Fethiye Fishing Boat model building guide Part 1

In this page, i will translate Nebi Yıkaroğlu’s model Fethiye fishing boat building experiences to you from his own blog. If you want to download the plan set, please click here

Although i am not a very crafty model boat builder, i started to build traditional Fethiye fishing boat’s model. I was the one who drew her model anyway… But when i finished planking and applied putty on the boat hull, i realized a mistake which almost left the boat unrecoverable. The mistake was applying a wood filling putty over the planks and covering it with glue instead of polyester putty as someone advised me. At first, it seemed perfect but with summer heat of Fethiye, the putty started to crack . I was very disappointed. I thought all my effort was trashed and i abandoned my little model boat on my table for the whole summer.

Fethiye fishing model boat building guide 1

It stayed there untill i grabbed it once more this week and blew the dust on the model away. I started thinking a way to correct it somehow. I worked a lot to draw the plan, so i couldn’t let this model lay under dust and get forgotten. I started removing the putty from the edge of the cracks. And i decided to remove all and start over, document the process and publish it on my blog.

Fethiye fishing model boat building guide  2

I made up my mind started working. The first step was to hang the plan on the wall. This was a sign showing that i started. To give the building history in right order, i will include the previous steps untill this mistake.

Fethiye fishing model boat building guide  3

I started with cutting Fethiye fishing boat’s 4 piece keel. I used 4mm poplar plywood for keel and the frames. The reason why the keel was 4 pieces is to prevent the hull bend while planking it.

Fethiye fishing model boat building guide 4

After the keel, i cut 19 frames out of the plywood. I checked each of them carefully and corrected the faults by sanding.

Fethiye fishing model boat building guide  5

Then i placed the temporary frames which were going to be on the mid section of the boat carefully on the temporary keel. Checked each and fixed them with glue. Now everything is ready to get the keel and the frames together.

Fethiye fishing model boat building guide 6

Then i fixed the 3 pieces forming the keel on a straight surface and placed the frames in their pockets. I made sure that each of them are placed right and straight, then i glued and fixed them. Untill this point, there was almost no piece required correction by sanding. All the frames sat on their place firmly.

Fethiye fishing model boat building guide  7

Slowly, i reached to the planking phase. I was very curious about how would it be to plank this boat which has a different form, especially at aft section. I started planking from the keel side of the hull. I started shaping the planks with hot water when i felt a resistence while shaping the planks to the rounder aft and fore frames. Hot water eases the way a lot, made me quite comfortable at the hard areas.

Fethiye fishing model boat building guide  8

 

After a while, i placed the top planks and the ones in the middle of the hull. I started to feel hardship at the aft section. Seemed like there will be many filling planks. What would come out especially from my hands as a rookie model builder?

Fethiye fishing model boat building guide  9

 

The model looked like this and i did not experience a major problem up to this point.

Fethiye fishing model boat building guide 10

The hull planking is almost finished…

 

Fethiye fishing model boat building guide  10

 

When i finished hull planking and came to putty phase, i encountered an undesired result because of a wrong choice i made as i told you before. The surface of the putty started cracking when the weather got hot. I was so disappointed and i left the project for 3 months. Lesson was learned. Polyester putty is the best.

Fethiye fishing model boat building guide 11

It was a very upset situation. The wrong decision ruined my one week effort. This model was very special to me since it is made from a plan which i drew on my own.

 

 

 

Fethiye fishing model boat building guide  12

Then i took the boat and i gave myself a second chance. I thought what would it look like after sanding down all the cracked putty and applying polyester putty carefully again? I sanded the old putty carefully and managed to remove all the cracked surface. And i gained my passion back as it is the first day.

Fethiye fishing model boat building guide  13

 

 

 

I was so happy to see the model coming alive from it’s ashes. Now it was the time to apply polyester putty and wait for one day.

Fethiye fishing model boat building guide  14

 

I painted the hull after i sanded the dried putty to check the faulty surfaces. There were few areas but there were no major repair needed. I applied some putty over there and left it to dry for one more day.

Fethiye fishing model boat building guide  15

After the second layer of the paint, i obtained a smoother surface and continued sanding with a thinner sand paper. In this phase i also removed the temporary frames and added the bottom planks in the boat. I left small gaps between these planks which i think would look more natural.

 

Fethiye fishing model boat building guide  16

 

Then another layer of paint. Seems like ok. I will continue with some other arrangements in the boat tomorrow.

Fethiye fishing model boat building guide  17

I started placing the fake frames which i cut at 45 degree angles, inside the boat.

Fethiye fishing model boat building guide  18

The inner side started to get it’s shape. At the same time i cut paper templates to get the shape of the decks.

Fethiye fishing model boat building guide  19


I transfered the template over a cardboard and then cut it out of the deck board.

Fethiye fishing model boat building guide  20

 

I placed the deck on it’s place and started shaping it by sanding. After approximately one hour it fit quite nicely.

Fethiye fishing model boat building guide  21

Continue the deck arrangement…

Fethiye fishing model boat building guide  22

 

I applied paint on the deck and the middle section. I thought it is a better idea to paint it before placing the deck parts. I used enamel paint and chose the most common color of these traditional boats. “Mediterranean blue”.

Fethiye fishing model boat building guide 23

I left the paint to dry. But i couldn’t get it thin enough so it seems like it is gonna dry a little slower.

Fethiye fishing model boat building guide 24

I started placing the frame tips carefully on their places.

Fethiye fishing model boat building guide  25

Painting continues after placing the frame tips.

Fethiye fishing model boat building guide  26

Click here to see Part 2!

Click here to download the model boat plans

You may also like...

8 Responses

  1. mike phillips says:

    i like what your doing. your scale of model is larger than the ones i do. i would love to try your plan one day and give it a try . i mainly do model boats made of balsa

  2. Ian Smith says:

    If you do this Mike then (as I have done) download the plans and take them (on a flash drive) to a company that does large sheet printing and have them printed A1 size as this is as close as you get to the plan size’s, Iv’e copied from the plans using tracing paper then onto ply over carbon paper to get outline for cutting, is best if you have a band-saw for this as is a bit difficult with jigsaw. I make quite a few boats the most being Banks Dory’s all are over 15in long with sails, also 2ft fishing / cargo ship from the late 60’s. all made without plans only photo’s.
    This one is in the skeleton stage waiting to dry before planking am quite enjoying doing this one.

  3. Alan says:

    Very nice work Nebi, I especially like the lights you made and the small gaps between the deck planks do make it more realistic. Well done.

  4. uki44 says:

    this model printed in A1 paper ?

  5. Charles Bovalis says:

    I am very crafty but never built a model boat before so I will give this one a try. Question: what do you use for planking ? 2mm plywood ? or other type of wood ?

    Any feedback would be appreciated

  6. Thomas Vink says:

    Can you please send me the plans in pdf?

  1. January 12, 2015

    […] He prepared the plan set on two sheets. The plans are very clear and almost everything is obvious but i will add some translations on Nebi’s notes for you. Nebi and Özer also built the model, and shared their experience with us. Click here for tutorial. […]

  2. March 3, 2015

    […] For the 1st part, please click here. […]