What a cool thread! Pinside has a lot of creative, talented and smart members - I love it when they share on a thread like this.
Don't let the cranky whiners that are missing the point of your thread (on purpose) stop anyone from posting threads like this. They generally just like to hear themselves talk.
Don't even get me started on hobbies that don't always pay for themselves - hunting, fishing, woodworking, blacksmithing, making your own lumber, old car restorations, etc - people enjoy what they enjoy!