Model hobby

Al Renken stood as a couple walked up to his stand Thursday at the Tri-State Antique Engine and Tractor Show.

They had been admiring his bridge marble tower. The structure — it’s made out of toothpicks and resembles a roller coaster — allows for marbles to be inserted and make their way through various types of bridges connected to six towers.

“You’re never too old to play with marbles,” Renken said with a smile, handing a marble to the couple to try it out.

Renken, a member of the Indiana Covered Bridge Society, makes various toothpick bridge models. He sets up his collection at shows and festivals throughout Indiana, including Redkey’s Gas Boom Days, Portland’s Heritage Days and, this week, at the show at Jay County Fairgrounds.

A carpenter and former contractor, his interest in the hobby dates back to 1987. He recalled walking into his architect’s office to see three model bridges on the wall.

“I said someday, I’m going to do that,” he said.

About six years ago, Renken was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He said he’s underwent approximately 15 bladder surgeries, having to go through the procedure approximately every 130 days. He endured 12 weeks of intensive chemotherapy, and in March — it was about two weeks after finishing the treatment — he underwent neobladder surgery.

“I’m happy to be here, in many ways,” said Renken, a Bluffton resident and disabled Army veteran.

Throughout his medical treatment, he decided it was time for him to pick up the toothpick-building hobby.

Renken has built 101 wooden bridges over the last six years, varying in size and style. Some are less than a foot long, others span an entire tabletop. 

That’s a lot of toothpicks. Usually, he doesn’t keep count.

Two of his largest designs, one modeled after the George Washington bridge over the Hudson River between New Jersey and New York and the other a trestle bridge inspired by a similar bridge in Wyoming, sit in displays on either end of his setup. They’re the only two he kept a running count of toothpicks used in them — George Washington bridge has 3,960 toothpicks, and the trestle bridge has 3,780 toothpicks.

Renken’s latest design pictured above, the bridge marble tower, resembles a roller coaster. The toothpick creation whirls marbles around six different towers, passing through a few styles of bridges on the way. Folks passing by Renken’s stand may donate $1 to purchase four marbles to use on the tower and to keep afterward. (The Commercial Review/Bailey Cline)

“These are my tools,” explained Renken, showing off filed-down tweezers and a pair of nail clippers.

He uses his tools to cut and shape the toothpicks before gluing them into place. His craft involves a lot of trial-and-error, as toothpicks are flimsy and can break easily.

Still Renken is up for this challenge. His expertise with wood comes as a result of his career. Now retired, Renken previously served as a general contractor, installing theatrical curtains and building stages in the southwestern part of the United States. Some of his work included stages for Disneyland, the University of Arizona and the University of New Mexico.

Formerly a resident of Tucson, Arizona, he visited Angola several years ago to deliver a heavy motor. The greener grass and milder temperatures convinced Renken to move to Indiana.

“I loved the green, the green kept me,” he said.

Although he has a full carpentry shop, Renken decided to use toothpicks for his designs to mirror the original models built with the same materials.

Renken started on his latest creation, the bridge marble tower, on Sept. 29. He finished the structure in July. Marbles move along a track, winding down around six towers and passing through various model bridges. LED lights spiral down the towers, lighting up the exhibit at night.

Visitors to Renken's stand next to the grandstands at the fairgrounds may donate $1 into a collection box — it’s a small covered bridge designed from toothpicks and popsicle sticks — to get four marbles that may be used for and retrieved from the bridge marble tower. 

 

 This week at the show, Renken is working on his next project, a grist mill complete with a water wheel, a ferris wheel on top and bridges on either side. The structure — Renken estimates it will be 32 inches wide, 16 inches long and 28 inches tall — will also involve moving a marble through its system. Renken spent Thursday morning trimming and shaping toothpicks and securing them to a base for the roof of the structure.

He’s planning to continue working on the model at  the Cumberland Covered Bridge Festival, which starts Sept. 6 in Upland.

Renken noted he’s been asked how he has the patience to work on his projects. 

“What does patience have to do with it,” he said. “It’s just fun.”