Is wargaming the most unhealthy hobby around?

[Etranger]

Serotype? must be something in the blood....

Most hobbies are fairly sedentary, but standing around a table is actually quite a healthy activity, hence the current push for the 'standing office'. There's also evidence that 'creative hobbies', into which wargaming falls, are good for delaying or preventing the development of dementia.

[Mr Vampire]

There's also evidence that 'creative hobbies', into which war gaming falls, are good for delaying or preventing the development of dementia.

I'm glad, can you imagine a room full of demented war gamers. 

And on the serotype comment.

[Captain Blood]

Statistically, hang-gliding and motorcycle racing are the most unhealthy hobbies around.

But this discussion is veering into potentially contentious topics like national stereotypes, and doesn't have a lot to do with the subject matter of the forum any more...

[black hat miniatures]

Another aspect of the hobby that is very unhealthy is the figures we use. Although there has been much improvement over the years. An old gamer & friend of mine was told by his Dr. that he had to give up painting. He was one of the best & most prolific painter I know. He was getting lead poisoning from handling all those little lead figures.

It is impossible to get lead poisoning by handling figures - you have to ingest lead to get it into your system (or inhale the fumes).

The only person I ever heard about getting lead poisoning from figures smoked while filing his figures and ingested it that way.

Lots of manufacturers (myself included) still use lead/tin based alloys - they give  a better flow, are softer and not as brittle as pewter.

Mike

[cgh]

It's not real wargaming but there are a lot of similarities here in a BBC report on fitness in chess players (and bridge but I can't stand that game).

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-34323643

Perhaps the top tourny players have the same mindset as the chess grandmasters?  

[Cubs]

Re: lead ban, I was surprised to find (a couple of years back I think) that the long awaited lead ban didn't actually happen, at least in the UK. Yeah, I know, I thought it had, too. I was was convinced it had, I remembered all the hype.

Apparently there was a test case somewhere or other, where it was anticipated that lead would be banned from figures, but in the end the court ruled that they are not 'toys' but 'figurines'. As long as the age warning is used, to distinguish them from toys, it's fine for them to contain lead (a more mature owner not being likely to stick them in their gob presumably). Of course, by this time a lot of the manufacturers had already swapped over to lead-free metal in anticipation and just never went back.

This could also be the source of confusion with regards to the dates. Lead may have been banned from paint and toys, as opposed to figures.

[black hat miniatures]

Re: lead ban, I was surprised to find (a couple of years back I think) that the long awaited lead ban didn't actually happen, at least in the UK. Yeah, I know, I thought it had, too. I was was convinced it had, I remembered all the hype.

Apparently there was a test case somewhere or other, where it was anticipated that lead would be banned from figures, but in the end the court ruled that they are not 'toys' but 'figurines'. As long as the age warning is used, to distinguish them from toys, it's fine for them to contain lead (a more mature owner not being likely to stick them in their gob presumably). Of course, by this time a lot of the manufacturers had already swapped over to lead-free metal in anticipation and just never went back.

This could also be the source of confusion with regards to the dates. Lead may have been banned from paint and toys, as opposed to figures.

Actually, a large distributor on the East Coast in the USA stipulated tht they would only carry lead-free figures which forced a lot of the US manufacturers to change over...

Mike

[Andrew_McGuire]

'an avalanche of mil due.'

'my bitch bag I carry around shows'

This opens at least one more can of worms. Should we take it that subnormal spelling is also attributable to the hobby, or are you actually as misogynistic as the last phrase suggests? Either way, this does little to advance the cause.

[Silent Invader]

This opens at least one more can of worms. Should we take it that subnormal spelling is also attributable to the hobby, or are you actually as misogynistic as the last phrase suggests? Either way, this does little to advance the cause.

Seriously: an attack post?

Maybe TSG isn't so good with spelling but who are you to judge him on that and isn't 'bitch bag' just 'slang' for a tote bag (a large shopping bag)?

[tin shed gamer]

No just dyslexia,

I sculpt for a living and As a rule I attend at least eight shows a year and attend multiple museums to work on displays.In addition to war gaming clubs around the country .So I get to see the full gambit of the gaming community .
A bitch bag is a khaki term for a messenger style bag which holds personal items and equipment required for a day.I spent fifteen years in khaki before becoming a complex needs nurse ,teaching life skills to people with complex needs and behaviours.I ended my real world life teaching tracking skills to police forces.
So now sculpt and when requested advise on environmental mapping for offenders.(an unpleasant task which I try my best to avoid)
If you'd checked my posts you would have found I hide nothing everything is posted warts and all,including my spelling.
Bands of grown men playing with toys and being proud of it,does not constitute a cause,just a reason to head to the pub afterwards.
So if spending nearly thirty years of my life serving both my community and my country is misogynistic then I've no issue with it.
As for subnormal spelling it didn't seem to effect my ability to gain a Nursing degree ,or any other qualification I've achieved .
But a fair observation would be predictive text,and dyslexia don't always mix.
Mark.

[Cubs]

Actually, a large distributor on the East Coast in the USA stipulated tht they would only carry lead-free figures which forced a lot of the US manufacturers to change over...

Mike

From Wiki -

"Traditionally, miniatures were cast in white metal, an alloy of lead and tin. A small amount of antimony was sometimes added to improve the alloy's ability to take fine detail. In 1993, the New York legislature introduced a bill outlawing lead in miniatures, citing public health concerns. Many miniature manufacturers, anticipating that other states would also impose bans, began making figures with lead-free alloys, often at increased price. After months of debate and protests by miniature manufacturers and enthusiasts, New York Governor Mario Cuomo signed a bill which exempted miniatures from the state's Public Health Law. Despite this, most American manufacturers continued to use non-lead alloys."

There we go, I knew I'd seen it somewhere.

[Westfalia Chris]

Allright,

I think it is time for a breather. I'll lock the thread for the time being so everybody can calm down a bit and we'll see if we can re-open it at a later time.