Birth challenge sparks model passion
Tokoroa great grandfather Ken Ward never set out to become a model truck builder.
But when his 18 grandchildren kept having daughters, and no sons, he decided to set what seemed to be a near impossible challenge.
‘‘I said to them if one of you can produce a great grandson, and he is born on Christmas Day, I will build him a model truck,’’ Ward said.
‘‘I’d always liked trucks, I used to drive them, but I had never made a model in my life.
‘‘I thought it would never happen, it would never happen, until it did about six years ago.’’
Fast forward to 2018 he now has 21 great grandchildren, three of which are boys, and he’s just completed his third truck.
‘‘My second great grandson wasn’t born on Christmas Day but because I had built a truck for my first he needed one too.
‘‘My third great grandson was born about three weeks ago but his father can build him a truck otherwise I’ll be building them for the rest of my life.’’
That’s not to say he’s stopping any time soon.
His latest model is a highly detailed Kenworth completed with detachable trailers that he’s built almost entirely from bits and pieces found around his home.
‘‘I thought well I am building up the skills so I might as well make another one and this one is mine.
‘‘The other two were nowhere near as fancy as this.
‘‘The first one was made from a lot of wood but this one is mostly metals.
‘‘I made the wheels on my wood lathe and used a garden hose and rubber matting, the television screen inside the cab is a former garden solar light, a toothpaste top has been used as a fuel cap, and the tool storage boxes are made from mint tins.
‘‘I just see something and think ‘oh that will work’ even if sometimes it doesn’t.’’
The level of detail is mind blowing.
The truck’s seats go back and forth, the gear levels are adjustable, the windows go up and down, and it even has a dipstick.
‘‘It has taken me 500 hours over two years.
‘‘I didn’t really know how it was going to turn out but it’s turned out pretty good.
‘‘It hasn’t been easy though. It took me weeks to figure out how to make the wheels turn.
‘‘There was a truck parked in town so I went and had a look.
‘‘I should have really asked the driver first because he goes ‘what the hell do you think you are doing?’ and told me to piss off.
‘‘I figured it out though,’’ he laughed.
He said his garage cum model workshop has become a popular place when his great grandchildren visit.
‘‘Most of them have come up and seen it and they all want one.
‘‘They say ‘what are you going to do with it Granddad, can I have it?’ ’’
Ward, who is also a self taught carpenter and car painter, said anything was achievable with the right attitude and he encouraged others to give model making a go.
‘‘It doesn’t matter if you don’t get it right the first time, some of my attempts were disasters, but you don’t give up.
‘‘Go and have a cup of tea and then come back and have another go.
‘‘Eventually you get it right,’’ he said.