

Canadian Digs Out Basement Using Only Radio Controlled Scale Tractors and Trucks - pwg
http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2012/02/canadian-digs-out-basement-using-only.html

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evlapix
Sometimes I come across grand hobbies/challenges like this that inspire me to
challenge myself in similar ways..

1/4 scale grave digger:
[http://www.youtube.com/user/rcWizzard/videos?sort=da&vie...](http://www.youtube.com/user/rcWizzard/videos?sort=da&view=u)

Matthias Wandel's various projects: <http://woodgears.ca>

Giant robot project: <http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL13A11662BDE6EB83>

But at some point, I end up convincing myself that it's a bad investment of my
time. Some examples:

\- The above referenced 1/4 grave digger project would be an awesome test of
my fabrication skills. But when it's done, I won't enjoy playing with it.
1000's of hours for "push stick forward, vehicle goes foreword". Kind of like
lego's, the fun's all in the build.

\- I'd love to get into woodworking, but I already have all the furniture I
need. Why would I invest in a 1k wood shop (that's CL prices)? What would I
create with all the tools and experience? I'm not going to quit my job as a
programmer to become an entry-level woodworker.

\- I'd love to build my own sawmill (kind of like Jaimie), and build from
nature in general. But where would I get wood? Can I make it cheaper than
store bought? Do I have the time to invest so that I don't wind up having to
go to the store anyway?

\- I'm really fascinated by CNC, 3d printers, and metal casting. I want to be
able to make my own stuff, and excuse myself from a consumer culture. But
those things all involve pretty significant money/time investments. And who
are we kidding? After that huge investment, what am I going to
print/cast/machine.. that would be worth that investment?

And that's the motivation for my side project.

~~~
dholowiski
You don't really do a hobby like this because it will save you money, or
because you need the end result, you do it because it's fun. I've just started
building a reprap (3d printer) not because I need low-rez cheap plastic
thingies, but because it's fun and challenging.

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noonespecial
I'm sure some people think its pointless, but I say it beats the hell out of
watching TV.

~~~
ebbv
Don't be ridiculous. Mad Men, Justified, Breaking Bad, 30 Rock, Community,
Boardwalk Empire, Treme, etc. etc. there's tons of really good stuff on TV
these days.

~~~
VMG
I agree, but there still is a qualitative difference between an active an a
passive activity.

~~~
ebbv
Sitting on your butt and controlling a toy truck just _barely_ qualifies as
active.

I'd say if you're watching something on DVR and fast forwarding the
commercials you're 50% there.

~~~
elemenohpee
I can't tell if you're being serious or not...

He designed and built the system. It's not a question of how many calories he
burned, but the difference between creation and consumption.

~~~
smackfu
OTOH, he's mostly doing consumption now, after the initial creation.

~~~
elemenohpee
Now he's creating a hole. He has to plan and make decisions at every step of
the way, his will guides the progress of the activity, in contrast to TV which
is a passive. I'm not making a value judgement based on the relative merits of
the two activities, but the distinction still exists.

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singular
I'd have preferred it if the trucks/tractors were fully autonomous, now that
would have been awesome :)

~~~
omegant
That is what I imagined in the first place. How cool it would be to have your
garden or diy proyect being taken care by small autonomous machines like that.
No danger of being smashed if something goes wrong, cheaper parts, if one has
a mechanical problems not everything is stoped, just a fraction of the work
force...

~~~
singular
And it can be running 24/7 while you're sleeping/playing skyrim/etc./etc.
which would be indescribably awesome :)

~~~
mistermann
>playing sky rim Screw that, I'd be sitting in my lawn chair watching the
trucks all day!

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Permit
Oh wow. I don't know about anyone else, but I got impatient just watching the
second video. I cannot imagine doing that for six whole years! Haha, unreal!
If it's what he has a passion for, however, more power to him.

(I'm still in awe over how long that would have taken and the fact he didn't
give in and start shoveling!)

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noelwelsh
Wow, talk about cognitive surplus. It's also amusing that the article title
starts with "Canadian", as if that explains it all. (Insert comment about
American parochialism here)

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yread
quite an expensive hobby

[http://www.gardentrucking.com/products.tpl?action=Search&...](http://www.gardentrucking.com/products.tpl?action=Search&cart=132949004952&max=10&eqMAJORCATEGORYdatarq=products&Titlesumm=t&Titlesort=1&eqSKUdatarq=3110)

the dump truck is 5000$

~~~
HeyLaughingBoy
You can buy a used Bobcat or 3/4-ton pickup for that much!

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petenixey
Makes me wonder whether there's a future business for a Mechanical, Mechanical
Turk.

If we've got machines capable of labour but lacking the intelligence and
internet connected workers who can provide the intelligence you could use a
gig like this to get real-world work done while offshoring the human cost.

Could all get a bit Toy Soliders if you mistreat your workforce but would be
pretty epic to watch.

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hessenwolf
From a land of people that are obsessed by skiing, this is not the most
pointless hobby one can have, and it's probably pretty safe.

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melling
I noticed that a few people see little value in this. Some people feel that
the time spent would have been just as good watching TV. However, beyond the
simple inspiration, consider that even small endeavours are useful because
they provide a "set of shoulders" on which the next person can stand.

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lcusack
How is this different from Minecraft?

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Gaussian
I know almost nothing about RC gadgets. But those are some badass toys.

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xbryanx
I wonder what the battery capacity is on those things. How often does he need
to charge? I'd love to see a record of the electricity cost to excavate a
basement with small motors.

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webmonkeyuk
He seems to have loads of videos on YouTube:
<http://www.youtube.com/user/LilGiantsConstrCo>

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moondowner
7 years playing with RC tractors and trucks? I admire him for simulating a
whole digging site, but I hope also that he was doing his hobby just 2-3 hours
per day.

~~~
wr1472
Why do you say that? What's wrong with doing a hobby for more that 2-3 hours a
day?

~~~
B0Z
Because that's his basement, where his hot water heater is surrounded by dirt
where one could also assume the washing machine and clothes dryer is.

One the one hand, the scale of this dirt playground and expensive radio
controlled cars would make any grown man weep for a chance to be 10 years old
again. On the other hand, you have to hope that this much obsession for 100%
perfectly-scaled realism isn't as creepy as it looks.

In any event, this is impressive.

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Corrado
I was most impressed by his skill in controlling the vehicles. In one video he
loads debris into a dump truck using a front loader with great fineness. I've
rarely seen operators of 1:1 scale equipment work with such grace. You may not
know it but it's very difficult to load a dump truck efficiently and safely.

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yread
Here is the relevant thread
<http://www.scale4x4rc.org/forums/showthread.php?t=25724>

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jackalope
Hmm, with a miniature cement sprayer, he might be able to install the
foundation at the same time.

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urbanredneck
Just think it is a great idea, kudos to him.

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majmun
was all this automated or he do it by hand?

