Classic Venetian Vessel 1780 by Michele Padoan - scala 1/44

[MICHELE PADOAN]

Per la prima volta mi ritrovo coinvolto nella ricerca storica (sebbene il lavoro di ricerca e sviluppo del piano sia quasi interamente di Luigi Ombrato) di una nave veneziana. Fu l'idea di realizzare una nave italiana in contrasto con la miriade di navi francesi e inglesi che alla fine mi convinse. Poi considerando la possibilità di fare anche un vaso veneziano poiché anch'io veneto essendo nato a Chioggia, tutti i miei timori sono svaniti. Per scelta modellistica ho deciso di rimanere entro gli anni '80 del Settecento poiché, a differenza di francesi e inglesi, nelle costruzioni veneziane si usava ancora il sistema ad una costola costruita con la tecnica dei partisoni arrivando a utilizzare ben nove pezzi per costruire un unico rib, una realizzazione a livello modellistico più complicata del doppio rib ma tipica delle nostre navi. Lo studio è iniziato esaminando attraverso rilievi due modelli appartenenti alla collezione del Museo della Marina di Venezia; dopo attenti confronti si è stabilito che questi modelli appartengono alla classe che prende il nome di 1780. La scala del modello preso in esame è 1:22; rispetto ai disegni della classe 1780 conservati nell'Archivio di Trieste, la scala della tavola della classe 1780 è 1:44, il doppio del modello in questione.

 

For the first time I find myself involved in the historical research (although the research and development work on the plan is almost entirely by Luigi Ombrato) of a Venetian ship. It was the idea of making an Italian ship in contrast to the myriad of French and English ships that finally convinced me. Then considering the possibility of also making a Venetian vase since I too was born in Chioggia, all my fears vanished. For modeling choice I decided to stay within the eighties of the eighteenth century because, unlike the French and English, in Venetian constructions the one-rib system was still used, built with the technique of partisons, coming to use nine pieces to build a single rib, a more complicated modeling level realization than the double rib but typical of our ships. The study began by examining through reliefs two models belonging to the collection of the Museo della Marina di Venezia; after careful comparisons it has been established that these models belong to the class that takes the name of 1780. The scale of the model examined is 1:22; compared to the 1780 class drawings preserved in the Trieste Archive, the scale of the 1780 class panel is 1:44, double the model in question.

 

Below are the two models on display at the Naval Museum in Venice.

 

[Waldemar]

 

Thank you Michele for starting this log. And you are right – a Venetian capital ship is a real gem among all other ships-of-the-line of this period. I have a special attitude towards Venetian shipbuilding in the early modern era (meaning 15-17th cent.), as I consider it as a kind of ancestor for the later constructions of the north of the continent.

 

Back to the Venetian 18th century ships-of-the-line. Somewhat ironically, the best monograph on them I have in my home library, among quite many other books on Venetian shipbuilding, is the work in German by an Austrian Karl Klaus Körner – Das Erbe der Serenissima. Rekonstruktion und Restaurierung eines venezianischen Linienschiffsmodells von 1794 (Heeresgeschichtliches Museum, Wien 2010). Just from curiosity – have you consulted this monograph too while doing your historical research?  I judge this particular work to be of the same high standard as other, much better-known monographs.

 

 

[MICHELE PADOAN]

17 hours ago, Waldemar said:

hai consultato anche tu questa monografia mentre facevi le tue ricerche storiche? Ritengo che questo particolare lavoro sia dello stesso livello elevato di altre monografie molto più note.

 

 

Certainly, I think the Austrian's work is very thorough.

[MICHELE PADOAN]

At the Naval Museum in Venice, we were able to observe two models of unknown provenance, lacking any documentation identified as Venetian Vessel Models of 1st rank from the 18th century. Luigi is also an engineer and as a technician he reports what he sees. With photogrammetry it was possible to report the true reconstruction of that model and the reconstruction drawings will be based on that. 

[Waldemar]

 

This is what I like best - the pure lines of the hull.

 

The thickness of all the frame elements is the same, from the keel up to the top (sheer) line. Is this a deliberate simplification or does it show actual practice?

 

 

Edited September 12, 2022 by Waldemar

[MICHELE PADOAN]

17 minutes ago, Waldemar said:

 

Questo è ciò che mi piace di più: le linee pure dello scafo.

 

Lo spessore di tutti gli elementi del telaio è lo stesso, dalla chiglia alla linea superiore. Si tratta di una semplificazione deliberata o mostra una pratica reale?

 

 

 The madiers are thicker than the scalms by about 0.15 mm.

[Waldemar]

 

19 minutes ago, MICHELE PADOAN said:

The madiers are thicker than the scalms by about 0.15 mm.

 

A, okay, thank you. It was not quite visible on the posted renders.

 

And these unusual scales? 1:22 and 1: 44. Does it mean that the Venetian foot from this period had 11 inches?

 

 

Edited September 12, 2022 by Waldemar

[MICHELE PADOAN]

11 minutes ago, Waldemar said:

 

 

R, va bene, grazie. Non era del tutto visibile sui rendering pubblicati.

 

E queste squame insolite? 1:22 e 1: 44. Vuol dire che il piede veneziano di questo periodo aveva 11 pollici?

 

 

The scale issue is a bit complex.
The 1:22 scale (eleventh) scale of the models cannot be justified except from the 1:44 scale, which is a fractional scale. 

[MICHELE PADOAN]

This is the figurehead that will go on the model of the Venetian 1780-class single-ribbed vessel. I wanted to reproduce or at least try to reproduce to the smallest detail the original figurehead of the vessel exhibited at the Naval Museum in Venice, a somewhat stylized lion and a different of the classic feline-looking rampant lion, classic of the Serenissima. The figurehead is executed in redheart wood, red like the lion of the Serenissima. The dimensions are in 1/44 scale and were calculated by photogrammetry done by my friend engineer Luigi Ombrato, who reproduced the exact shape, while for all the details I used about fifty photos taken a short time ago at the museum to add as much detail as possible.

[CiscoH]

Michele- any pictures of the carving process?

thx Cisco

[MICHELE PADOAN]

I'm sorry but I only have what you see.
But I will put you pictures of the figurehead I had previously made from pear wood and then replaced with this one from red readheart wood. The process is the same.

[yvesvidal]

You are a Master at carving.

 

Yves

[MICHELE PADOAN]

Start with site setup and axial carpentry.

[druxey]

Very neat work!

[MICHELE PADOAN]

I continue with axial carpentry.

[scrubbyj427]

This is just amazing work!

[MICHELE PADOAN]

I prepared the base of the Venetian Vessel. Here, too, I wanted to give my own touch of originality, that something different that recalls my way of doing and seeing things, never in the same way and always looking for new ideas, without inventing anything of course.
I wanted to create a mixed style between a pedestal from the 1700s, 1800s and themed with the Venice Maritime, and our own years, reproducing at the base of the pedestal, four stylized plinths representing lion's paws. All then treated, as is now my custom, with Judean bitumen. I have never liked fixed rules, such as reproducing a model always in the same way and with the same materials, as if it were a fixed rule.
As I wrote above, I don't invent anything, I just look for alternative solutions that can improve the look and quality of the model without detracting anything from authenticity. 
For the lion's paws for example, I went back to a piece of furniture, stylizing and modifying its style thematically.

[MICHELE PADOAN]

The ribs are formed from juxtaposed pieces in alternate order. They are temporary and to be finished and are held equidistant by small shims. The madiers are thicker than the scalms by about 0.15 mm. I have already inserted the embouchures where the gunwales will later be opened. I proceed from the center towards the bow and aft, checking coast after coast, distance and alignment. This time I decided to proceed in this way and not from the bow and cubia scalms ( also because the drawings are not ready yet) in order to have precisely a more precise setting of the framework.

[Waldemar]

 

Fantastico. La disposizione dei telai nel suo modello è quasi identica alla mia ricostruzione, con l'unica importante differenza che nel suo modello le singole costole sono costruite come un unico pezzo dalla chiglia fino all'estremità superiore, mentre nella mia ricostruzione i legni superiori sono "galleggianti" liberi. Mi riferisco a una nave dell'inizio del XVII secolo.

 

 

Fantastic. The arrangement of the frames in your model is almost identical to my reconstruction with the only important difference that in your model the individual ribs are built as one piece from the keel up to the very top, while in my reconstruction the upper timbers are 'floating' free. I mean a ship from the beginning of the 17th century.

 

 

Edited September 17, 2022 by Waldemar

[MICHELE PADOAN]

Now all the ribs are glued and finished.

[scrubbyj427]

Just incredible work! 

[Waldemar]

 

Lovely. You are truly a professional shipbuilder.

 

 

[Steve Anderson]

Very impressive.

[MICHELE PADOAN]

Thank you all. Another small step, preparation of cubia scalms.

[MICHELE PADOAN]

Good morning, I glued the scalms together.

[Waldemar]

 

Why not stop building the model at this stage?   🙂   Such beautiful shapes...

 

 

[MICHELE PADOAN]

48 minutes ago, Waldemar said:

 

Perché non interrompere la costruzione del modello in questa fase?   🙂 Forme    così belle...

 

 

Stop no, but I have to stop because the engineer Luigi has to finish processing the arcade and everything else. It will be a long job because it will not be full time, in the meantime I have two other sites to work on, the Commerce de Marseille and the Nereid, also still being worked on by Mr. Lemineur.

[Waldemar]

 

Grazie per questa fotografia. Le linee di prua di La Néréïde si vedono molto bene. Perfetto.

 

Thank you for this photograph. La Néréïde's bow lines can be seen very well. Perfect.

 

 

[MICHELE PADOAN]

3 hours ago, Waldemar said:

 

Grazie per questa fotografia. Le linee di prua di La Néréïde si vedono molto bene. Perfetto.

 

Grazie per questa fotografia. Le linee dell'arco di La Néréïde si vedono molto bene. Perfetto.

 

 

Since you are interested in the development of the bow curvature lines, I found this photo, I hope you will be interested.

[Waldemar]

 

Sì, grazie Michele. Ora è molto chiaro che queste linee sono eccellenti e simili a quelle delle altre navi, il che mi rende felice.

 

Yes, thank you Michele. It is now very clear that these lines are excellent and similar to the lines on other ships, which makes me happy.