Iola collection heads to museum

By Holly Neumann

An Iola resident is bringing his hobby to a Michigan museum later this year.

Bill Lund’s display of replicas of military vessels will be featured at the Holland Museum in Holland from Aug. 17 through Sept. 23.

“If you dream it, you can build it,” said Lund, a history buff and retired science teacher. “You start with an idea, find something of interest and you’re on your way.”

He begins with a diagram, blows it up to see how things have to be, scales it and cuts the pieces out of light plywood to make hulls and other parts.

“You just cut away everything that doesn’t look like a boat,” he said. “After all the pieces are cut out, I put the motor system in.”

Batteries are used to power the engines. For some boats, Lund uses a conventional direct current motor designed to run windshield wipers on Chevrolet trucks.

“They are easy and simple and I have used some of them,” he said. “The newer motors are out-runner motors. They get you a lot more power.”

The building process begins with the use of wood and plastic pieces.

“All of the ships I build have a place in history: the USS Sims, which was the first destroyer lost during the battle at Coral Sea, a LCVP landing ship, a World War I sub chaser, Eagle boats, the first ships built by Ford and the USS Ward,” Lund said.

His favorite is the Sea Mule.

“It is ugly and not made for speed, but it is grossly powerful,” he said.

Ships made to scale

Each ship is made to scale and is detailed to make it as authentic as possible.

“I use a 3-D printer to create just about anything you can imagine,” Lund said. “If you’re going to have a cannon, you have to have the ammunition box by the cannon.”

Once complete, the vessels are sealed four times on the inside and out and given three coats of paint.

Several pounds of BBs are placed inside the ships to keep them balanced in the water.

“I have been doing this since 2014 and I haven’t been able to stop,” Lund said. “It’s all about problem solving. You go from a lined drawn picture to a real object that looks like the real thing.”

Playing with these ships is just as fun as making them and Lund is looking forward to displaying them at the museum.

“It’s one thing to go out to Sunset Lake and play around with them or let a kid play with one, but it is really something to share with a lot more people,” he said. “I get to share my stuff. I get to share history.”

The display includes a book for most of his ships, artwork and an explanation so people can see where each boat comes from.

Lund also hopes to bring his fleet to the U.S. Coast Guard Station near Holland.

“I know they will be on duty, but I am sure they would have a ball with them and find it very interesting,” he said.

Lund believes this is a way of presenting history so people can understand what happened and the incredible bravery of some of the people that manned these vessels.

“There is a lot of cool history out there and a lot of respect for those people who put their butts on the line in the name of keeping freedom free,” he said.