How do you guys conciliate your hobby?

I'm on preliminary research to build my motion simulator and noticed how many guys on this forum sharing your amazing projects that require a lot of work hours to finalize.

I'm wonder how do you get conciliate your job and family allowance (wife and kids) to dedicate the remaining time to your project?

I'm 38 years old, my job takes away my time and when i arrive at home my family is justly waiting for my attention. Sometimes i envy the time of that ones retired.

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Hiya mate, I'm 39 have a full time
Job and I have 2 kids and a very understanding wife. I give them a few hours a day and the rest is mine I've always been a gamer long before they came along and nothing will ever change that. At least I'm in the house and not out all the time I'm only a shout away

As for money I just try and do everything as cheap as I can sometimes it pays off most of the time I buy everything 3 times lol

My family and work are just a few of my hobbies

Hi @PC-pilot . With a family and full time job, it took me a year to initially build/finance my current sim , so as long as you are motivated and not in too much of a hurry, then you will be surprised what you can do (I also went on a overseas trip, renovated and sold a investment property through that same period ).

Hi @PC-pilot as @SilentChill I've always been a gamer, many years before I met my sweet half. She always knew me with a steering wheel and that I always loved racing games.
I started building my seat shaker when my daughter was just born, I built it mostly at night... you know, I already wasn't sleeping so it was a good deal
Now she's two years old and tells me "Dad, I want to drive!" and sits on the seat and tests if the wheel is strong enough or if the T3PA is indestructible. A great quality control!
For using the rig... again, mostly at night. I'm lucky I have an almost dedicated room with no neighbours to disturb
I think if you got a passion you can finally make it happen, it could take an hour or an year or a lifetime; it's nice to have goals.
Maybe this is the reason our rigs are never done

A G.B. Show quote:
"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing"


PS. I'm 43 now and plan to be a gamer for a long time

Hi @PC-pilot pretty much same goes for me been a gamer since my ZX81 lol I built mine by grabbing an hour here and an hour there, got 3 kids and a great wife, crazy thing is depending on what your going to build (for me 2 dof shoulder mount) it don't take long.I would say most of my time was reading this forum researching which I'm still doing now daily lol

For me its a litle step by litle step.
Joined this awsome forum when my daughter born in october 2015 and still in the "colecting info" and "buying common parts" process.
Soon I will open my project thread and start to be a pain in the..... for the helping members.
No rush and sorry for my english

Thank you guys for sharing your situations.

I was even thinking that as simple as the project is, it will take months or even years to get it done and another long time to improve it. Unless you're a retiree or so rich you do not have to work all the time (ideal condition but not real for most of us).

You have made it clear that patience, time management and family support are the way to get the project slowly.

And I'm sure that only an hour working on your project should seem like fifteen minutes has passed, leaving that feeling of "want more".

At the end we are all kids wanting to open the Christmas gift as soon as possible.

Thanks!

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Hi @PC-pilot all has been said, time management is needed but there is almost a way for building a rig. Spare time means your progress is slow but don't give up one day you will feel like a champion when sitting in the seat the first time shaking your ar**.

I'm 51 years old and have family, hobbies, a 100% job, I'm "sitting" in different organizations also member of the municipal Council of our village... Honestly I had found time to build one of the craziest rigs (not the best, there are others) so you can.

I m 35 years old
I am a baker on my account, I work every day so I have very little time
I give myself time for my daughter and I admit that it is my ray of sunshine
Then my leisure when I little it is nice otherwise it is not very serious

mine was simple.
either lock em in the house goto shed and build or lock them in the shed and build in the house simples x
if they dont agree with the building scedual see ! lol

I have two kids, a three year old girl and a one year old boy. I got the sim to a functional state over about a week of afternoons. It's not pretty but the basics are there and it works. Like someone said earlier lock yourself in the shed and get into it, ignore the screaming at the door.

Now it's functional, I wake up at really early so I can drive it in peace but I cant get the grinder out and make progress at that hour.

My Days at the moment are:
3am to 4am - Get up play Dirt rally.
5.30 am - Kids get up, feed and entertain them.
7am - Work.
3.30pm - Finish work, drink beer, do the family thing.
7pm to 9pm - Wonder why the little bastards won't go to sleep. Think about racing the sim. Drink more beer.
10pm - Kids sleep, realise I'm too drunk to drive it anyway.
10.30pm - Give up.

Next Day - Repeat.

What do you do from 4am-5:30am ??

I suggest drinking a beer?

Don't be crazy you can't drink beer at that hour, brandy maybe.

Question to OP: If you're an airline pilot whats the point in building a sim? That's like a porn star who goes home to masturbate.

woow, super nice thread

i am 38 years old, i have 4 kids, the oldes is a girls who is 6 years old.

- i though that i was the only one having trouble for time...

- i would recommend to my self... or anyone:

* gader parts, tools and all you need.
* then wake up early in the morning and invest 1 or 2 hours, then go to work....

i have noticed that i waste time a lot, when i dont have the tools or parts and then i try to "improvice"

**** funny a lot of us are between 30 - 40s

*** i am a terryble maker.

my 4 years old kid told me "i want a drum set" i want to play rock and roll in a band and be the drummer...

- ok, i will make you one drum set.... and he told me "no, lets buy one, i wan it to be usefull"

but when you ask my kids.... what would you want to be when you grow up... the answer " i want to make machines, like my dad does".... by the way, i work at an office, i am an office guy, not a robot maker... but...