Hello Ships of Scale community,
I’d like to share the story of my father, Jack, and ask for your help. Jack was a lifelong model shipbuilder whose passion spanned nearly seven decades. He passed away almost two years ago, and now our family is looking to sell his workshop – an extensive collection of tools, miniature tools, parts, and materials for model ship building – to someone who will appreciate and use them. Below, I’ll briefly introduce my father’s model ship legacy, highlight his achievements (including a challenge he overcame with Superstorm Sandy), describe the tools and parts available, and explain why I’m reaching out to this group.
Despite his extraordinary skill, Jack was humble about his hobby. He didn’t showcase his work in public exhibits (he felt he “didn’t want to be a showoff”), but friends and family knew about his talent. His workshop was his happy place, and famously neat – everything had a place and a labeled cubby for easy organization. If you needed a particular tiny tool or a specific size of wooden strip, he could pull it from a drawer in seconds. He also loved sharing tips: he even contributed advice for beginners in a magazine article, recommending resources like Model Expo for kits and Micro-Mark for quality tools. (That gives you an idea of his reputation; he was consulted for his expertise.) Above all, Jack just loved the process of building. He often spent a few hours in the workshop each night, happily creating, tinkering, and fixing either a ship or another mini project. As he once joked, “My world is a miniature world”, and he was perfectly content there.
However, not everything was smooth sailing. In October 2012, Superstorm Sandy hit Long Island and flooded Jack’s basement workshop. This was devastating: about half of his tools (many of them specialty hobby tools collected worldwide) ended up rusted beyond use, and the water ruined decades’ worth of carefully saved exotic wood stock and supplies. Moreover, in the chaotic aftermath, movers helped us lift his three dozen completed ship models to safety, but about half of those models were damaged in the process – masts snapped, rigging tangled, etc.. My father was heartbroken; he said the storm “took a piece of my heart out” because it wrecked so many of his creations and tools.
Yet, Jack’s resilience showed through. Even in his 80s, he did not give upon his hobby. While the house was being repaired (my parents lived in a hotel for almost a year), he refused to discard the rusted tools or damaged models – he kept everything, determined to fix what he could. After returning home, he gradually restored his workshop and began repairing the ships. He spent months replacing broken masts and re-threading rigging by hand. By the time he passed away (late 2023), many of his favorite models were lovingly brought back close to their former glory. This period was tough, but it highlighted how deeply Jack cared about model shipbuilding. He often said the hobby gave him inner peace, and that remained true even as he rebuilt things after the storm.
How you can help: If you have any interest in acquiring some of these tools, materials, or even completed models, please reach out to me. You can reply to this post or send me a private message. Whether you’re looking for a specific item or you’d like to discuss taking a large portion of the collection, I’m open to making arrangements that work for everyone. I can provide photos, detailed lists of what’s available, and we can discuss pricing (our goal is to re-home these items, not to make top dollar – we are flexible, within reason). The collection is located in New York. For large equipment or bulk purchases, we could arrange pickup or delivery options.
Additionally, I welcome any advice on the best way to go about this. If you’ve dealt with selling or donating hobby collections or if you know of clubs, museums, or schools that might be interested, please let me know. We’ve considered possibilities like donating portions to a local model club or splitting up the lot, and we’re trying to figure out what makes the most sense. Your insights as experienced builders could be very helpful in this process.
Thank you for taking the time to read about my father and his workshop. Jack put his heart into this hobby, and it means a lot to us to honor that. By finding a good home for his tools and materials, we hope to keep his passion alive through others. If his story resonates with you or if his tools could support your own model-building endeavors, we’d love to hear from you.
Fair winds and following seas to all of you, and we truly appreciate any interest or guidance.
I’d like to share the story of my father, Jack, and ask for your help. Jack was a lifelong model shipbuilder whose passion spanned nearly seven decades. He passed away almost two years ago, and now our family is looking to sell his workshop – an extensive collection of tools, miniature tools, parts, and materials for model ship building – to someone who will appreciate and use them. Below, I’ll briefly introduce my father’s model ship legacy, highlight his achievements (including a challenge he overcame with Superstorm Sandy), describe the tools and parts available, and explain why I’m reaching out to this group.
About Jack and His Passion for Model Ships
Jack’s journey in model shipbuilding started in childhood and became a lifelong devotion. He built his first model ship at age 10 and never stopped. Over the years, he completed dozens of intricate ship models, including replicas of famous vessels like the Titanic and the USS Constitution, as well as historic warships like the Sovereign of the Seas. Each model was a labor of love often taking a year or more to finish, because Jack had an incredible eye for detail and craftsmanship. He insisted on doing things the right way – for example, he would hand-taper his own masts from wood (rather than buying pre-made ones) and used tiny workable hinges on doors and cannon ports instead of gluing them shut, striving for realism in every aspect. His miniature ships featured finely planked decks, carefully rigged sails, and authentic touches that wowed those who saw them.Despite his extraordinary skill, Jack was humble about his hobby. He didn’t showcase his work in public exhibits (he felt he “didn’t want to be a showoff”), but friends and family knew about his talent. His workshop was his happy place, and famously neat – everything had a place and a labeled cubby for easy organization. If you needed a particular tiny tool or a specific size of wooden strip, he could pull it from a drawer in seconds. He also loved sharing tips: he even contributed advice for beginners in a magazine article, recommending resources like Model Expo for kits and Micro-Mark for quality tools. (That gives you an idea of his reputation; he was consulted for his expertise.) Above all, Jack just loved the process of building. He often spent a few hours in the workshop each night, happily creating, tinkering, and fixing either a ship or another mini project. As he once joked, “My world is a miniature world”, and he was perfectly content there.
Achievements and Challenges Over the Years
In his lifetime, Jack built an impressive collection of model ships, ranging from small 18-inch models to big 4-foot-long man-of-war replicas. Some of his proudest works included the HMS Sovereign of the Seas (a 17th-century warship), a fully detailed pirate ship (where he even simulated age and “wormwood” in the planks), and a charming scale model of the Ford Model T car just for variety. He poured countless hours into these projects, and each finished model reflected his dedication – complete with historical accuracy and a bit of personal artistic flair.However, not everything was smooth sailing. In October 2012, Superstorm Sandy hit Long Island and flooded Jack’s basement workshop. This was devastating: about half of his tools (many of them specialty hobby tools collected worldwide) ended up rusted beyond use, and the water ruined decades’ worth of carefully saved exotic wood stock and supplies. Moreover, in the chaotic aftermath, movers helped us lift his three dozen completed ship models to safety, but about half of those models were damaged in the process – masts snapped, rigging tangled, etc.. My father was heartbroken; he said the storm “took a piece of my heart out” because it wrecked so many of his creations and tools.
Yet, Jack’s resilience showed through. Even in his 80s, he did not give upon his hobby. While the house was being repaired (my parents lived in a hotel for almost a year), he refused to discard the rusted tools or damaged models – he kept everything, determined to fix what he could. After returning home, he gradually restored his workshop and began repairing the ships. He spent months replacing broken masts and re-threading rigging by hand. By the time he passed away (late 2023), many of his favorite models were lovingly brought back close to their former glory. This period was tough, but it highlighted how deeply Jack cared about model shipbuilding. He often said the hobby gave him inner peace, and that remained true even as he rebuilt things after the storm.
Workshop Tools and Parts for Sale
Now, our family hopes to find a good home for Jack’s collection of model-building tools and materials. It’s a wide array of equipment — essentially everything you would need to build model ships (or similar miniatures), gathered over a lifetime. Here’s an overview of what’s available (see attached pictures as well):- Precision Hand Tools: An extensive set of fine hand tools for detailed work. This includes dozens of X-Acto knives and blades, micro chisels and files, miniature saws, Micro-Mark specialty tools (one of his go-to sources), precision pliers and tweezers, tiny drills and pin vises, clamps, and more. If you can think of a hand tool used in model making, he probably had it. Many are gently used, some nearly new (replacements he bought after Sandy). These tools enabled him to do everything from delicate carvings to intricate rigging work.
- Small Power Tools and Equipment: Benchtop and handheld power tools ideal for hobby craftsmanship. Notably, there’s a mini drill press, a Dremel rotary tool (with a full assortment of bits and accessories), a small scroll saw for precision cutting, a specialized sander, and even a mini lathe for turning tiny wooden parts like masts or barrels. All are in working order and were used in his workshop for years. For example, he used the drill press and lathe to custom-make dowels and wooden fittings for ships. These are quality tools (some from Micro-Mark as well) designed for miniature work, not full-size carpentry, so they’re perfect for model building tasks.
- Materials and Supplies: A large stock of model-building materials. This includes bundles of thin wood strips and sheets (mahogany, cherry, basswood, walnut, teak, etc.) for planking and deck details, wooden dowels of various diameters for masts and spars, and exotic hardwood pieces he saved from lumber yards and projects over 40+ year
(great for scratch-building authentic-looking ships). There are also metal parts and raw materials: brass rods, copper wire, photo-etched detailing parts, plus paints, stains, glues (some marine-grade epoxies), and fine sandpapers. Essentially, it’s a treasure trove of the consumable materials needed for models. - Model Ship Fittings and Parts: Boxes and organizers filled with tiny fittings and spare parts. For example, you’ll find trays of miniature brass nails, pins, and pegs (for planking and fastening), assorted rigging line (various thicknesses of waxed threads and ropes for rigging ships), pre-made rigging blocks and deadeyes, little anchors, cannons and cannon wheels, ship’s wheel pieces, lanterns, and other decorative bits. These were accumulated from hobby shops and kits over decades – sorted and labeled. Having this collection can save you countless hours hunting for just the right sized part or waiting for orders, since many of the bits you need are likely right there.
- Plans and References: We also have some rolled-up ship blueprints/plan sets and a few naval history and model-building books that Jack used for reference. If someone is interested in those (maybe to continue a project he hadn’t finished), we’d be happy to include them.
Why I’m Sharing This & How You Can Help
I’m reaching out to the Ships of Scale community because we want these specialized items to go to people who will truly appreciate them. Jack’s tools were very dear to him, and it would be comforting to know they’ll be used to create new models (in a way, allowing his legacy to carry on). Instead of listing everything on generic auction sites or letting them gather dust, we thought it best to connect with fellow model ship enthusiasts. This group understands the value of a perfectly balanced miniature chisel or a bundle of Swiss pear wood for deck planks.How you can help: If you have any interest in acquiring some of these tools, materials, or even completed models, please reach out to me. You can reply to this post or send me a private message. Whether you’re looking for a specific item or you’d like to discuss taking a large portion of the collection, I’m open to making arrangements that work for everyone. I can provide photos, detailed lists of what’s available, and we can discuss pricing (our goal is to re-home these items, not to make top dollar – we are flexible, within reason). The collection is located in New York. For large equipment or bulk purchases, we could arrange pickup or delivery options.
Additionally, I welcome any advice on the best way to go about this. If you’ve dealt with selling or donating hobby collections or if you know of clubs, museums, or schools that might be interested, please let me know. We’ve considered possibilities like donating portions to a local model club or splitting up the lot, and we’re trying to figure out what makes the most sense. Your insights as experienced builders could be very helpful in this process.
Thank you for taking the time to read about my father and his workshop. Jack put his heart into this hobby, and it means a lot to us to honor that. By finding a good home for his tools and materials, we hope to keep his passion alive through others. If his story resonates with you or if his tools could support your own model-building endeavors, we’d love to hear from you.
Fair winds and following seas to all of you, and we truly appreciate any interest or guidance.
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