The USS Hartford’s shipboard bell is in storage at the Travelers Cos. in downtown Hartford. A plaque commemorating the Civil War-era military vessel is squirreled away at the city’s convention center.

Build anything you can imagine, scaled down to fit on your desk. These historical vehicles and sci-fi starships alike.

If you like crafty projects and tinkering with mechanical parts, building models kits is probably one of your hobbies. It’s ...