I started getting a paycheck as an electrician at age 13. Now, at 65, I still have the same job as I had then.
I like to build stuff. Built my house, my garage, my sugar house, several buildings for others.
I like woodworking using traditional joinery the way they did 200 years ago. I cheat, use machine tools to rough it out. The hand plane only hides the marks left by machines. Furniture, cabinetry, I rarely use metal fasteners or glue. Joinery fascinates me.
I'm a welder. Began in early teens rebuilding Jeep bodies, progressed to auto body work & for a while rebuilt a few total wrecks.
Recent years, I've gotten into MIG & TIG welding. I've always been obsessed with wanting to weld aluminum & stainless, last 10 years or so I've played a lot with that.
Of course, welding is 10% of building with metals. It is more accurately, fabricating.
Four wheel drive vehicles have always been an obsession. Many Jeeps, and a 1956 Dodge Power Wagon with winches front & rear & a dump body I built & designed.
Interest in machines of all varieties has forced me to be a mechanic. I'm not the best, but I'm not the worst. Projects have ranged from lots of vehicles, to tractors, heavy machinery, and countless machine tools. Most of my shop machines are antiques.
I built wood splitters in a brief endeavor as a spare time thing.
Logging & land clearing are ongoing.
The great flood of 2011 Hurricane Irene left me a new opportunity: Rebuilding a building I had built.
Moving dirt & rocks is very therapeutic for me. I have had 5 backhoes, a dozer, single axle dump & trailers to haul.
I, & my son are involved in antique tractors & pulling competitions. My son organizes a local event Columbus weekend. I'm the logistics guy, hauling days on end. A couple years ago Mrs. B asked me after the pull: "How many of these tractors are yours?" I didn't have an answer!
I made maple syrup many years.
Made hard cider more years than that, kind of gave that up.
I haven't found time to build the timber framed cabin I started just before my father retired.
The sawmill I hoped to build hasn't happened, but I haven't given up.
Spend precious time camping with my extended family. I'm kind of spoiled, drag a travel trailer last twenty years.
Been together with one woman 44 years, raised two sons & several of other people's sons. Never had a daughter, but am blessed with several daughters in law.
First grandchild scheduled to arrive in January.
did enjoy riding MTB trails but i out grew my bike in performace levels and can't afford to replace it with something more competent so fell out of love with it, other than that my "spare time" is taken up with my family and the wife's ever increasing list of "can you just" lol