knows the thrill of the hunt and the pleasure of returning long lost treasures to their rightful owners. Recently while seeking a cheerleader’s lost necklace, he stumbled across a buried gift ID bracelet that had been lost for 41-years. The owner nearly fainted when the bracelet was returned to him.

Other metal detector finds include a sterling silver gift bracelet lost just after WWII, a copper penny from the Civil War era, class rings, wedding bands, pendants, coins – the older the better, knickknacks, locks, and buttons. He hasn’t documented his collection, but estimates that he’s made hundreds of metal detector finds. Mr. Checka tracks down the owners of class rings and bracelets through yearbooks from the highschool or town library. He’s considered a walking lost-and-found within his community.

The Metal Detector Hobby

Metal detecting is a hobby enjoyed by all ages, suitable as an exciting adventure for the whole family, whether at the beach, the park, a picnic or on a camping trip. You can go detecting alone, with a mate, or join a club and add the fun of making new friends. Besides the thrill of the hunt, many find detecting to be relaxing – a stress free walk in the great outdoors.

Many Treasures are Less than a Gallon Away

With fuel prices continually high, many metal detector hobby enthusiasts are re-discovering treasures within just a few miles from their home or office. Kevin Hoagland of Minelab, a leading manufacturer of metal detectors, said that he found and recovered a number of valuable items very quickly within five miles of his home, at a location that looked like it used to be a park or meeting place. The most valuable was a man’s gold ring, valued at more than $600, and at least 90-years old. His metal detector finds from that one day in that one location amounted to $800, and cost him about $1 in fuel. It’s a safe bet that there are thousands of spots to go detecting in your hometown.

To learn more about the metal detector hobby, visit Minelab’s Introduction to Detecting.

Article Sources: Telegram.com and Minelab

Photo Credit: Treasure Hunter by Elsie_esq. on flickr