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# From Just An Idea to A Gentlemen’s Orrery: Frans van Hoesel’s Snapmaker Journey
- URL: https://blog.snapmaker.com/blog/from-just-an-idea-to-a-gentlemens-orrery-frans-van-hoesels-snapmaker-journey/
- Published: 2025-06-17T12:59:59.000Z
- Updated: 2025-06-17T12:59:59.000Z
- Author: The Snapmaker Team
- Tags: User Stories

For over a year, I wandered around the house looking for something that could justify buying a 3D printer. A broken part, a missing bracket, some half-finished project—surely, I could find a reason. But nothing ever seemed quite good enough.

Still, about five years ago, I stumbled on [Snapmaker 2.0](https://www.snapmaker.com/en-US/snapmaker-2) with its **all-in-one** promise and bought it—because, let’s be honest, when has *needing* something ever truly been the deciding factor?

At first, I tried the included filament and got awful results—weak prints that weren’t worth keeping. The results were stringy and kind of sad. I almost gave up… until I randomly tried a different filament a few months later—and just like that, everything worked. **Everything printed beautifully**.

It took me another six months to fire up the laser, then another half a year before I gathered the nerve to use the CNC. I found it a bit intimidating, but once I got over that, I was hooked. Without the 3-in-1 setup, I doubt I’d have ever bought a standalone laser or CNC. But having them there, whispering *"*try me*"* from the corner of the shed? Game changer!

Since then, I’ve made quite a few things—some that I think turned out pretty well. *"What I really enjoy is figuring out new ways to use the machine or inventing something entirely new.😉 "*

For example, I came up with an idea—new mechanism for an orrery. Laser cutting and engraving was the key.

I also tried a 3D printed version. That one actually won the grand prize on Instructables.com. 

In between, I carved **Soapstone** for the first time. That one somehow landed me a 40W laser in [Snapmaker’s CNC Challenge](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEn5aHQNSrHXP-lwlJ0yGVbGfvyvCTWvC) in 2024.

But I wanted to go bigger—a real showcase of everything the machine could do. **A Gentleman’s Orrery** is a bit of a wink to the Enlightenment era, when tools like orreries were considered the height of intellectual refinement. Back then, being a "gentleman" wasn’t just about wearing a cravat—it meant you dabbled in philosophy, appreciated the sciences, and probably had an orrery spinning slowly on a bookshelf next to your copy of Newton’s *Principia*. I designed it to look like a classic orrery, while working on a completely different principle. It’s mostly made from brass (because shiny brass = instant credibility).

I started with the 3D printer, using pink PLA to build the internal structure that holds a stepper motor, ESP32, motor controller, and touch sensor. A brass bridge holds and aligns the central column. The CNC handled most of the brass work, including gears and a zodiac disk. For the involute gears, I wrote (with the help of ChatGPT!) a Python program to generate the G-code to drive the CNC and rotary.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/de/c4/dec4f18f-7220-4328-9e05-f4e130626473/content/images/2025/06/inside-top2.jpg)

For the relief on the zodiac, I started with some pen drawings I found online. I used ChatGPT to convert them into smooth grayscale images, uploaded them to MakerWorld’s image-to-3D tool, imported the resulting 3D models into 3ds Max to flatten them to 1mm height, then exported them to Fusion 360 to generate G-code for Snapmaker.

I used the laser to engrave moon phases onto the housing.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/de/c4/dec4f18f-7220-4328-9e05-f4e130626473/content/images/2025/06/result-ring2.jpg)

And then—because I couldn’t resist—I carved a soapstone housing using the CNC with [Snapmaker's Rotary Module](https://us.snapmaker.com/products/snapmaker-2-0-rotary-module). The brass design fits neatly inside. I honestly can’t decide which version I prefer, so I’ve kept both.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/de/c4/dec4f18f-7220-4328-9e05-f4e130626473/content/images/2025/06/stone2.jpg)

This project really shows what the Snapmaker can do when **all three modules come together**. By leveraging 3D printing for structural components, CNC carving for precise metal parts, and laser engraving for detailed artwork, I created a nice blend of technology and tradition – plus a pretty good excuse for finally buying that 3D printer.

— Frans van Hoesel

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/de/c4/dec4f18f-7220-4328-9e05-f4e130626473/content/images/2025/06/20250616-162539.jpg) 

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