UGEARS Mechanical Tellurion 3D Puzzle Planetarium Solar System Model Kit for Self-Assembly Idea Earth and Moon Jigsaw 3D Wooden Puzzles for Adults Rotating Astronomy

The parts are well made, and each page of the instructions have big illustrations showing what part is where and where it goes in the assembly. I've greatly enjoyed assembling it so far. If I had to think of a gift for a young person, or anyone with technical bent, and I did not want to give the same old boring gifts, I would first think of this puzzle. The only thing to be aware of is the parts are precisely cut (maybe by a laser?) so it is a tight fit, you need finger strength to push the parts together. If you have arthritis in your fingers, it may be too difficult to push pieces together. Otherwise enjoy the puzzle!

Excellent product!!!! Challenging wood construction model. When done, the interacting and turning gears are mesmerizing. It works!! Great product support...from Ukraine!Construction is not easy. Instructions are all pictorial to cover multiple languages. Careful location and orientation of parts to each other is a must. Observe and study pictures carefully. I mean really carefully. Even the designs printed on parts mean something.Parts go together with a hard and loud "snap". I was constantly thinking I just broke something. Nimble fingers and dexterous hands are required here. But when you're done (about 50 hours), It's WOW. It's a movable statue!

This is a fun project to assemble. Take the time to sand the burrs off where the pieces connected to the board. There are a lot of moving parts on this so sanding and waxing is important. I rubbed teak oil on all boards both sides before assembly for a finished antique look. It looks great in my home office.

The instructions were fairly clear, with nice 3d images and arrows to follow along. I completed the project in one evening. The beautifully cut laser-cut planks came in a very satisfying bundle.A few caveats:1. Halfway along the journey of our orrery, I found my pushing fingers (mostly my index and thumb) were quite sore. Either break the build up or find a few ways to save your fingertips!2. It is often not clear what is meant to be waxed and sanded (gears? faces? both?). I will say that by the end of the build, I was *really* tired of waxing and sanding, and I had used up all the wax, leaving a bit less than I would have liked for the final piece.3. You are sometimes urged to check something with a green/red circle. It is almost always but not always clear what the check is.4. Punching out is almost always perfect, if requiring a firm push. For some of the (usually smaller) pieces, they may crack or chip very slightly. There's not a great way around this. The worst for me was one of the moon's parts as well as one of the axles that is under torque (pg 18, piece #50), which would slip under certain conditions. Which brings me to...5. The orbit mechanism (pictured above; assembly c6; pg. 21) is very clever - but pretty finicky! My first build-through, it got stuck, but would "slip" if I turned hard enough (see my previous point). This was frustrating, because it meant the orbit was broken, and I had no way of knowing if it was intended or not. I took it apart, reseated everything and it stopped working again after a few dozen turns. Third time was the charm for me, but I am definitely concerned it'll break again. tl;dr: when you are told to test the rotation, test it *thoroughly* (at least a few dozen turns) and make sure *everything* is turning! Also, when you place the frames that hold gears together, make sure everything clips together and the gears are seated properly.All in all: after the beautifully cut, if occasionally brittle, pieces had their rough way with my fingertips, after a millennium waxing and sanding, and after two false starts on the orbit mechanism, I am very satisfied to have a working orrery, with delightful details like the zodiac, and a rotating/orbiting moon + phase indicator dial. Minus 1 star because of a few pitfalls in the build quality, build steps, and some gaps in the instructions.

The media could not be loaded. I originally got this puzzle for my boyfriend who loves puzzle projects, critical thinking and working with his hands. It took him a week yet he is ecstatic and wants more! The directions are easy to follow and his finished tellurion is fully functional. Very happy with this product, however the material is quite brittle so take care during assembly. Highly recommend!

I’m still struggling to get it to work.Advice to others:Make sure you understand the way it needs to work, so you can properly wax the gears.Make sure you assemble it correctly the first time. I broke several pieces trying to disassemble them.The plywood is fragile so be very careful or it will delaminate.I do like the design and I’m hoping that I will eventually get it working.

I got this project and a marble run from ROKR at the same time. See below for comparison.This UGEARS tullurion is a really fun project for people who can focus on what they are doing and be precise and strong. The wood used here is reinforced plywood and can take some abuse, but it will snap if you are not careful. And there are places where it's possible to make errors if you are prone to distraction. You must, must, must sand the gears and wax them when called for. It's possible to assemble the machine without doing this, but it will not run.Comparing the marble run from ROKR with this project: The ROKR project had a lot of flimsy wood and the instructions had you assemble things in an almost haphazard order. It also has a bunch of plastic and screws. This project is very satisfying in build (i.e., wood) quality and uses only wood.

50% through the build and it binds for no reason. Tried to trouble shoot with no luck. Tossed it directly into the trash. Last UGears kit I'll ever buy. Waste of money.