AMS 2025

Our 3D Printed Solar System – Man Creates a Working Orrery & It’s Amazing!

RAPID

Share this Article

orreryaniBoy, have times changed. I remember my days in grade school, learning about our solar system, our planets and the rest of outer space. In order to do so, we turned through countless pages of our boring textbooks, in what seemed like a never-ending endeavor to learn about places in space where we will probably never actually go. Now, through the use of technology, there are new, exciting ways of teaching kids about everything from the Milky Way Galaxy to 3D printing and other STEM topics. I only wish I was a child growing up in today’s times, as I can only imagine how much more interesting school would probably be.

For one 68-year-old FAA Air-Frame design and repair specialist, named Joel Leathers, 3D printing is a technology that has really piqued his interest lately. In fact, Leathers is the owner of 8 desktop 3D printers, including a FlashForge printer, a FormLabs Form 1+, (3) iBox SLA printers, and (3) Delta style machines.

“Some might ask what I do,” Leathers says to 3DPrint.com. “Well most of the time when I am not doing work for the FAA, I scour engineering drawings or take my Vernier and convert things to STL files to post [on Thingiverse].”

orrery1Recently, Leathers read a post by someone in a Thingiverse Group who was looking to find a 3D printable model of an Orrery that he could use to teach children about gear ratios, and outer space. (Where was this teacher when I was in school?)

For those of you unfamiliar with what an Orrery is, it is a working mechanical model of our solar system, providing us with a look into how the rotations of the planets interact with each other. It is also a tremendous method of teaching those interested in engineering about how gear ratios work.

Leathers, who works with Solidworks and MOI on a daily basis, set out to create a working Orrery that would demonstrate the movement of the Earth and Moon in one year’s time, circling around the Sun, along with planet Venus. Once he had finished designing all of the files needed, he then spent approximately 4 hours printing out the 10 individual parts.

orreryfeatured2

In additional to the 3D printed parts, the Orrery also requires the use of a motor, in order to automatically turn the gears and make the solar system spin. As you can see in the video below, Leathers’ design actually turned out amazingly well.

The design files for this Orrery can be downloaded for free from Thingiverse, where Leathers also has uploaded some of his other clever creations. What do you think about the potential a 3D printable device like this could present to the classroom? Not only could this be used to help children learn about our solar system, in place of the books we are all familiar with, but it is also a great way to help kids learn about gears and gear ratios. Discuss in the 3D Printed Orrery forum thread on 3DPB.com. Check out the video of Leathers’ Orrery below.

Share this Article


Recent News

3D Printing News Briefs, February 8, 2025: Partnership, Post-Processing, & More

Italy’s Nuclear Physics Institute’s Role in Advancing Science with 3D Printing



Categories

3D Design

3D Printed Art

3D Printed Food

3D Printed Guns


You May Also Like

3D Printing Meets Nuclear: NAAREA’s Bold Bet on Microreactors

The nuclear industry isn’t exactly known for moving fast, but NAAREA wants to change that. The French startup has ambitious plans to roll out a new kind of compact nuclear...

3D Printing Webinar and Event Roundup: January 26, 2025

In this week’s roundup of 3D printing webinars and events, we’ve got a variety of offerings to tell you about, ranging from advanced AM training, robotic simulation for aerospace, and...

Italy’s Da Vinci Bridge Reinvented with 3D Printing and Stone Waste

Italy’s city of Bari has inaugurated a new 3D printed, self-supporting bridge that, for the first time, uses waste materials from stone processing. This structure, known as Da Vinci’s Bridge,...

Featured

Update: Velo3D Enters Forbearance Agreement as Debt Challenges Intensify

See the addendum to this article for an update from 12/12/24. Velo3D is set to lay off an additional 46 employees by the end of 2024 as part of its latest...