discussion Do you have a hobby mancave

[toto]

Jus as it says,

Do youhave a dedicated mancave to escape from it all and indulge in your hobbies.

I used to have two sheds. One for domestic stuff and one for hobby stuff. About two years ago I demolished the two sheds and built one large onewhich comes in at about 18 x 12.

It has a small amount of space dedicated to the domestic stuff and the rest is mine. Its a decent size but as always ..... you could always do with more space.

I rigged it out with multiple camcorders linked back to a desk top computer with the intention of doing short how to videos and for posting up some short videos of my hobbying journey.

The videos have not been started as yet for a couple of reasons. Firstly I need to get my head around the editing software ..... which leads onto the second and probably main reason ..... getting time. This is the biggest hurdle as I work away from home monday to friday ( Quantity Surveyor on energy and renewables projects ) and my time at home ( like everybody ) gets split over several things. So ..... for the time being I will stick to trying to progress my build and stick wth camera images for now. A shame though as a short video could capture a huge amount more than a couple of camera images.

I'll post up a few photo's in the near future to give you an idea of my work space.

Anybody 3lse got their own hide away ?????

Cheers

Toto

 

[pjgtech]

Pics would be good, always nice to see other peoples set-ups.

I am very, very, VERY lucky, as with this house, (only been here four years) I have a garage, my first ever, so thats for DIY, car/motorbike stuff, bit of other hobby stuff, (fishing and target airguns), all kitted out with workbench, hand tools, power tools, work lights, materials, etc.
Plus, I have the smallest bedroom to use as I wish, it was my home office when we first moved here, but now that I'm retired its my scale modelling room, so I have it now fully kitted out modelling desk, with all the accoutrements, spare kits stash, paints, brushes, tools, small photo booth, camera gear, tripod, etc, etc.
Plus I do have a small garden shed for all the garden stuff, mower, strimmer, blower, hedge trimmer, scarifier, garden tools, etc.
And lastly, we also have a nice log cabin, put in by us when we moved in, originally intended as a garden office, so it has electrics, heater, insulated roof, insulated floor, thick log walls, and double glazing, but is now set-up as a gym....but I rarely use it, (dodgy knees).....so I keep thinking I could put a pool table in.....one day.

Our previous house was much smaller and had no garage, no cabin, and not a lots of spare space, so as I said above, I am very, very lucky now and I do appreciate the space, and I do use it as much as possible.....

 

[Andy T]

My shed has been used for various hobbies over the years, so when I started making models in 2019 it was rearranged a little and became my glue sniffing den for a few years.

However, being freezing cold in the winter and boiling hot in the summer wasn't ideal so I was very lucky to be allowed to move into a spare room in the house a couple of years ago.

It's much more comfortable, I have more space, and it's very convenient. No dodging the rain going up & down the garden and I can often get a quick half an hour at the bench before going out to work in the morning.

 

[toto]

My mancave was intended for radio controlled planes which I ttok up after covid. Just to get me out of the house as covid sort of xcrewed me up a bit and when we got the all clear to go out again ...... i struggled with that.

Anyway ..... i have shelved the radio control stuff for now as my physical health is not great due to rheumatoid arthriis so now consentrate on modelling as its something I can do from the mancave with little movement or physical strength required.

I will need to thin out the RC stuff as it takes up too much room.

Like yourself, my mancave is all tricked out with power and IT etc. I have always had plenty tools etc as I started my career off as an electrician before changing ( after a spell at UNI graduating as QS in 1999 ).

I have some great proxxon tools including various saws, hot wire cutter and pillar drill amongst others. Soldering irons, vibrating table for my plaster cast mouldings, air compressor, air brushes, all sorts of gadgets including the usual DIY tools. You can never have enough tools. Ha ha.

This mancave will have to see me out as I couldn't justify spending that kind of money on myself again. Thankfully I have avery understanding and supportive missus.

Photo's will follow. Probably tomorrow now though.

Cheers

Toto

 

[pjgtech]

Always liked the look of the proxxon stuff, but not cheap, and like you, I have lots of tools, (ex plumber, serial DIY'er and ex surveyor) so can't really justify the extra for some nice shiny Proxxon stuff (yet)...

 

[PaulTRose]

Almost have....... Currently work in progress

 

[boatman]

WELL i think most of us have our own modeling room as i have the second largest room an a very supportive missus as well as i have built big R/C scrachbuilt warships some builds are on this forum if you want to look so yes im happy with my model room come man cave lol
chris an jen

 

[BattleshipBob]

I use two rooms, the small bedroom upstairs for construction etc. However not enough room for the spray booths and as I only use laquer, Julie's very good nose would object to the smell.

My builder friend Malcolm built a paint room in the garage with me as labourer, swear box was over filled lol.

When we eventually get the bungalow I will have a dedicated room. Been experimenting with laquers to control the smell with a big improvement. I'll post this in in the painting forum.

 

[Bugatti Fan]

Before I retired some years ago I converted the rear half of my garage into a dedicated model making studio cum workshop. I completely partitioned it off with a frame made from pallet timbers clad with half inch thick marine ply on both sides to make it a proper secure area utilising my original wooden house front door. Walls and ceiling inside it were all clad, a window fitted to overlook my typical small garden, fluorescent ceiling lamps fitted, work top fitted across the back wall with shelving underneath, plenty of electrical sockets, an old office desk plus office chair and a high wooden stool for use by the worktop.
Installed an Emco 8 Lathe, a small Clarke Milling Machine and a Bench Drill, plus some other loose power tools and a compressor for air brushing and some good LED desk lamps.
This took quite a bit of planning running up to retirement by utilising stuff I already had and spreading the cost over a couple of years getting the other stuff together to build it.
The front half is now getting used as a decent store for general odds and ends for DIY etc.
Before converting it my garage like most others up and down the land got used as a dumping ground for all kinds of assorted junk that never made it to the local tip!
I mean, how many of our garages ever get used to keep a car in it these days ? Not many I guess !

 

[minitnkr]

Been in this house (w/full basement) for 35 years, so once the kids left (30 years ago), I finished the basement into 3 rooms. A utility room (unfinished) for infrastructure, a mom cave with A/C & heat, and a man cave for modeling & model train layout. SWMBO doesn't do stairs any more, so the mom cave is now the man cave annex. The only thing I lack is a clear window with a view as basement windows are small glass block at grade.

 

[boatman]

Been in this house (w/full basement) for 35 years, so once the kids left (30 years ago), I finished the basement into 3 rooms. A utility room (unfinished) for infrastructure, a mom cave with A/C & heat, and a man cave for modeling & model train layout. SWMBO doesn't do stairs any more, so the mom cave is now the man cave annex. The only thing I lack is a clear window with a view as basement windows are small glass block at grade.

Before I retired some years ago I converted the rear half of my garage into a dedicated model making studio cum workshop. I completely partitioned it off with a frame made from pallet timbers clad with half inch thick marine ply on both sides to make it a proper secure area utilising my original wooden house front door. Walls and ceiling inside it were all clad, a window fitted to overlook my typical small garden, fluorescent ceiling lamps fitted, work top fitted across the back wall with shelving underneath, plenty of electrical sockets, an old office desk plus office chair and a high wooden stool for use by the worktop.
Installed an Emco 8 Lathe, a small Clarke Milling Machine and a Bench Drill, plus some other loose power tools and a compressor for air brushing and some good LED desk lamps.
This took quite a bit of planning running up to retirement by utilising stuff I already had and spreading the cost over a couple of years getting the other stuff together to build it.
The front half is now getting used as a decent store for general odds and ends for DIY etc.
Before converting it my garage like most others up and down the land got used as a dumping ground for all kinds of assorted junk that never made it to the local tip!
I mean, how many of our garages ever get used to keep a car in it these days ? Not many I guess !

WELL MY car gets put in the garage every day as conditions of insurance discount but jen is tryin to take over my shed come worshop an ive asked her no end of times to please clear her junk out but may as well talk to the lampost for all the notice she takes but soon rather than later im goin in there an chuck out her garden lights by the dozens an her other junk so i can get to my tools an up right bench drill but i dont think i will get any tea that day lol