OK need a little help here

[Beekeeper]

I have all of the rifles and pistols I want.
I have bubba'd all of the rifles I want to.
At 78 years old there isn't much I have not done that I have wanted to.
With Wifes health condition I am pretty well house and home bound 6 days a week.
To say it in a nutshell I am bored out of my mind and need something to keep me active so my weight doesn't skyrocket.
You see , when I am not busy I like to eat and that makes my weight go uuuppp and uupp so I need advice on not a new hobby but a diferent tangent of this one to keep me busy.
Anyone got any good ideas , constructive ones that is!


beekeeper

[HarryT]

Time to get a fancy treadmill or endless pool. Dancing is also great exercise.

[tomme boy]

Go to the range and be " that guy " that picks up all of the left brass. Good exercise and you might be able to make a little money doing it.

[starmac]

Rebubba some of them, there is no end to the possibilities.

[obssd1958]

With your experience, maybe writing it all down, or recording it, would not only give you something to focus on - but be beneficial to those of us that are still struggling to find our way.
I would even volunteer to proof read it for you, if you wanted to go that far!


Don

[foesgth]

While not as old as you I find myself in the same spot. I find that I really enjoy mentoring young shooters. I also hang out on the CalGuns forum and there are many new shooters there that are lost. Their folks never had firearms and they can't learn like I did from family. Before my wife got sick we both worked as Appleseed instructors. We can no longer do that but I have introduced many young shooters to reloading and casting. I have several 50cal ammo cans on the shelf with other folks power, primers, etc. I have seen some of the work you do and I could use a few lessons if you can't stand the current generation.

[AlaskanGuy]

I just Pm'ed you sir.... I think i have something that would be good exercise, and right up your alley... And would learn ya a new skill.....

AG

[MBTcustom]

Well, sounds to me like you have a form of writers block.
There are a few ideas that might be the "spark" you need.

1. Come up with a home brew rust bluing solution and make it look darn good. This requires the building of a rust box, and all kinds of kewl stuff, as well as screwing around with dangerous chemicals etc. Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!!!

2. You could make your own black powder. fascinating and above all....dangerous!

3. You could learn how to cast pewter endtips. (I'm almost there on this one myself.) Fascinating!

4. Learn how to make your own engraving cutters and start chsing lines with that dinky little hammer.

5. Archery! Make your own bow and arrows and kiss boredom good by forever. (another one I have done, and miss dearly. I even made my own fletching. You can even make your own glue!)

6. Flint knapping. Nuff said. Anybody that can make a perfect arrowhead out of the bottom of a beer bottle has it together!

7. Boomerangs. Seriously, join the throngs of craftsmen that make a stick that comes back!

8. Make a rifling bench! Oh God, I'm going to do this some day!!!!

9. Make reactive plate targets of new and ingenious design!

10. There's always that pesky mouse trap issue that has never been solved properly.

[fryboy]

i myself am a voracious reader but ... that doesnt apply to anyone else , i also have a knack for never being bored and one of my last ditch efforts to stave it off is a site called stumbleupon , what happens is you join and then pick categories of things that interest you ( amigo - the cool things i have seen and done from this site is beyond number ) and with every click of a tab you umm stumble upon a new web page that may or may not hold your interest , if not simply reclick the stumble tab to lead to yet another , to be fair the more variable interest you input the more possibilities that await you , there is a social aspect/side to the site as well but it's something i do not use [shrugz]

[AlaskanGuy]

I think i got you beat tim..... Waiting to hear if I won the "Beekeeper hobby" contest.....

[starmac]

I think i got you beat tim..... Waiting to hear if I won the "Beekeeper hobby" contest.....

Is this what you call a teaser.

[felix]

Best plan I can think of: research for the next place you would like to live (if and when). That should take you the rest of your life, anyway, at your age! ... felix

[Three-Fifty-Seven]

Don't know if you have played with paper patching, or swaging your own ...

How about long distance shooting (handgun or rifle)

Black powder muzzle loader with round ball, make the gun yourself, and your own ball, and patch/lube, go shoot a bear, and render the fat into more lube!

Or you could take up knitting socks to keep your feet warm in the reloading room! ;)

[Wag]

Get a dog. Walk the dog twice a day.

:D

--Wag--

[Wayne Smith]

House bound six days a week and needing something to absorb yourself. Given your artistic ability I would recommend buying a set of chisels and a chaser hammer and learning to engrave. The patterns are pretty standard.

A friend just handed me an old J Stevens Favorite to see what could be done with it. The bore looks to be a bad shotgun. I'm still working full time so I'm not up to learning to ream that bore to install an insert, but that would be the thing to do. Have you a similar opportunity? I enjoy getting old guns shooting again but I don't think I have the time for what this one needs.

[xs11jack]

If you have a basement, set up a air gun range.
Ole Jack

[dtknowles]

If you have a basement, set up a air gun range.
Ole Jack

plus one on that. I shoot an air pistol in my shop. Very good practice.

Tim

[km101]

Find someone to mentor! Teach a friend, neighbor, or maybe a relative to shoot, reload, or pass on the gunsmithing skills that you have. Teaching someone a new skill is fun and very worthwhile.

[Bzcraig]

I think i got you beat tim..... Waiting to hear if I won the "Beekeeper hobby" contest.....

Brother you are cheatin! We were not afforded seeing your suggestion.......you kept it secret so we don't know how hard to try! Lol

[Bzcraig]

How about you offer me your bubbaability to bubba up one for me. Then every day you can take pictures in fine detail (new hobby) to send me as proof of progress. While your at it, you could mess with me by learning to use Photoshop to dress up (or down) the pictures just for the joy of being able to mess with someone from afar. Then once you have mastered photoshop you start a little side business of having the guys here send you their favorite hunting, fishing, etc pictures for you to photoshop. You could be the next hogzilla Internet phenom. Just a suggestion and there is nothing self serving at all on my part. I have seen some of your bubba pictures though.......nice!

[OBIII]

If you like to work with your hands, learning how to work with paracord can be facinating. Also, building doll houses or doll furniture. In short, think of something that you have always wanted to do, and if it's feasible, do it. Never, however, stop learning.

OB

[starmac]

Paracord is not a bad idea. I have been thinking about learning how to make paracord belts and rifle slings both.

[Ajax]

So have I. Any insight or references OBIII.

Andy

[Ramar]

Get a guitar!
Ramar

[plmitch]

Get a guitar!
Ramar

Good suggestion, or make your own. I made a few over the years. Now I make three and four string cigar box guitars and ukuleles, sell them on Etsy, make a few bucks keeps me busy between chemo sessions.

[Chev. William]

Paracord is not a bad idea. I have been thinking about learning how to make paracord belts and rifle slings both.

Look for Books on Knots and/or Sennets and/or Knotwork, They are history from the Age of Sail adn are still being made by Sailors for various uses about Sail Boats.
One I remember is "The Ashlie Book of Knots".

I Twice won Silver Bo'sons Pipes for making pipe lanyards from Parachute Cord, one was from the core strings pulled out of a length of Paracord.

Best Regards,
Chev. William

[Firebricker]

I am going to suggest leather work. It seems like a good hands on hobby with the up side of being related to your shooting if your making holsters,slings and scabbards. And the idea for a knot tying book was a great idea too. When I shattered my ankle a knot book and some parachute cord kept me from complete insanity. FB

[montana_charlie]

Have you tried keeping bees?

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Can you have chickens where you live? Gives you the opportunity to build a coop, raise your own eggs (taste great), watch their antics, and test cast boolits on varmints!

[Shuz]

Check out the Paleo Diet; also known as the cave man diet. Eat lots of meat and fish and vegetables and nuts, but no dairy(yeah, that means milk, cheese and ice cream) and no grains (read bread and it's sister beer) and no legumes. By the way, peanuts are a legume and are verboten. It gets boring at times, especially if you are a beer lover like me, but if you stick with it for just 30 days, you WILL lose weight and then you can slowly add a beer or two a week, back in and still maintain your lost weight. Rob Wolfe, who wrote a great book called "The Paleo Solution" claims that if you stay on the paleo diet 80% of the time, you will receive 95% of the value. I've found this to be true.

[Blacksmith]

My fall back hobby when housebound is not gun related but is one you will never run out of. It is Genealogy, real detective work and when you make a discovery it can be a thrill. Computers have opened up vast new resources but you will never get to the end because the number of people you are looking for doubles each generation. Two parents, four grandparents, 8 great grandparents, 16 GG, 32 GGG, 64 GGGG that is a total of 100 people not counting their children who are your aunts uncles and cousins. That would get you back to about the American Revolution, any 3 percenters in your family? Add a few more generations and it gets really interesting. If you think you might be interested poke around on Cyndi's List for awhile to see some of the information and resources that are available.:
http://www.cyndislist.com/categories/

They list 186 Links to help beginners on their beginners section:
http://www.cyndislist.com/beginners/

If it must be guns try engraving, you can also use an NgraveR instead of hammer it is powered by a flex shaft.
Or checkering and decorative carving on stocks.

[OBIII]

For anyone interested in paracord braiding, there are lots of videos on youtube. Just do a search for paracord (bracelet, sling, belt, rope, bag, etc.) and you will come up with a bunch. Rifle slings are not hard to make, just time consuming. Hardware for them can be a problem also. These are some of the gentlemen who's videos I have used: Kevin Gagne, Mrcoop. As far as sources, paracordstore.com usually has good prices on paracord. Allislandwebbing.com usually has good prices on buckles and hardware. If I can be of help to anyone, feel free to pm me.

OB

[MaryB]

Tandy Leather carries some sling hardware that may be adaptable to paracord.

[canyon-ghost]

Have you tried the glue boolits indoors? I thought it was pretty neat, you can shoot up a cardboard box with no worries about damaging the walls.

[Blacksmith]

If you like fishing there is always fly tying and custom rod building.

[uscra112]

Older guys with large collections get deep into philanthropy. Devolving their best pieces onto younger guys (like me) that will carry on the knowledge and traditions........

[MaryB]

There is always volunteering to teach reloading and be a mentor for young people just getting started.

[shaper]

I have a project I am saving for my old age, I have a set of blue prints for a scale model B-17. The fusalage will be 8 feet 6 inches long and the entire airplane will be all metal. I figure this will keep my hands working until the Lord calls me home. You don't need to start off with something this big, but scale airplanes are gratifying to work with.

[Blacksmith]

After retirement my brother took up model railroading but not the little ones in the basement. He does 7 1/2" gauge live steam big enough to ride and pull some friends along too. Got to keep yourself busy to keep everything working.

[Chev. William]

I have a project I am saving for my old age, I have a set of blue prints for a scale model B-17. The fusalage will be 8 feet 6 inches long and the entire airplane will be all metal. I figure this will keep my hands working until the Lord calls me home. You don't need to start off with something this big, but scale airplanes are gratifying to work with.
A friend Emailed me about a Gentleman who spent the last 10 years building a 1/3 size B-17G 'replica' that a pilot can actually fly. from the photos I saw it is about 95% complete ready for first taxi tests, the bottom of the fuselage still needed metal pannels installed and it looks like th eseat is not in the 'cockpit' yet. it has four each four cylinder opposed engines and four each three blade propellers installed and has most of the paint markings completed. Not stated but it may have room for two occupants in the fuselage, pilot feet and pedals are in the Nose area, and there appears to be visible space over the wing 'carry through'/ 'radioman' space for a second person seat, also not present in the photos.
Best Regards,
Chev. William

[shooterg]

let's see those photos !

[Chev. William]

The link is:

http://theballybomber.com/index.html

Best Regards,
Chev. William

[Bullshop Junior]

Paracord is not a bad idea. I have been thinking about learning how to make paracord belts and rifle slings both.

That paracord stuff is actually pretty cool.