Other hobbies/Obsessions?

fat bloke wrote: »

And Snap again!

Between GCN, eurosport subscriptions and then the Dorna video-race pass, you'd be broke!

GCN is fantastic value in fairness - a whole year's racing, thousands of actual races for 20 quid. The motogp by comparison at 140 quid for 17 races is saucy. Both excellent though. Truly comprehensive coverage.

Do you find either sport influencing your watches? I always wanted a Festina because of the cycling but never actually bought one. Same for MotoGP and Tissot. And BMC had a Tag Heuer link up for a season. Didn't buy one of those either

I too find it a complete ball ache that it is so hard to get MotoGP on TV.

I am a Sky user and I have Eurosport through a non-sport package.

I hate premier**** football and will not have it in my house. I have actually asked the head of programming for UK&I in Sky, via my old work, to do a motorsport package. I'm still waiting.

And yes, €139 for the MotoGP TV sub for the year is well salty. Especially when I have got it for €99 for the year before.

I don't do the dodgy streams and wait for the highlights if I haven't a sub, but they don't make it easy.

As for watches, yes, I am already a proud owner of a TAG Heuer F1 Pro chrono from the last year of their official timekeeper status.

As for Tissot, despite their long heritage, the MotoGP watch is gopping and based on a fairly bargain basement (G10) movement.

There is a limited edition 7750 based auto, but again, the styling is just not appealing so at well over a grand, it can stay going.

Certina used to be a sponsor too, but there's not a lot about from then either.

I recently bought this book 'The George Moore Collection (Vol.1)' which shows the cartoons/illustrations that Moore (well known cycling and motoring artist who died in 1914) did in 1885 & 1886. Unfortunately there's just the illustrations but no commentary so understanding the meaning is difficult.

This particular illustration is to do with timing, probably of bicycle races, and the accuracy or otherwise of American pocket watches.

There are references to the 'American Press'. 'Springfield' (Illinois Watch Co. later to become Hamilton) and '62 second minute'. The guys on the right with quill pens are probably the editors of the main UK cycling press. I think the one wearing glasses might be the editor of 'The Irish Cyclist' R. J. Mecready.

So how I interpret it is that the American publishers were pushing the 'superior timekeeping' of the cheaper American watch against the opinions of their UK conterparts.

At the time the American watch brands were well ahead of their British and certainly their Swiss counterparts. US Railroad grade pocketwatches would have blown the doors of the equivalent British or Swiss watches. The Swiss learned their lessons well at the feet of the US brands, copied their manufacturing techniques and ended up outshining them by the mid 20th century. The British industry didn't, came to the realisation late were swamped by imported Swiss movements by WW1 and faded away into nothing, with Smiths carrying the last of the torch. Those imported Swiss movements with their gilded plates were made specifically for the British empire market as that's what British movements looked like. Mainland Europe watches were far more likely to be finished in white metal finishes with geneva stripes etc.

Wibbs wrote: »

At the time the American watch brands were well ahead of their British and certainly their Swiss counterparts.

Thanks Wibbs.

I've been searching online to get some sort of handle on this obscure Victorian trans-Atlantic dispute. Sources are limited on this side as the Veteran Cycle Club Library is behind a members only paywall and having allowed my membership to lapse I'm unfortunately excluded.
Fortunately the Americans are much more open-sourced and I found the Boston 'Bicycling World' journal for 1885 freely available from the Smithsonian Library.
The following seems to indicate that the controversy was about the British cycling press questioning the veracity of some world record times claimed in America, suggesting some chicanery by a certain O.N. Whipple of a jewellers with the same name. This was a big deal for these avid upper-middle-class gents (cycling was expensive in the 1880s) and also for bicycle manufacturers whose advertisements were full of records claimed for their machines.

Here's the relevant quote:

BOSTON, 23 OCT., 1885.

The criticisms of the English papers on the Springfield records reveal to us what was already known, — the inade- quacy of our system of handicapping and classifying. It is no news to us that we do not get good results in handicapping at present; but if our friends will give us time, we will show them something bet- ter.
We are called upon to explain to the English press the meaning of the state- ment which has occurred in several pa- pers over here to the effect that Mr. O. N. Whipple cared for the watches before the Springfield meet. This mare's nest is easily exposed. Mr. Whipple is con- nected with the large jewelry establish- ment of E. A. Whipple. He is a practi-cal watchmaker, and his knowledge of watches led him into his avocation as timekeeper. Mr. Whipple's reputation as a watch-holder is more to him than any false record could possibly be ; and the idea that he would fix the watches to make them run slower is simply absurd.
It may seem to our readers that we are giving too much space to a correction of what the English papers say, but where we give inches they give columns. The Bulletin thus exposes the nonsense of the doubts : —
" Does Kennedy-Child mean to imply that fifty thousand people, among whom there were literally hundreds holding stop-watches, were gulled and bemuddled by the times set forth by a few dishonest men on the judges' stand ? Does he mean us to understand that these thou- sands of Americans, who were naturally so anxious to have all their records owned by Americans, allowed the 'busi- ness interests ' of one club to inveigle them into believing a lie ? Does he for a moment suppose that Messrs. Lambert and L.»H. Johnson would fail to detect errors in timing that was giving so many world records to their cordially hated ' imitation ' rival ? Were not men repre- senting the Columbia and Victor and H umber and Rudge and Royal Mail, and all the other makes, watching each other with hawks' eyes, and could any one of these machines have obtained a record by fraudulent means without all of the others at once exposing the deceit ? Or could over fifty newspaper representa- tives, some of whom represented inter- ests quite inimical to those of the Spring- field Club, and many of whom held stop- watches on all the races, have been bought over to this ' business ' transac- tion ? "

'Watch Holders' seem to have been official timekeepers and in the cartoon a number of the figures on the right are so described.

Another George Moore cartoon, ths time featuring Booth's Cycle Depot which was located in Stephen's Street Upper by the side of what's now Dunnes stores HQ on S Great George's Street.

I love motorsport.

I love the technology and engineering in motorsport.

I love quirky stuff.

This is an alternative approach to 100 years of telescopic fork technology:
vyrus-986-m2-moto2-race-bike.jpg?fit=1270%2C800&ssl=1

vyrus-986-m2-moto2-race-bike.jpg?fit=1270%2C800&ssl=1

This is the Vyrus 986 race bike using hub-centre steering (HCS).

This approach is like the front suspension of a car, in that it separates braking, turning and suspension forces in a way that telescopic forks cannot.

It also looks the absolute dog's b*ll*cks!

Much want, many wibble.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPxx5wx6iA4

I love motorbikes. I love the tech and incredible engineering. From afar. They frighten the absolute bejesus out of me. As a teen I had a go of a mate's and got the hang of it easily enough. At first. Then I got the gear/throttle wrong and off it went with me hanging on until I ended up in a ditch. My friends were able to find me by the long trail of poo I left in my wake. I feel far safer on four wheels. Well you can't push over a car too easily.

Though I have strong memories of this ad when I was a kid...

OK, so you can't push over a car too easily unless you're Geoff Capes.

Innovation 1889 style.
There's very little that's new today that wasn't first seen in the late Victorian and Edwardian age. The materials and technology just hadn't caught up with the ideas.

Got this little book from an Irish dealer I came across during my recent staycation. It's from the early 1890s and comprises a series of essays by various authors.

No illustrations 🤢

One of the curiosities in the text is where Sir Benjamin Ward Richardson (eminent Victorian physician & avid cyclist) supports the wearing of rational dress (a term used by advocates of reform for women's attire in cycling) by women and a few pages later a female essayist advocates for women continuing to ride in long dresses that just need be tailored with less 'sail'.

https://boards.ie/discussion/comment/117619622#Comment_117619622

The new Italeri model catalogue is out and I may well have ordered 7/8 new models I have absolutely zero space for 😂

I've been trying to get myself out to the ManCave and start cataloguing my current model and toy collection.

Both to share to my "collector" insta and to have a decent record for insurance purposes. From looking online at some of the selling prices for my older stuff, I am actually shocked and surprised by the values of some of the bits I have. I expected some skewed prices for some of the toys particularly the 90's X-Men stuff but, some of the prices on 1:72 diecast stuff is eyewatering!

€175+ for some pieces 😮

TheRepentent

I have always had space issues for my models...end up giving a good few away.

have just recently bought Flames of War , WW2 wargame with 15mm figures...mix of armour and infantry. Only started painting them but hope to have a tank skirmish this weekend and a test run of the rules.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88mvEYjfSWc

Thirdfox

A week or so ago I spent about $600 on a keyboard - let's hope MsThirdfox isn't on boards...

It is the keyboard to end all keyboards for me though - and will probably last me through the next 40 years:

https://www.modelfkeyboards.com/

For those who know about IBM's model M keyboards - this is a reproduction model F keyboard - heavier than some of CyclingTourist's bicycles I daresay at over 4kgs - and I got the optional solenoid that makes it sound like an IBM selectric typewriter (because typists back then weren't used to the "quiet" clacking of F and M keyboards... it's going to be gloriously noisy!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJhJtSpIfY4

Can you imagine typing out cease and desist letters at 80wpm with the solenoid turned on? 😂😁

The postman dropped off this 1:100 Sukhoi today. It has the best example of an articulated display stand I've yet seen.

It's also quite stunning but now I have to either model and print this style of stand for all my current planes collected over 30yrs? Or buy all new planes 😂

https://boards.ie/discussion/comment/117646136#Comment_117646136

That gap in the top shelf is crying out for a Tomcat!

Nice collection, sir. Excellent taste.

https://boards.ie/discussion/comment/117646286#Comment_117646286

The Tomcat is there, it's just on a different shelf 😁 Those particular models are there to match up to 3 display posters surrounding those shelves as an illustration of "Favourites" it was very much a cointoss between the Eagle and the Tomcat for the bottom left there.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117700767#Comment_117700767

Just had it confirmed I've been given exemptions for the modules running this winter semester.

That leaves me with a little bit of inventory/cataloguing of the planes, collectibles and other bits and bobs.

Something to keep me busy for a day or 3 😉

scwazrh

That will be the plan but I bet you’ll spend the time planning your next watch …

In a previous professional role, I was a tech evangelist particularly for mobile and cloud and that said.

I still sometimes find myself blown away by how far and how fast things have moved. Take photo editing, realtime video filters and image processing. From needing dedicated workstations, to needing expensive software and learning to use it, to Insta and Snapchat filters along with quick edit tools on a phone that are accessible and simple.

If I think of what was involved in image manipulation even 5yrs ago, let alone 20 compared to now? I am blown away tbh. That it can do video in real-time too, on your phone...

Is staggering! Anyway I was playing with my planes 😝 and here's a before and after edit from my phone using just the gallery tools that took all of 6 minutes.

Quick and dirty, but now I am going to have a serious play around 😁😂😂

All whilst telling Grace I'm doing the inventory she wanted 😉👍

The possibilities for the 'UFO Community' are endless.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117714045#Comment_117714045

Yes...

Yes they are!

The truth really is out there....

I think any and all of the models I've posted here to date have been of the Diecast variety. So today I'm going to share a little of the kit-built one.

To keep Wibbs and any other plane and history nerds happy 😉 I've added a bit of info re: the markings and the kit itself.

This is a Revell 1:32 kit and is a detailed build IMO. If memory serves it is an ME110C7 variant and is painted to represent a Barbarossa era aircraft of ZerstorerGeschwader 1 on the Eastern Front in Late '41, early 1942.

Wow, that is some build.

Fantastic.

Love a good model kit.

My boys got me a BF-109 and a Harrier GR.3 for Christmas. Very relaxing.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117859526#Comment_117859526

Thanks LD, it is always nice to finish out a good one. The aerial rigging is one of my pet peeves with pre1950's builds and generally I hate it 😤 but on some models the wire really does set off the entire build.

It's been quite a while now since I've actually really lain into a great build I must keep an eye out. I probably have @ 25/30 kit build and 70+ diecast and laziness has me leaning more to diecast lately. A good diecast, some paint and a decal kit can really give some variety too over the usual shop bought finish.

Enjoy your next few builds, Harrier in particular is fun and the bf109 was one of my 1st. The early framed canopy was a Bollox to paint 😂

Be sure to share a pic or 2 when done too.

I follow a couple of accounts on Twitter, and there is a Japanese genius who does aging, wear, rust, smoke, and other detail that is just breathtaking

I'm proud when I can get the pilot painted so he looks like, well, a pilot!

I hear that. Back when the first lockdown hit a mate of mine into the whole model making thing dropped a couple of kits over for me and gave me a few links to youtubers and the like. Bloody hell, some of them are scarily talented. I did note after many decades of being away from that sorta thing that tanks and armoured vehicles are way more popular than when I was a kid. Back then it was pretty much all aircraft. I suppose tanks allow for more weathering and ageing as aircraft are generally much cleaner. Though WW2 stuff could get pretty weathered, particularly the German stuff, as they were more likely to be operating under duress in environments like Russia and their fuel was pretty crappy. The exhaust soot is a lot more pronounced on the German stuff.

One of these days I might seek out one of those Stuka kits and do it up like a tank model, fecked up. Well they were kinda tanks of the air so...

Haven't built a model since the 60s. When I was a kid we'd get Airfix ones like Lancaster bombers around Christmas and a couple of months later after they were missing a prop or two would set fire to them in the back garden.

Here's the one I did make last year. One of the "new" tips I picked up was to use oil paints to add subtle effects in shading and the like.

Sitting on an actual ammunition crate for the shells that were used in the anti tank version.

I use it as a coffee table and wine rack/box. Swords into ploughshares an' that.

[Deleted User]

Definitely not an obsession but I enjoy reading through the old Abercrombie & Fitch catalogues. The way things are described over a century ago is really interesting, and they really were the top supplier of outdoor goods.

Example of watches:

Or rifle sights:

Or canoes: