James Brunton of Ashburton loves Harley-Davidsons, and has always wanted to build a model of one of the iconic motorcycles.
As a member of the Ashburton MenzShed, the 48-year-old has been able to fulfil that dream, recently completing one made out of a variety of different types of wood.
‘‘It’s my favourite motorbike in the world,’’ Brunton said.
He is also full of praise for the men’s shed itself, a popular group which has more than 60 members.
‘‘I adore it,’’ Brunton said.
While he does not drive himself, Brunton is an admirer of not only Harley-Davidsons, but also fire engines, and built a model of one of these in 2022.
He said he enjoyed ‘‘the camaraderie of the men that look after me’’ and was grateful for fellow member Ian Knight helping him build the motorcycle model.
Knight, who joined the men’s shed when he retired about five years ago, said Brunton’s enthusiasm had powered the project.
‘‘Every day that he turns up, he says ‘What are we going to do?’ He can’t wait to get into it,’’ Knight said.
The motorbike construction was undertaken based on a picture of a motorbike on the internet. Each piece of wood was glued in place, after being shaped with handtools, saws and a file.
‘‘We just did it by eye basically, there was no measurements or anything.’’
The model is almost complete with just another layer of Danish oil to be applied.
* Ashburton MenzShed at 8 William St is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 9am to 2pm. Visitors are welcome.
