“My whole life was involved with measurements and precision work and he said I’d probably adapt to it, which I did,” Mr Stewart said.

Seven years after he sent away for his first scale model kit, his prized replicas of timber and canvas ocean going vessels of all shapes and sizes fill two display cabinets.

Over the weekend, the 71-year-old got the chance to share his passion with a wider audience at the Border Scale Modellers’ annual exhibition and competition at Wodonga Senior Secondary College’s John Galvin Hall.

Among the displays of tiny helicopters, semi-trailers, motorcycles, hotrods, dinosaurs, army tanks and fighter jets, Mr Stewart’s array of six minutely detailed vessels featured an 1803 Port Jackson schooner, two ships in a bottle and his pride and joy, a 19th century whale boat.

“It has triple planking — so much detail,” he said.

Border Scale Modellers treasurer Kelly Knott, whose speciality is 1/35th-scale armoured vehicles, said the exhibition’s popularity had grown steadily since the club’s first display in 2009, with enthusiasts and traders from Adelaide, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Wagga, Nagambie, Corryong, Corowa and Albury- Wodonga among the exhibitors.

“The number of traders that come along is encouraging because that’s always a good indicator,” he said.

“If they’re happy to come along — and there’s lots of people coming through and lots on display — they know it’s worthwhile.”

Mr Stewart has made about 10 scale models plus 15 ships in a bottle, some of which he has given to close friends.

“The satisfaction you get is in their completion and it is certainly a challenge,” he said.

“It’s not for the impatient.”