I am sad and devastated to announce the passing of Jim Byrnes, my dear friend and owner of Model Machines

[Chuck]

She knows....

[Jaager]

Were this Japan,  Jim would qualify as a national treasure. His skill, craftsmanship, precision, and material selection has no competition.  His determination to do it right  harkens back  to a lost era and was rare even then. 

Would that he had trained up a group of apprentices.  His passing will leave an immense hole.

[Anthony Hearne]

Very sad news.  My condolences to the family.

[Rustyj]

I am heartbroken to hear the news of Jims passing. Like many I have met and conversed with Jim and Donna for many years. Finer people you will not find. My sincere condolences to Donna and the rest of the family. Jim will be truly missed.

[Reggiemon]

Gosh, this makes me so sad. He was too young.

My deepest condolences to Donna and his family,

[GregGarriss]

I went to the Model Machines site this morning to order some supplies and just saw the tragic news. Though not a modeler, I've been buying his equipment for the past 11 years and greatly appreciated the advice and guidance he gave me.  Looking around here, there's a lot of work that he made possible. No matter how the family decides to go forward, he has left a legacy for us all.  

[Archi]

My condolences to the family.

[Wawona59]

Very Sad News.  My sincere condolences to Jim's wife Donna and the family.  Although I never had the pleasure to meet Jim personally, I know he was one of the stalwarts in our ship modeling community.  He will be missed but not forgotten.

[Asiram]

A few years ago I heard about Byrnes machines. (In Spain they are not common) I bought several and they seemed to be of exceptional quality. I received cordial attention from Donna. Donna: From Spain I send you my sincere condolences. Carlos

[BANYAN]

Hi folks, does anyone know if Donna has returned to the business yet?  I have tried contacting her several times (two different email addresses) but have not heard anything back.  Grieving can take a while to come to grips with, and I fully understand if she has decided not to return yet - simply asking.  I do not wish to pester her with emails until she is comfortable.

 

cheers

 

Pat

[dvm27]

I ordered from the website two weeks ago and the order was promptly dispatched. But the order was for accessories/sanding paper. With regards to the actual hard goods I believe the family is still working on a plan to maintain the business but this will take awhile.

[billt]

I've been off the site for a while and just saw this.  Very sad news indeed.    I have one of his  saws and love it.  It is a great machine and proves how talented he was.

[YankeeD]

I have also been off-side and just heard about this sad news.

 

My condolences go to his family. Having a very close, young (37) relative being diagnosed with ALS I know how this disease can hit you like a rock.

 

Hans.

[homer]

I’m so sorry to hear this. He and Donna were always very kind and helpful.