Hobbies · Crafts
Models & miniatures
Building, painting and running things at a smaller scale than life.
Miniature painting
HobbyCraftPainting small figures and models to a standard far beyond what their size suggests is possible.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
Model railways
HobbyCraftBuilding and operating a miniature railway — part modelmaking, part electronics, part landscape painting in three dimensions.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsSedentary
Mould making
CraftMaking silicone and rubber moulds so an original can be reproduced — the half of casting where the craft actually is.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
Scale modelling
HobbyCraftBuilding plastic kits properly — why assembly is the easy part, what the airbrush question really is, and how a model stops looking like a toy.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
Also in this category
Classified but not yet written up.
36 activities in the catalogue, 4 written up so far.
Combat robotics
HobbySportDesigning and fighting radio-controlled machines to weight classes, from ant weight upwards.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Die-cast model collecting
HobbyCollecting die-cast vehicles by maker, scale and variation.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Diorama building
CraftHobbyBuilding a scene around a model — groundwork, structures, figures and light.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Dollhouse miniatures
CraftHobbyMaking tiny furniture, food and fittings at 1:12 and smaller.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Free flight models
HobbyCraftModel aircraft with no control at all, trimmed on the ground and then simply let go.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Garden railways
HobbyCraftModel railways built outdoors at larger scales, where weather and planting become part of the layout.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Historical wargaming
HobbyRefighting real battles with miniatures and rules that model period tactics.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
LEGO building
HobbyBuilding sets and original models, and collecting the parts to do it.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Live steam locomotives
HobbyCraftBuilding and driving coal-fired miniature locomotives, usually on a club’s ground-level track.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Live steam modelling
CraftBuilding and running working steam locomotives and engines to scale.
Over £1,000 to startIndoors or outdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Model boats
HobbyCraftBuilding static or radio-controlled boats, and sailing them on a club pond.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoors or outdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Model car collecting
HobbyCollecting production die-cast and resin models by marque, scale or maker rather than building them.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Model engineering
CraftHobbyMachining working miniature engines and locomotives from raw metal on a lathe.
Over £1,000 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Model gliding
HobbyFlying unpowered model aircraft on slope lift or thermals, often on the same hills.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Model rocketry
HobbyBuilding and launching solid-motor rockets, and recovering them safely.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Model tramways
HobbyBuilding and operating tramway layouts, which model street running rather than rail.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Model yachting
HobbySportRadio-controlled sailing on ponds, raced competitively in classes with strict rules.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Naval wargaming
HobbyRefighting naval actions with models and rules, at fleet or squadron scale.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Radio-controlled aircraft
HobbyFlying model planes and helicopters, usually from a club field.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Radio-controlled car racing
HobbySportBuilding, tuning and racing radio-controlled cars on and off road.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoors or outdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Resin 3D printing
HobbyCraftPrinting in photopolymer resin for fine detail, with a chemical handling problem filament printing does not have.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Resin casting
CraftCasting polyurethane and epoxy resin into moulds for models, parts and jewellery.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Scale aeromodelling
HobbyCraftBuilding and flying accurate models of real aircraft, judged on fidelity as well as flight.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Ships in bottles
CraftBuilding a rigged model that folds flat, then raising it through the neck of a bottle.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Skirmish wargaming
HobbySmall-scale miniature games with a handful of figures each.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Slot car racing
HobbyRacing electric cars on a grooved track, with club leagues, tuning and scratch-built chassis.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Solo wargaming
HobbyPlaying wargames against a system rather than an opponent.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Stop-motion animation
HobbyCraftAnimating physical models one frame at a time.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Tabletop wargaming
HobbyPlaying battles with miniatures on terrain, under a published rule set.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Terrain building
CraftMaking the hills, ruins and roads that miniatures are played over.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Toy soldier collecting
HobbyCollecting lead and plastic figures by maker and set, a field with its own auction houses.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Wargame army painting
CraftHobbyPainting a whole army to a consistent tabletop standard, which is a different problem from a display piece.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet