Hobbies Articles

Hobbies | By Jimmy Cox @ Wednesday, 9th April 2008 @ 6:47 AM

What kind of things can I expect to see underwater? What are the dangers to encounter from marine life? In short, what is this underwater world like? These are some of the questions that have undoubtedly come to your mind as you have thought about diving in "live water" in the very near future. We will answer as many as we are able. First, remember, that a man is an alien creature in the underwater world. He, not the fish and animals he encounters there, is the intruder. Therefore... more...

Hobbies | By Jimmy Cox @ Wednesday, 9th April 2008 @ 6:30 AM

The principal object of this article is to reveal and provide leads and contacts to sources of information for those modelers who are interested in research work. The model below was dug up out of the dust of time. No plans or pictures of it existed and no one knew what it looked like. This is a national treasure of great historical importance, a precious symbol that appeals to descendants of bygone shipmasters, builders or operators. Scores of others await the research worker's pat... more...

Hobbies | By Jimmy Cox @ Wednesday, 9th April 2008 @ 5:59 AM

It is interesting to plan an odd piece of furniture for some special location or to serve some particular purpose, and, in the case of built-in units, it is nearly always necessary to plan or lay out the parts or units for the best effect. The aim should be to secure results that combine good workmanship with nice proportion and beauty of line. The essentials of good workmanship are sound construction and first-class finish, to professional standards. Nice proportion demands a careful ba... more...

Hobbies | By Jimmy Cox @ Wednesday, 9th April 2008 @ 5:45 AM

Hidden in a dusty loft, cupboard or the spare room, one occasionally comes across a genuine old-time ship model, built years ago by craftsmen who had the advantage of knowing and seeing the ships they modeled. Rare indeed is it to find one such model that has not suffered from the devastating hand of time. Yet by their age, their plaintive air of forlorn misery, they awake an irresistible appeal to the craftsman of today, calling for his loving care and longing to regain something of the glory t... more...

Hobbies | By Jimmy Cox @ Wednesday, 9th April 2008 @ 5:04 AM

One of the most fascinating aspects of model airplane construction and operation is radio control. The ability to maneuver your craft at will and literally put yourself in the "driver's seat" has caused the radio controlled phase or models to become one of the fastest growing hobby-sports in recent years. Radio control projects can range in complexity from elementary single channel affairs which control the rudder and, at times, also the engine; up to vastly complex multi-channel sy... more...

Hobbies | By Jimmy Cox @ Wednesday, 9th April 2008 @ 4:30 AM

Bowling wasn't always as it is today. It wasn't too long ago that the sport - with its unreliable pin boys and its dark and cloistered settings - was on a social par with love-making on the front stoop. In Old Forge, Pennsylvania (my home town), and in just about every other small American town, one never bowled if he valued his reputation. Pursuing the sport was particularly difficult for me, for I was a school teacher in the local high school and in that position, I was regard... more...

Hobbies | By Jimmy Cox @ Wednesday, 9th April 2008 @ 3:45 AM

Interesting jewelery can be made from ceramics, and the instructions below will get you started on a lapel pin. A special clay, a fine-textured white clay with a high flint content which intensifies the glaze colors is best for the purpose of jewelery making. Either gray or terra cotta pottery clay may be used. For jewelry, the gray clay will be more attractive if covered with colored clay slips and a transparent glaze, or if covered with opaque glazes. The terra cotta clay may be partial... more...

Hobbies | By Jimmy Cox @ Wednesday, 9th April 2008 @ 3:42 AM

There are only a few essential tools for your new hobby of flower arranging. Tools Sharp knife - Preferably a pocket knife for safety purposes. It should be kept sharpened at all times. Flower shears - Choose a pair which you can use with the least effort. Not too heavy, not too light. Pruning shears - These are used in the arrangement of thick, woody stems and branches. Wire Cutters Household shears Containers Suitable containers may be purchas... more...

Hobbies | By Jimmy Cox @ Wednesday, 9th April 2008 @ 3:40 AM

Aside from the originality of the design and its artistic merit, successful costume designing depends on perfect fit. Perfect Fit Depends On Accurate Measures. In transferring the size and shape of the three dimensions of the human figure to the flat planes of the pattern and thence to the draping of the fabric, certain basic measurements have to be taken in every case - and this is notwithstanding the loose or tight fit of the finished creation. In ready made patterns the measurem... more...

Hobbies | By Jimmy Cox @ Wednesday, 9th April 2008 @ 3:30 AM

Here are a couple of the more interesting turns and techniques available to the advanced skier. Tempo turn The very name suggests the purpose of this turn. At great speed - or, if you like, at accelerated tempo - you can turn to left and to right as you ski downhill. This is the turn which the expert ski-runner delights in carrying out, leaving an "exhaust" of powder snow to mark his trail. The characteristic features of the tempo turn are its graceful rhythmical mov... more...

Hobbies | By Jimmy Cox @ Wednesday, 9th April 2008 @ 2:43 AM

Here are some frequently asked questions about painting, in particular painting of portraits. Q: Can I preserve the unmixed colors on my palette so they can be used later? A: Yes. Lift them from the palette with your palette knife and line them around the edge of a saucer or shallow pan; then immerse in a pan of water. This will prevent skin from forming; when you are ready to paint again, remove saucer from water and stand it on edge to drain thoroughly. (This method might be unwi... more...

Hobbies | By Sen Ze @ Tuesday, 8th April 2008 @ 5:23 PM

Photography is a hobby that is loved by many, but very few people actually turn to it as a full-time career, as it is often considered to be a hard field in which to become successful. But much like any other path you take in life, if you're willing to work hard to make it work and you're willing to take the necessary steps to ensure your triumph, you can't go wrong. And when it comes to photography, one of the very necessary steps you should take is to give your business a... more...

Hobbies | By Ann Knapp @ Tuesday, 8th April 2008 @ 2:56 PM

Premium cigars are many peoples' idea of the ultimate inexpensive luxury item. So with more and more Americans putting more thought into their meals - as the proliferation of magazines such as Food and Wine, Cook's Illustrated and Food, as well as the new popularity of cooking shows and books attests - it's natural enough to wonder how these two pleasures might combine. What foods and beverages go best with premium cigars? First of all, it should be noted that some cigar l... more...

Hobbies | By Ann Knapp @ Monday, 7th April 2008 @ 5:40 PM

Picture this: You're going to have dinner at the home of a famous wine collector - somebody famous for the quality and discrimination of his or her palate, perhaps a wealthy person who can afford to buy those vintages the rest of us can only dream of savoring. You arrive. Your companion asks you if you'd prefer a prewar - that's World War II - French Cabernet Sauvignon or an exotic white from a monastery near the Alps. You choose the red. Your companion reaches into his r... more...

Hobbies | By Ann Knapp @ Monday, 7th April 2008 @ 1:17 PM

The best-laid plans of mice and men. Even the most careful cigar smoker - the one who only buys premium cigars, keeps them stored in a humidor at around seventy percent relative humidity, and lights them slowly and carefully, turning the cigar in the open flame to achieve an all-over even burn - sometimes winds up with a dud. Here are some tips for dealing with what we might call Cigar Emergencies. The first kind is probably the most common - the cigar that, despite your best intentions, ... more...

Hobbies | By Jimmy Cox @ Thursday, 3rd April 2008 @ 9:28 PM

In dress designing your basic material is the cloth which, by means of your artistic and creative genius, you intend to change into a glamorous costume. There are a great variety of materials on the market today. Each is especially suited for specific uses, each has certain advantages and drawbacks. Only experience will tell which will suit your purpose best. To help you choose what you need for your work following is a list of material types and characteristics: Natural Fi... more...

Hobbies | By Jimmy Cox @ Thursday, 3rd April 2008 @ 9:25 PM

A workmanlike finish with varnish means your ship model will be extremely well presented and durable. In the case of old-time ship models the bulk of the materials employed are wood, paper, card and plaster, with only a few metallic parts; and of the woodwork, the most important is the hull. Supposing this to be plank built, it will need only very carefully sandpapering with old well-worn but clean fine paper, followed by a dusting, and then by one coat of clear crystal varnish. This shou... more...

Hobbies | By Jimmy Cox @ Thursday, 3rd April 2008 @ 8:50 PM

After you have become proficient at doing these tricks you will be amazed at the amount of pleasure your friends will derive from watching you do them... but more importantly you will be astounded at the feeling of satisfaction you will have at being able to do something everyone else can't do. The Magic Crayon Can you tell the color of a crayon without seeing it, simply by feeling it? Hold your hands behind your back, and have someone choose a crayon of any color and... more...

Hobbies | By Jimmy Cox @ Thursday, 3rd April 2008 @ 8:41 PM

The following few projects are simple enough for the young primary school child to complete with supervision. WOBBLY BLOCK PUZZLE The "wobbly block" is simply a rectangular piece of 3/4-inch pine or other soft wood which has been sectioned in two planes. All cuts are irregular, but they should remain roughly parallel to the long axis of the block to produce nine pieces of approximately equal size. The two outside cuts are made first, forming a block with two opposit... more...

Hobbies | By Victor Epand @ Wednesday, 2nd April 2008 @ 2:36 AM

Soon after the first powered flight by the Wright brothers in December 1903, building and collecting model airplanes became a fast growing hobby of the old and young alike. In the earlier times, model airplanes used basic aeronautical principles and could only fly short distances. In the earlier days, model airplane enthusiasts had to build planes from scratch using kits and plans. Today, it is very easy for anyone, to get initiated into this fascinating hobby, as model airplanes are available i... more...