Say goodbye to meetings on Monday mornings. It’s time to relax after a demanding career. But, since when does retirement mean sitting around and doing nothing?
It’s time to design the man cave for the retired guy, full of models (cars, not Cindy Crawford), and a heck of a lot of awesome. You can still enjoy yourself and keep busy, just at a slower pace than before and minus the stress.
Model Cars Are Sweeter Than Christmas Morning
The days of fixing your own car may be over, but you can still build model cars. If you’re crafty and methodical, this hobby will be right up your alley. You don’t need to climb under the hood anymore.
If you’re a beginner, start with a level one model car kit and work your way up in skill. Create your favorite real product car to scale from plastic, resin or die-cast metal, depending on which kit you choose.
Got a thing for sporty convertibles (and hot blondes)? We can help you in the car department. The Revell Monogram Shelby Cobra 427 Plastic Model Kit in cherry red is sweet. The kit includes chrome plated parts and a fully detailed 427 cubic inch engine. It even comes with waterslide decals with authentic Cobra markings and racing stripes.
Model car kits are more than glue, plastic, and paint. It’s about American, from ’55 Chevys to George Barris and Mopar Muscle. It’s about the culture you love and want to replicate in scale.
Tinker with your auto and join a club to show off your finished projects. Display them around your room. Branch out into racing kits, as well as kits for pickup trucks and Big Rig semi tractors. Also, expand into the areas of model planes, ships, and trains. If you dare.
Move Over Boring Paper Clips
You’ve traded in boring paper clips for car model supplies. You will need the proper glue, paint, and tools for your car modeling projects to get amazing replicas. Tube glue by Testors is a popular choice for plastic cars. It has a non-toxic formula, so there is little odor.
Here’s a tip to avoid too much glue oozing out of the tube and onto your car. Apply a small amount of glue onto scrap paper and dip into it with a toothpick. Use the toothpick to apply the glue to your auto for a high level of control.
Another option is to use liquid cement. Apply it with a small paint brush, such as the 1/4in decorative painting brush from Winsor & Newton. Clean the brush now and then to keep it clean.
Ride Into Retirement With Electric Trains
Whether you’re looking for a starter set or at a more advanced stage, electric trains are a ton of freakin’ fun. Plus, there’s something nostalgic about it, harkening back to childhood days when you listened to the sounds of trains.
Are you new to the vocabulary? If so, use this quick reference guide to better understand the average sizes (scales) of electric trains.
Guide To Measurements Of Model Trains
- G Scale: 17in long x 5in wide x 7in tall
- N Scale: 3in long x 1in wide x 1in tall
- O Scale: 11in long x 3in wide x 3in tall
- HO Scale: 6in long x 2in wide x 2in tall
Check out the Lionel Pennsylvania Flyer O-Gauge Remote Train Set. It is a remote-control operated for controlling the train’s speed, and features a whistling and smoking locomotive, as well as a headlight. Made of metal rather than plastic, it will last a long time and has an authentic sounding tender as it rounds the track you set up in your cave.
As you get to know the electric train arena more, add in buildings, bridges, and die-cast vehicles to your collection and displays within your den. All sets comes with a locomotive, but they differ widely aside from that. Types of train cars include flatcar, caboose, box car, and passenger car.
You’re Older, Not Dumb
Are you a gadget-driven kind of guy? Just because you’re a senior doesn’t mean you can’t grasp technology. You understand mobile gadgets and more than people give you credit for.
Sound familiar? Then you’ll want to check out these 5 tech gadgets. You can also stay in the high-tech loop with the 16GB Apple iPad Air 2. Use it to see photos of grandkids and have conversations on FaceTime with friends. Check in on the family on Facebook and read eBooks too.
This tablet is lightweight, fast, and you can increase the font size to make reading easier.
If you still feel a little insecure around Mac computers or iPods and iPads, this spiral-bound guide, written for Boomers and beyond, will put you at ease!
Peace, Love, And Vinyl
If you’re a retiree with a lot of vinyl records, you’re not alone. No man cave for the retired guy would be complete without a display of your records for all who visit to salivate over see in all its glory.
The shelf rack shown here doubles as a record display and storage for the amazing tunes that Taylor Swift can’t replicate in albums today. You can flip through the records anytime you want, and they’re not hidden behind cabinet doors.
Plus, this open style can accommodate 7″, 12″, and rare sizes of records too. Note: Vinyl is best stored at 65-70 degrees so keep your man cave cool to prevent warping your favorite Elvis covers.
You’d rather be fishing
Fishing is a way to enjoy the outdoors and it’s a timeless hobby. You can hang this Gone Fishing sign that you likely saw countless times during your working years and now actually indulge in the activity.
Learn more about pier fishing or surf casting. Perhaps you want to perfect your fly fishing technique now that you have time out of the office. Beauty is in the simplicity of it, just you and your rod. Enjoy your catch. Then frame a pic of you at your latest fishing destination on the wall.
Retirement is anything but boring when you design a man cave that involves one or all of the above activities. For car buffs, the model auto kits are a great hobby, and you’ll need to stock up on supplies to have the most fun with it. For the music-files, make room in your den for your vinyl collection.
Electric trains, a tribute to your interest in fishing, and the latest in technology are also must-have items for your cave. If you need us, we’ll be out planning how to retire early so we can join you there soon.