Derek Staines is a Machine Toolmaker by trade. He served his apprenticeship back in the 60's before going on to run a factory along side his brother up until his retirement in the early 2000's. He built a workshop in his garden and filled it with all the machinery and tooling that he would need to begin work on his passion.
Derek had always been interested by the age of the industrial revolution, by steam power and the elaborate intricate designs of the Victorian era. He built model steam engines, beam engines, marine engines, steam pumps and more which were sold through Christie's auction house in London. It was actually in a Christie's brochure that he notice an orrery for the first time, like some people he had seen an orrery before but like most people he was not too familiar with them or the name or how they worked but for some reason he noticed this one.
With no plans to follow or guidance of any kind, Derek built his first orrery. An orrery with the Earth's rotation, with orbiting moon following an inclined orbit with Mercury, Venus and Mars. It was accurate within +/-0.03%, a working representation of the first four planets in our solar system.
There was no reason to stop there, he was quick to realised that our Solar System had more to give. Son Timothy showed an interest and together they continued making orreries together, developing new idea, incorporating more movements and more planets.
Derek had always been interested by the age of the industrial revolution, by steam power and the elaborate intricate designs of the Victorian era. He built model steam engines, beam engines, marine engines, steam pumps and more which were sold through Christie's auction house in London. It was actually in a Christie's brochure that he notice an orrery for the first time, like some people he had seen an orrery before but like most people he was not too familiar with them or the name or how they worked but for some reason he noticed this one.
With no plans to follow or guidance of any kind, Derek built his first orrery. An orrery with the Earth's rotation, with orbiting moon following an inclined orbit with Mercury, Venus and Mars. It was accurate within +/-0.03%, a working representation of the first four planets in our solar system.
There was no reason to stop there, he was quick to realised that our Solar System had more to give. Son Timothy showed an interest and together they continued making orreries together, developing new idea, incorporating more movements and more planets.