Hobby Thread - November 22, 2025 [Buoyant Rex]

Welcome hobbyists! Ahoy! Pull up a chair and sit a spell with the Horde in this little corner of the interweb. This is the mighty, mighty, mighty officially sanctioned Ace of Spades Hobby Thread. A spin of the Ace of Spades Wheel of Hobbies (TM) landed on boating.

Last week's RV life theme spurred some to suggest that RV life was like boating life because of the ability to take your home with you.

Are you thinking "I don't know much about boats, I don't swim, and I still have JAWS trauma, but I am curious about boating. I'm eager to learn more. I can't wait to get into the content!" I knew it. Enjoy.

What are you hobbying?

As per usual Hobby Thread etiquette, keep this thread limited to hobbying. All (legal) hobbying is welcome - even if you're into hording Compute! magazines and playing Hunt the Wumpus. However, politics, current events and religious debates can live in threads elsewhere. Pants are optional but swimsuits or board shorts are recommended. Puns are welcome and encouraged.

Play nice. Don't be a troll and do not feed the trolls.

TRex is not wise in the ways of boats. I have never owned a boat. Nobody has nicknamed me "Admiral" or "Commodore." I understand they have a charm and have heard the classic adage of the happiest two days for a boat owner are the day of purchase and the day of sale. I have also heard the familiar advice of better to have a friend with a boat than have a boat yourself.

I also don't understand the difference between a boat and a ship. Seems like a ship is a bigger boat, but maybe that's what they teach in the Navy. The best explanation I could find on the interweb is: "A ship can hold a boat. A boat can't hold a ship." That doesn't explain a u-boat (or maybe it does).

Looking for help from the nautical Morons in the gray boxes on this one. If you're not nautical, you are welcome to join and further confuse things. Morons are particularly susceptible to canoe accidents, so be careful on this thread.

I believe that JackStraw sent these photos. I think he built this boat. I don't know because my notes are bad and I can't find the purported original email. If I'm correct, perhaps he will join and tell his tale. If I'm incorrect, here are two random pictures of a boat with no context or story at all.

Mandatory content for this theme.

There are roughly a bazillion videos on YT about boating in all its forms. There are enough to give RV life videos a run for the volume award. Given my small dino brain and short arms, I've attempted to select a few of the less obvious videos for reasons of variety and novelty. I've also selected a few that might intrigue hobbyists in general.

Handmade means handmade:

Wow. A wood whisperer. This is fascinating.

The 3D modeling for this video is only surpassed by how impressive it was to design and build ships like this in period.

This qualifies as eccentric (and a little crazy) but I'm glad the world is big enough to accommodate the eccentrics. Long, long video so save this one for later. Serious skills and a LOT of labor but it is here cause it involves a boat. I really felt for the guy when he unexpectedly found 374 bronze screws filled with epoxy and plywood epoxied to tongue and groove boards (start at the 33:50 mark). Full disclosure - this episode has some boat restoration but a lot of other woodworking. Youtube may be a lot of things but it gives a platform for creators like this that wouldn't easily exist elsewhere.

Maybe we'll stick with something on a smaller scale.

Random hobbying, but finally found a good use for broccoli.

How interesting can re-engineering a tape measure be? Turns out, very interesting!

I suspect that some among the Horde may have made an Airfix Spitfire plastic scale model. You will appreciate this:

Did you miss the Hobby Thread last week? We did an RV life theme. The comments may be closed, but you can re-live the content.

Notable comments from last week:

Bonus MoMe news:

Words of wisdom:

"Because despite all our troubles, when things are grim out in that wide round world of ours, that's when it's really important to have a good hobby." Posted by: tankascribe at June 22, 2024 07:41 PM (HWxAD).

If you have trouble finding something in the content or comments that resonates with you, contribute something from your personal hobbying. We will feature a different theme next time. What are you hobbying? We love showing off Horde hobbying. Send thoughts, suggestions and photos of your hobbying to moronhobbies at protonmail dot com. Do mighty things.