• potpie@beehaw.orgEnglish
    2·
    1 year ago

    I’ve been getting into primitive technology lately. It all started when I looked at my back yard and thought hey, if we call it red clay, then I should be able to make it into pottery. I take dirt from my yard, levigate it, add grog and wedge, hand-build pots, and fire them in my fire pit. Been making sharpening stones from river rocks. Crafting replicas of Roman machines. That sort of thing.

    • meyotch@slrpnk.netEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      That is an epic niche. Primitive skills are awesome. Have you ever read The Toaster Project? It’s a story about the attempt to build a ‘simple’ modern appliance starting with raw materials and only using primitive methods. Very insightful look into how complex our built environment really is.

  • GeekSquad1992@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
    2·
    1 year ago

    I haven’t done much with it in a while, but I’m also not giving up on it, so I suppose it’s still valid lol.

    I collect LaserDiscs

    I got started with the format around 2010, and it was super neat to delve into this old, but strangely good, format. I found that most players and films were super cheap, and as a poor family with really no ability to move to HD yet, the SD format picture was clearly worse than DVD, but not so much so that it was unwatchable or anything.

    I spent a lot of time collecting new films, looking at players, etc. etc., but I took a break while in college. Turns out that in that time everything went wild, and now the format is expensive to collect for. So much so that I’ve basically stopped at the moment. It’s still a super neat format though, and I’m not about to offload all my kit just yet.

    For anyone looking for info about the format, I’d recommend Techmoan on YouTube. Matt does a lot of interesting tech videos, and the handful he’s done on LaserDisc are quite good.

  • Michael@mastodon.social
    1·
    1 year ago

    Coffee brewing! It’s not super niche (a lot of people enjoy coffee), but I’d love to get to the point where I could host free coffee for friends and be able to make just about anything one could ask for and make it well. It’d be nice to share it back just out of the love of doing it.

      • Michael@mastodon.social
        1·
        1 year ago

        Right now I’ve mastered the pour over and the cold brew, but I’ve been recently figuring out how to dive into the espresso machines. That’s been the main set back to opening up the free friends coffee shop out of my apartment lol, don’t know the right one to get and all of that.

  • raresbears@iusearchlinux.fyiEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    I’m pretty into conlanging, which is basically making up languages. There are tons of different approaches and ways people can go about it, but like probably most (or at least a plurality of) other conlangers, I generally go for something as naturalistic as possible. I’m also into linguistics so it serves as kind of an interesting way to explore different features and grasp them better, as well as just an excuse to do more research to find out more about something.

  • circuitfarmer@lemmy.sdf.orgEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    Some of mine maybe aren’t that niche anymore, but:

    • Retro computing: no one needs more than 640k. Maybe no one needs more than 64k. Those old systems were the last time a single programmer could have control over the entire machine at a low level.

    • Ham radio: Oftentimes called a dying hobby, but a great foray into electronics in general, and also a pretty nice community (save for a few curmudgeons).

    • Analog audio: often thought of as a boutique thing, but really isn’t. Lots of old equipment ready to be restored that can give you really unique auditory experiences.

    • Plastic modeling: especially if you start from a kit but add things to it, or if you build from scratch, or hell, even if you just build a kit as intended, there is a huge amount of personal expression and creativity.

  • Mugmoor@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    I build guitar pedals! I don’t design them, but I order the PCBs and solder the components myself. It’s significantly cheaper than buying them premade, and how many people can say they made their own pedalboard?

    I’m also an amateur Fossil Hunter. The area I live in is filled with fossils from the Ordovincian.

  • OCATMBBL@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    I’m a semi-secretive LARPer. I pack my stuff at night, don’t talk to my coworkers about it, and just go about my life as if I don’t.

    I’ve found people are pretty judgy about it, so I just don’t mention that I enjoy getting into a neat costume, playing some little mini-games, having a drink or six, camping, and (most importantly) seeing my friends once a month in a structured activity.

    It’s fun stuff if you find the right group. That last part is hard.

    • Widowmaker@lemmy.worldEnglish
      0·
      1 year ago

      Honestly, I don’t know why people rip on other people’s hobbies just because it’s something they wouldn’t do. As if their opinion has any bearing on other people’s happiness. I’m glad you’ve found something that makes you happy and gets you out of the house.

      • OCATMBBL@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        1 year ago

        Seriously, you’d think people could just be happy for someone’s happiness, instead of being miserable. I’m over those feelings. You don’t have to like the same stuff to get along.

        Primary motto: Do your best not to hurt anyone, but otherwise do what you want. Enjoy life while you have it.

        Secondary motto: Enjoy seeing other people’s happiness. Sometimes giving up something (small) you want for someone else to have something they really want (or even need) feels even better.

        Have fun, and do good. Thanks for your kind words 😊

      • OCATMBBL@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        1 year ago

        Big ol’ post below:

        Every LARP has a different system, which in our game is light-touch(1) and kinda light-hearted. We use latex weapons like those from Forgotten Dreams and Mytholon (two manufacturers I know of off hand), and there’s a hit point system, and vocally called damage and skills with different effects.

        Example: Hitting an opponent and calling “Strength 5” indicates to the opponent that they need to take 5 steps away from the attacker in the direction the attacker chooses. They also take basic weapon damage of 1 HP in this transaction.

        While every LARP has its own system, there is a lot of overlap because of the limitations presented by a physical (ie. in-person) system. You can do a way larger swath of things in a tabletop.

        Look for LARPs in your area online, and I’m sure you’ll find a few.

        (1)Different games handle it differently, but we have players stemming from single digits to upper double digits, and we try to be accommodating to the needs of a diverse age group with varying degrees of disability.

  • lordnikon@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    Looking for and archiving recordings of old and modern announcements in commercial and industrial settings. Like mind the gap on trains or there has been a broadcast tower failure in your area or Pan Am boarding call welcome and instructions. these can be on reel to reel or 8 track tape.

  • hikaru755@feddit.deEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    Brickfilming! I make films with Lego using stop motion animation. Takes a lot of patience and my perfectionism is my worst enemy, but it’s super rewarding, and there’s a really cool community online around it. And yes, my profile picture is from my most recent Brickfilm!

  • interolivary@beehaw.orgEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    I’ve been on a hiatus due to some medical stuff making it hard for me to concentrate, but I’m a lock nerd. I collect cool locks (“cool” being very subjective here 😅) and pick / manipulate them.

    edit: here’s a tiny part of my collection. I’d upload more but I’m having a hard time with the mobile site and image uploads

  • roux is a lib@lemmy.mlEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    I build custom mechanical keyboards. Got into it because of the Pandemic and now I have built 6 of them. /r/mk and /r/emk used to be some of my most visited subs on the other site. I’m now known as the goto for keyboard questions in my circles of friends.

    I started getting into fidgeting more lately and took a liking to magnetic sliders and now have a few that I pretty much always have with me.

    And that extended into me learning about begleri beads somehow so now I am attempting to learn that. I can do slips and 2 finger wraps and occasiaonal one finger or thumb wraps but not much else yet. I accidentally learned a stall because I messed up. I need to really learn transfers since that is one of the main things you do a lot of.

    I think I am also amongst the hyperfixator group in this thread. I was previously into speedsolving Rubik’s cubes and roasting coffee so I feel a lot of these answers lol.

  • thegiddystitcher@lemm.eeEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    Some more niche than others but basically…making stuff. Cross stitch, yarn crafts, sewing, needle felting, dicemaking, 3d printing, very occasional cosplay, I’m about to try my first macrame kit and a friend is planning for us to learn punch needle together.

    There’s something just so satisfying about making real stuff you can use, or wear, or wash yourself with or whatever (I also briefly got into soapmaking).

    If you want to chat about basically any craft (or just lurk and look at pretty projects, that’s ok too), I’ve been keeping a megalist of relevant communities and magazines here https://lemm.ee/post/224890. And if anyone reading this runs a related one that should be on the list please DM me to be added!