Kit 200Pcs, Crank-Driven Metal Orrery

Turn a Crank, Move the Planets

An orrery is a mechanical model of the solar system — gears standing in for gravity. This one assembles from 200 metal pieces into a working machine: a brass sun at the center, all eight planets around it, and a hand crank that sends them along their orbital paths. Build it first, then run it for anyone who will watch.

Mechanics You Can Actually Learn From

Because the gear train drives each planet at its own rate, the finished model shows real planetary motion rather than a frozen pose. Mercury hurries, the outer planets crawl, and Venus rewards a closer look — its retrograde movement is one of the most interesting things to watch in the whole mechanism. It works as a desk piece and as a live demonstration for an astronomy lesson.

Three Centuries of Tradition on Your Shelf

The first orrery came out of the workshop of clockmakers Graham and Tompion in 1704, and the instruments have fascinated scholars ever since. Building your own puts you at the end of that line — and the first crank of a machine you assembled yourself, gears meshing and planets sweeping into motion, is a moment worth having people around for.

Specifications

• Pieces: 200
• Materials: brass, painted wooden planet spheres, ink-printed sandstone
• Base diameter: 10 inches
• Model weight: 3500 g
• Package weight: 3800 g
• Packaging: gift box

See It In Action

The clip shows the finished orrery running — planets circling the brass sun as the crank turns.

A Gift With Some Weight to It

At 3.5 kg of brass and wood in a gift box, this is a present that feels serious the moment it is lifted. It suits birthdays, graduations, and anniversaries for anyone drawn to astronomy, mechanics, or beautiful old instruments — first as a build project, then as the piece guests ask about.