I had the same urge i.e. do something physical but something that was still technical in nature and you could use it as hobby income.
I bought a laundromat 5 years ago. Learned to fix mechanical issues, troubleshoot electrical issues. Learned to use tools to pull bearings out, using heat torches to remove worn out sleeves from a shaft, understanding how water valves, solenoids works. Learnt a lot.
While it is not as crazy as building something new, it is the closest I could get to with my software engineer career. My friends thought I was nuts.
Although it sounds like my idea of hell personally (well not quite, but very much not something I can imagine enjoying at all), I love that you don't feel the same way and that it actually was a good choice for hobby / side gig.
Can I ask how it's been as a money maker? I'm curious whether it's a bit of extra change here and there as a nice side-benefit to all the learning it's given you, or if it actually pulls in decent profits? (And to contextualise the answer, in which country?)
I bought a laundromat 5 years ago. Learned to fix mechanical issues, troubleshoot electrical issues. Learned to use tools to pull bearings out, using heat torches to remove worn out sleeves from a shaft, understanding how water valves, solenoids works. Learnt a lot.
While it is not as crazy as building something new, it is the closest I could get to with my software engineer career. My friends thought I was nuts.