For some people, being good with mechanical skills isn’t so much an ability as it is a mindset. To be able to look at many smaller pieces and put them together in your mind to make a machination work is nothing short of wizardry to those who aren’t quite so skilled. Once you retire, that mindset doesn’t go away, as you can see from our interview with senior inventor Dick Lewis (he’s since gotten a new patent). Instead of letting these talents go to unused, you could find a hobby that utilizes this mindset. A great example of this is woodworking, but since we’ve already covered that, consider it a freebie. Instead, let’s look at other hobbies that take full advantage of your hands-on, creative mechanical mindset.
Fixing Up an Old Vehicle
For many who spent their lives working with mechanics, fixing up an old vehicle may seem like just a continuation of your old job, but the beauty is you’re doing this on your schedule in the way that you want. It’s probably also the most classically “mechanical” hobby you can find, since you’ll be working on every aspect of the car — from the engine to the steering and brakes. You’ll run into a multitude of challenges and opportunities to flex your mechanical mind as you bring your vehicle from a lemon to a running work of art. Also, while fixing up a car requires a bit of cash since you’ll likely need to buy the car and the parts, it may allow you to own a beautiful classic car for a fraction of the price. You can also fix up a bike instead of a car for much less money while still working on many of the same components of a car.
While fixing up a car requires a bit of cash, it may allow you to own a beautiful classic car for a fraction of the price.
Before you commit to a restoration car, we suggest you do a great deal of planning and research on your specific car. This will familiarize you with the requirements and specific parts your car may need. Once you have a game plan settled, follow it at your own pace and take your time. Before you know it, you’ll be driving a classic car you rebuilt yourself. How cool is that?
Making a Computer
If you’re not a car person, you can take the same concept and go sci-fi with it by making your own computer. As many of our day-to-day tasks and needs go online, computers are more important. But this gives you an opportunity to take your mechanical abilities to another level. Much like cars, you’ll be dealing with many parts, but for a computer, the parts are smaller and the connections can be exceedingly complex. Challenging yourself while also learning how a computer works isn’t where the benefits of building your own computer end, though!
If anything needs fixed, you won’t have to pay someone since you built it and have the knowledge to fix it yourself.
Building your own computer can be less expensive than buying a new one, while also being a more powerful and efficiently running computer than a store-bought one. Once the computer is up and running, should anything break or need fixed, you won’t have to pay someone to fix it since you built it. You have the knowledge to fix it yourself. If you found you really enjoyed making the computer, you can start a small business making them for friends or local customers. Then, if they have any issues, you can repair them for a small fee. It’s a great way to make your hobby into a little extra money for your retirement.
Making Homemade Beer or Wine
And now for something completely different, we’re stepping away from building or repairing something for our last example. While you may not think of brewing or winemaking as an inherently mechanical way to pass time, there’s a surprising amount of technique and mechanical thinking involved. Then, when you’re done, you have beer or wine that you’ve crafted to your specific tastes. In that way, this hobby fits in perfectly with the others in this article. Is there a better way to relax than with something you’ve made yourself?
While you may not think of brewing or winemaking as an inherently mechanical way to pass time, there’s a surprising amount of technique and mechanical thinking involved.
Getting started with home brewing is pretty simple because there are stores set up to assist homebrewers with each step they take. For your very first time, you can find homebrew kits that have everything you need to brew simple beers or wines while you learn the ropes. As you get better at homebrewing, you can add flavors or different styles of drinks to your repertoire to really work your creativity.
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There are many other ways you can stay busy in retirement while also flexing your mechanical mind, but these are great places to get started. They’ll either save you money, make you money, or allow you to be creative in a really fun way. Whether you’re brewing your own beer or fixing up your first car, it’s easy and fun to keep active in retirement, no matter your interests!
