Wooden orrery

Building an orrery is a brilliant way to combine the theoretical complications of maths and astrophysics with the practical elements of woodwork, laser cutting, or whatever other method of making you’re most comfortable with. In this case, the maker has used copper pipes to support the planets on their way around the sun. And it works brilliantly.

There’s no motor or computerised element to this build: it’s just a laser-cut plywood base, wooden balls to represent the planets, and that glorious copper piping, T-joints, elbow joints, and end caps, all rotating around a central steel rod.