spider-v-tank-03

The Martian war machine in this diorama was made by a combination of 3D printing and scratchbuilding. I had wanted to build this diorama for many years, ever since I first saw the "documentary." I had considered completely scratchbuilding the Martian war machine, even started working on it but never could finish it. I was searching for 3D models of the war machines from The Great Martian War when I realized that the two machines, the Heron and the Spider, are made from the same parts, just scaled and arranged differently. I never found a 3D model of the Spider but I did find one for the Heron. I calculated what size it would need to be printed to produce the parts that could make a 1/72 scale Spider and a good friend printed me multiple copies (to insure I'd have enough parts, a smart decision as I went through more of the fragile resin pieces than I ought to have needed to build one Spider).

This photo shows that the legs are built around a single music wire core, with pieces from the 3D printed Heron added, along with some styrene pieces and another, smaller gauge, piece of music wire.

The larger bare wire on the right is from the earlier attempt to scratchbuild the whole model. It's a bit larger and heavier gauge but it shows the basic shape that served as the base for the finished legs.