Looking for plans for orrery

[Joe Hillmann]

I am looking for plans for an orrery (mechanical thing with lots of gears that track the movement of the planets and moon) that I can cut out of wood with the laser. Ideally I would love to find a pattern that is already vector but would be quite happy with large clear bitmap (or whatever you call a file that is pixel based) that I could turn into vector myself.

Also on along the same lines has anyone tried making a grandfather clock with wooden gears cut on a laser.

[Glen Monaghan]

Those things come in all sorts of styles, with various planets and scales, with or without cranks, etc. When looking for an exemplar image, google is your friend! Type "orrery" into a google search window, then on the left where it says "Everything Images Maps Videos ...", click "images". Unless you are looking for a photo, click either "line drawing" or "clip art" in the left menu column. Then click "show sizes" below that and check first "Large" and then "Medium" above it to home in on the larger available images to see if anything suits you.

-Glen

[Joe Hillmann]

Glen, thanks for the suggestions, butI have tried for several hours last night looking for pans for an orrery. The nearest to what i am looking for that I could find was http://lisaboyer.com/Claytonsite/mechanicalparadoxpage.htm but it only models the earth and moon, I am hoping to find one that has a few more planets in it.

[Martin Boekers]

You may want to contact the person at this website he may be able to help.

www.my-time-machines.net/astro_orrery_detail.htm (http://www.my-time-machines.net/astro_orrery_detail.htm)

Also try adding the word schematics to your searching.

Here is a wesite that sells plans ($37 for this one) they also have an amazing array of clocks
seach through the pages!

http://lisaboyer.com/Claytonsite/copernicanplanetaryorrerypage.htm

[Steve Clarkson]

When looking for an exemplar image, google is your friend! Type "orrery" into a google search window, then on the left where it says "Everything Images Maps Videos ...", click "images". Unless you are looking for a photo, click either "line drawing" or "clip art" in the left menu column. Then click "show sizes" below that and check first "Large" and then "Medium" above it to home in on the larger available images to see if anything suits you.

-Glen


Glen..........I've been using Google for.....oh, I don't know.....a googol number of years.....and I had no idea those search options were available!!!! Thank you!!!!

[Joe Hillmann]

I found an explanation of how the Ferguson orrery works. I got prototype up an running. It is a very neat little machine. Hopefully tomorrow I will be able to make a more polished one. If I get the a nicer looking one built tomorrow I will try and post pictures of it. My plan is to sell the cut parts as a kit, it would cost to much to sell it as a finished item.