Any Other Hobbies?

[S.E]

Nope, also sounds bloody dangerous!

Haven't been shooting in a couple decades. From memory some of the guys used to semi ring-bark the plastic bit of the shotty shell in an attempt to get the whole slug to come out whole instead of individual pellets - I can't recall if it worked very well.

I knew a Sicilian guy who told me that’s what he used to do in Sicily. He put three cuts around the base of the cartridge so the whole thing left the barrel keeping the shot pattern together to improve range. I think he used an un choked barrel though. Candle wax would be dangerous enough in a choked gun but a whole cartridge?

 

[Dave70]

While we are on the subject of ballistics have any of you guys tried dripping candle wax into a shot gun cartridge to make a solid shot? Most impressive, can cut down a small tree at 100 metres.

What about razors, spark plugs, .22 bullets, batteries ect. Probably best not load granddads antique heirloom side by side for this.
Believe it or not, this guy's a vet. Dam solid channel also.

 

[good4whatAlesU]

I would not like to clean and dress, let alone eat a rabbit struck by that!

 

[wynnum1]

Young farmer left with brain injury after shotgun explodes in his face

 

[klangers]

If you want the authority on crazy slugs, this guy's your man.

 

[wynnum1]

If your in the United States can legally buy tannerite to put on targets and when you shot at the target and hit it explodes the target has to be far away and you put on the surface so some bright spark decided to put in a mower and film him shooting the mower getting shot so what could go wrong.

 

[good4whatAlesU]

I knew a Sicilian guy who told me that’s what he used to do in Sicily. He put three cuts around the base of the cartridge so the whole thing left the barrel keeping the shot pattern together to improve range. I think he used an un choked barrel though. Candle wax would be dangerous enough in a choked gun but a whole cartridge?

Yep sounds like a similar thing. My mates were Finnish - they were into their hunting and mucking around in the bush etc. (all forests and lakes and stuff over there), bunch of mad *****.

 

[Mardoo]

I've been an amateur mycologist for years. Edible mushrooms? Yeah OK. Hallucinogenic? Been there, done that (maybe more than once ) But finding a rare and unusual one? Holy christ I get all wound up. Australia has one of the coolest mushrooms in the world, so cool that describing it cannot do it justice. When you break its skin it, like, unfolds this 15-20cm diameter soccer-ball-shaped thing constructed from an octahedral grid that then release its spores. Weirdest **** I've ever seen, hands down.

Now I've joined a mushroom growing page on Facebook, and great ******* these people are serious! I suppose brewing involves lots of learning and gear and space, but man, this feels next level. So. Effin'. Complex!!!! That may be because I'm looking up from the bottom step though. Brewing never seemed that much of a leap to me, but this does.

 

[Grott]

Bit of “magic” in some of them mushrooms, Mardoo.

 

[malt junkie]

Bit of “magic” in some of them mushrooms, Mardoo.

We all can't afford to drink RIS every night.....

 

[MartinOC]

Bit of “magic” in some of them mushrooms, Mardoo.

FYI, Mardoo has attended my place in Kinglake (Vic) a number of times & has always been impressed at the range of mycology in the bush. He wanders around, takes photographs & muses about how his daughter would like to see THIS one.

I don't think there's anything psychoactive in his motivation....

 

[malt junkie]

As far as other hobbies, does eating chocolate count? I'm as skinny as a rake so I figure why not!Good rich dark chocolate goes well with a strong stout too.

 

[Mardoo]

Bit of “magic” in some of them mushrooms, Mardoo.

Many of them yes, and in different countries, completely different species, both according to classification and morphology. In Bali, there's one that grows very similarly to enoki/straw mushrooms. Hell of a trip from that one. Worldwide, most of them look similar to what you call gold caps here. In NZ there's said to be one that looks kind of brain-like and has a jelly inside that will send you into the worst psychological spaces you can imagine.

However, Martin is right. The psychedelics largely wore out their welcome for me a number of years ago. Not out of negativity, but more rather recognising their nature and finding it quite same-ey. I'm just fascinated by fungi in general. Slime moulds, polypores, typical mushrooms, you name it. Australia has an incredible selection of bird's nest fungi, types which I've wanted to see for a very long time but never did 'til I moved to the hills here. I get excited by literally every mushroom I bother to stop and look at, which is most of the ones I see. Bog standard ones? Just as excited.

By the way Martin, my daughter loved the photos of that lovely colony of orange jelly fungi on that log at your place. Just spectacular fungi! I found a great colony this year in Dandenong National Park, and a brilliant polypore colony as well!

 

[good4whatAlesU]

I've heard of those expanding fungal soccer ball things, a farmer was telling me about them once - but I've never laid eyes on any in the wilds.
I did once find a strange puffball and a colleague of mine had it sent to CSIRO, ending up in a range extension (we found it where it was not supposed to be...).

 

[Judanero]

I've been an amateur mycologist for years. Edible mushrooms? Yeah OK. Hallucinogenic? Been there, done that (maybe more than once ) But finding a rare and unusual one? Holy christ I get all wound up. Australia has one of the coolest mushrooms in the world, so cool that describing it cannot do it justice. When you break its skin it, like, unfolds this 15-20cm diameter soccer-ball-shaped thing constructed from an octahedral grid that then release its spores. Weirdest **** I've ever seen, hands down.

Now I've joined a mushroom growing page on Facebook, and great ******* these people are serious! I suppose brewing involves lots of learning and gear and space, but man, this feels next level. So. Effin'. Complex!!!! That may be because I'm looking up from the bottom step though. Brewing never seemed that much of a leap to me, but this does.

Before the kids came along I had a lot more time to pursue mycology, it is a great hobby! - I am planning on culturing some oysters and letting the boys be part of the process (at least the fruiting part). Practising sterile technique is next to impossible at the moment unless it's late at night, I've still kept my hepa and home made flow hood though for when I can get back into it, but the pressure cooker, ball mason jars, and agar/ petri dishes are all handy for yeast work so they still get used a fair bit.

A while ago there was a promo sort of thing where if you send an email to DPI (I think it was, few years ago now) and they sent me a free fungi identification book for the Hunter and greater Hunter region, pretty handy for when we go bush walking but I still wouldn't be game to forage for edibles though.

 

[Mardoo]

I was fortunate to have a girlfriend whose family has collected mushrooms in a certain region for three generations. I learned all the edible types of the area and also identification techniques. I finally decided the only technique I would trust in non-familiar mushrooms was microscopic spore identification. I’ve never found a field microscope that floated my boat, AND that I could afford.

We did a journey for 6 days through the mountains of New Mexico, all 4WD tracks mushroom hunting, processing, and drying as we went. We ended up with about 25 kilos of golden chanterelles, and 25 kilos of dried Boletus Edulus (porcini). We gave some to friends, and kept the rest for ourselves. Chanterelle lasagna is the absolute bomb. Now I want to try the wine!

Interestingly the chill autumn nights with a freeze changed the boletes’ drying and gave a deep musky flavour that was entirely pleasant. The ones from the tail end of the trip we processed and dried at home, in the sun, came out completely different. Still good, but the other ones were superb.It was an amazing difference.

 

[stanko]

Wet Shaver , Straight razor Collector.

 

[droid]

@ 46 yrs I've started skateboarding!

We (9yo Boy, 7yo Girl and I) have been scootering for a while now and skateboarding was something I would have liked to have done more as a kid. I bought a Rob Roskop retro-re-issue with rail sliders and found an old-school guy who makes up nose guards and rear scrape plates, so I fitted those to do manuals (what I call a wheelie)

During this past year when we've gone to a skate-park we've typically got there early so it's all ours but as kids come along they rock up with big smiles and ask what tricks I can do and if they can try my scooter. Kids don't have any issues with a Dad being there having a go, they talk to you like you're just another kid, and quite a few have said they wish their Dad would go with them...so that's food for thought for you Dads out there when it comes to considering what you will and wont do with your kids, they want you to hang out with them - maybe when my kids are older that will change but soak it up while they want us around I say.

The skateboard is more for cruising down to the local shop with the kids or into one of the new estates nearby where the roads are smooth and empty.

...and the feeling of carving down a road or in a bowl is exactly the same as it was 35 years ago, it's just the bones that might not feel the same after a spill...the helmet, knee and elbow pads have already earned their keep

 

[JB]

@ 46 yrs I've started skateboarding!

Awesome Droid! If you're ever in the Gully you'll have to come & bomb some hills with Micbrew & I

 

[droid]

Awesome Droid! If you're ever in the Gully you'll have to come & bomb some hills with Micbrew & I

haha - skaters are everywhere!

what boards do you guys use?