I drink tea (or sometimes coke) when I'm working on or running my trains. I totally quit alcohol many years ago due to my gout and can say I don't miss it. I have learned that relaxing without alcohol is not only possible, but it's better. Since any alcohol affects you, I would not use tools when drinking. Even if you don't hurt yourself, you increase the chances of screwing up whatever you're working on.
Enjoy
Paul
While I grant that this doesn't have anything to do with model railroading specifically, I don't see where this is going to spoil the minds of children and lead to them being alchoholics.
I'm working on getting over my own devil but reading posts like this didn't make me that way, nor did watching tv or movies. No it was a family thing, still is.
That said, over the last few years I've gone from a 12 pack a night to a 6 pack a week, pretty good I think. Lately though there's been lots of family stress to deal with, a dying grandfather and a non functional father, and sad to say I'm kinda back at it.
To answer the OP, yes I do have a coulpe beers while working on the layout, it's a relaxation thing. And while I can't say anything bad has happened I can actually say it has helped on a couple occasions. There's been some times when I was trying to figure out track arrangements and had so many ideas and possibilities running through mymind that I needed some "clarity" , slow down and think time.
No I don't condone drinking to excess, that'swhy I'm trying to quit. But I have no problem with folks who do enjoy responsibly. And let's face it, we all have a vice, be it smoking, OCD, collecting toy trains etc, everyone has something they do that other people don't understand and wonder 'why/how do they do that?"
Modeling the Cleveland and Pittsburgh during the PennCentral era starting on the Cleveland lakefront and ending in Mingo junction
Great topic. Fun to read all of your comments. As for me one of the things i enjoy about the hobby is it gives me something else to do besides sit in a bar with my buddies talking about things i have done, Or things i am gonna do. I have great friends and while most of them are sitting on a bar stool talking about things they are gonna do. I am home doing things, plus on saturday or sunday morning i still have all that money in my pocket that i can use for trains, tools, home projects, fun stuff. I hope that make sense? I remember what Rod Stewart said in his interview in the December 2010 issue of MRR, On page 59 he says "Relaxation can go too far i've learned the hard way that i can't build after a couple glasses of wine-the results are never good!" After seeing his layout i would have to say i think he must know what he is talking about? It's your life do what makes you happy. Thayne,
After a day at work, I enjoy opening a beer and sitting down at my workbench to make a bit of progress on structure models. Both activities are relaxing, and I generally don't feel that I'm "modeling under the influence" with just that first cold one. However, if I'm doing really fine paint work, I save the beer until after I'm done. And, of course, alcohol and solder do not mix.
Like anything else, know your limits. And don't push them.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.