Barbeque

This is a type of hobby that related to food-making, commonly referred to as a grill. A barbecue is generally a brazier fitted with a grill and sometimes a spit. The brazier can range anywhere from a simple firebowl, which uses hot coals as heat, to electric powered barbecue.

 

BBQ Apron Set

 

Common type of BBQ Set

 

Barbeque is usually outdoor activity where barbecued food is served. It is a method of cooking by which meat, poultry, fish or other food is covered and slowly cooked in a pit or on a spit, using hot coals or wood as a heat source. The food is marinated, usually with seasoned sauce, to keep it moist.

 

BBQ Chicken

 

Barbeque has always been accepted as outdoor activities for common people, but most of us don’t know that barbeque has been a sacred ritual by some people in the Carribean and some other places in Africa.

 

Outdoor BBQ

 

One of the best BBQ TV show is License to Grill, which is aired on Asia Food Channel (Channel 703 Astro)

 

BBQ Set at Home

 

Source:

The BBQ Pit with BarBeQue Man (http://www.barbequeman.com/)

Slot Car Racing

Slot car racing is a type of hobby in car racing with powered model cars which are guided by slots in the track on which they race. Slot cars are usually models of actual cars. Most enthusiasts use manufactured slot cars, which sometimes modified for better performance while others might build the car from scratch using basic parts and material from the manufacturers.

 

Ford F40 Slot Car

 

Tracks made for slot car racing exist in various sizes, sculpted to have real-life appearance like the real race tracks around the world, which include competitors stand, people, tree and other buildings.

 

Porsche Slot Cars

 

Slot car races use a controller to run a low-voltage electric motor inside the car. Each car will be placed on a separate lane, with its own slot and picking up power from metal strips in the track. The challenge in racing slot cars is in taking any curves and other obstacles at fastest speed without causing the car to lose its grip and spin off the track (deslot).

 

 

Slot Car Track with models

 

Traction magnets are installed under the car that can provide downforce to help hold the car to the track at fast speed, but there are some enthusiasts don’t use traction magnet to add more excitement and allow the car to drift.

 

 

Circuit Slot Car Track

 

These scales are also commonly written as 1/24, 1/32, 1/87 and 1/64. The scale designation indicates how many units of length (such as an inch or millimeter) on the actual car are represented by one unit on the model.

 

 

 

Source:

PPR Slot Racing (http://www.pprslots.com)

HO Slot Car Racing (http://www.hoslotcarracing.com)

Scale Auto Racing News (http://www.scaleautoracing.com)

Candle Making

 Candle making is a type of craft that can be made into beautiful shapes and sizes. Candle may have it’s own smell when some fragrances or essential oils added into the mixture of wax. There are some dangers might occur in candle making, which include dealing with wax – both in terms of fires, and in terms of burns, using fragrance or essential oils which can be irritants or even toxic in concentrated amounts and accidents (spills and such).

Bee Hive Shape Candle

Before we start, we have to make sure that measurements and pour essential or fragrance oils are checked carefully. They are very concentrated and might cause stains or might cause severe irritation on skin. We also have to be careful with dyes and colors. Dyes, can quickly and powerfully stain things because a few drops of liquid candle dye can color a pound of wax.

Rose Shaped Scented Candles

Wax can be melted with heat guns or in the oven. Another place where wax can be melt is by using double boiler. Temperature of wax must always be checked with thermometer because when it gets up to 90°C, the wax become hotter and hotter until it start to smoke.

Candles are available in many scents and colours

When everything is done, the final step is to put the wax into a mold where here it will take shape. Various sizes and shapes can be made. Wicks are put on the top of the candle to provide light.

 

Candle Making Video, from Freshwave TV

Sources:

Freshwave TV

Candle and Soap Making (http://www.candletech.com)

Candle and Soap Making (http://candleandsoap.about.com) 

Sand Sculpting

Sand sculpting has become very popular in recent years. Various annual events are held all over the world. Moreover, techniques used in sand sculpting have become more sophisticated. Even Guinness Book of World Record have some records regarding sand sculpting.

2003 Winner of World Championship of Sand Sculpture, Doubles: Peter Vogelaar & David Ducharme, “Could be Wine”

 

Sand sculpting is considered an art of mixing of two basic building ingredients, sand and water which are available in abundance on a sandy beach. These two ingredients will be used according to specific techniques such as dripping and dribbling to make a sculpture.

The sand must be fine or otherwise it will not stick together. Dry sand is loose, wet sand is adherent, unless when it is too wet. The ideal ratio is eight parts dry sand to one part water. When the humidity of the sand changed, the shape of the structure may also change. Here, landslides will occur. Also the mixture of finer and coarse sand granules is very important to reach high quality results. The more fine granules can be found in natural influences like sea or rivers.

 

 

 

 

2005 Winner of World Championship of Sand Sculpture, Team: Sandboxers, “Campfire Tales”

Firstly, mix water with sand to a dough-like consistency and shape. Secondly, Mark out an area in the sand where you wish to build the sculpture because it is important not to build it too close to the sea. Thirdly, put mixed sand into said area and add small amount of water. Repeat process until you have desired height and basic shape. Lastly, carve your sand sculpture.

 

2005 Sculptor’s Choice, Team: The Revolutionaries – Canada/Russia, “Arabian Nights”

 

The main tool used in sand sculpting is shovel but mostly people use their hands. Water used for the process is brought to the sculpting point with a bucket or other container. Sometimes woods or other hard materials are used to reinforce structures.

Home of Zeus and the 12 foremost gods of the Greek Pantheon.
Sand sculptures 2007. Exhibition by Vision Australia on Rye beach, Mornington Peninsula, Australia.
Original music by Rob Costlow 

Sources:

Sculptures in Sand: http://www.sculpturesinsand.com/index.html
Sand Sculpting Company: http://www.sandsculpting.com
World Championships of Sand Sculpture: http://www.harrisand.org

Radio Controlled Car Drifting

Radio-controlled drifting is one of the fastest growing hobbies. The objective is to drift a radio-controlled car. RC cars that are used for drifting usually use a type of low grip tyres. To make the RC cars to drift more easily, modifications such as replacing more powerful motors, shocks system, better weight balance, brakes, etc.

This hobby cost its enthusiast a lot of money in order to modify the cars. Many events and tournaments are held to gather RC drifters all over the world. RC tournaments are judged equally to the real drift events such as race line, drift angle, speed, etc. All decision are made through calculation of point, not about who finish first.

Nissan Skyline RC Drift Car

 

When it comes to setup of RC drift cars, it is not as the same like the real size drift cars where in order to drift, it needs to be rear wheel drive. RC cars can use the four wheel drive setup. These RC drift cars respond and act differently compared to real size drift cars due to it small size and other related factors.

 

BMW Z4 RC Car 

RC drift cars’ cost can range from RM200 to RM2500. Many people can drift well with a basic setting RC drift car. Some might thing that better modification might give better advantage. But it is a nature of a driver with more experience and knowledge will have more advantage to excel and succeed.

Nissan Fairlady Z RC Car 

One of the advantages of RC drifting is that it is not as expensive RC racing. You can make your own tyres by using PVC that is glued together with contact cement. There are some ready made tyres such as made by Yokomo (a RC cars manufacturer) Most tires are made of either rubber, plastic or polymers and come in has many varieties of traction as well as thread. PVC last longer, due to their physical properties. It has become more preferable due to the amount of traction and sliding quality. They are cheaper than manufactured drift tyres. It promise the drifter a more realistic and controllable driving experience. Some examples of manufactured tyres are RP-D, HPI T-Drift Tires and Yokomo Single Ring.

Example of RC Car Racing Track

The most interesting thing about of RC drifting is making the body of the car. Many people make the body according to their favorite real world drift cars or come up with their own unique design preferences on a real car, as real as they can get.

 

Source:

D1:10 Professional Drift Malaysian Series: http://www.d1-10rc.com

Doriya, Malaysian RC Drift Community: http://www.doriya.net

Tattoo Arts

Tattoo has been a taboo in most of the countries in the world for many years. But lately, it has been a popular culture because people like beautiful things and tattoos are considered as decoration to make the body beautiful. Tattoo has been used as attraction to other people.

Today, people choose to be tattooed for cosmetic, religion/beliefs, sentimental/memorial and to make symbol to show the identity of the tattoo owner on which group they belong, including criminal groups, tribes, etc. Tattoo pigment is buried deep into skin that even severe burns will not damage the tattoo.

A Unique Tribal Tattoo

 

New artists that have experience in fine art became tattoo artist, along with the growth of tattoo culture. Development in tattoo pigments and the equipment used for tattooing produced high quality tattoo.

  Japanese Dragon Tattoo Design by Greg James

Some tribes, especially in Africa and in the Pacific traditionally created tattoos by cutting designs into the flesh and rubbing the resulting wound with ink or ashes. Some cultures create tattoos by manually tapping the ink into the skin using sharpened sticks, bones or needle, by hand.

Traditional Tattoo Making in Progress

 

The most common method of tattooing nowadays is by using the electric tattoo machine, which inserts ink into the skin through needles that are attached to a bar. This machine repeatedly put the needles in and out of the skin rapidly, usually 80 to 150 times a second. This procedure is sanitary compared to traditional tattooing. The needles are used only once, while the tattoo artist must wash their hand and the area that will be tattooed to avoid infection of any kinds. Gloves must be worn and the wound must be wiped frequently with a wet disposable cloth.

Tattoo Machines

 

The area of the body that has chosen for tattoo will be cleaned, usually with rubbing alcohol. Then, any hair will be removed from the area by shaving it with a new disposable razor which will be discarded after being used. Smallest hairs can cause problems. Therefore, this is a crucial step. Then, the area will be cleaned again to make sure it is smooth and ready for the transfer of traced design.

Mark Dacoscos in Crying Freeman. Japanese Tattoo can be found on his body.

Most studios today use a machine called a thermal-fax to make stencils. This saves time by simply inserting the tattoo design into the machine, and it transfers it on a special thermal paper. Once the stencil is ready, it’s time to transfer it to the skin. When the paper is pulled away from the skin, it will leave a purple trace of the tattoo.

Lucky Diamond Rich, World’s Most Tattooed Man

 

 

After preparing the equipments, the tattoo artist will start doing the line works, and afterwards, all the colouring and shading. When the tattoo is finished and clean, it needs to be treated just like a wound. A protective layer of special paper will be applied to the tattoo to prevent infection. Then a bandage will be applied and taped up to make sure it is secure. In order to keep the tattoo in good condition, aftercare instruction given by the tattoo artist should be followed.

 

Sources:

Tattoo Blog: http://www.tattooblog.org

Painful Pleasures’ Tattoo Supplies: http://www.painfulpleasures.com/xcart/customer/home.php?cat=220

Tattoo Designs: http://www.tattoofinder.com/

Welcome to World of Hobbies

Welcome to World of Hobbies, everyone. We are Muhamad Zuwairi bin Hamdan and Lyzia binti Kiflie, and this is our final year project for our ICT Environment subject. Here, we will bring you various unique hobbies around the world. Please feel free to post some comments and thank you for visiting this blog. Have fun.