Orbiting Solar System (550037)

One of the major factors which can cause your Orbiting Solar System to fail is an incomplete removal of plastic burrs from the device's internal components.  These burrs are leftover pieces of plastic that remain after you clip your components from the plastic frame.

You may hear a crunching or grinding noise emit from your device while in motion; this is likely indicative of an incomplete removal of burrs.

Carefully using a hobby knife or diagonal cutters, remove any burrs on the gears, wind-up mechanism, or moving components until there is full clearance.

The spring central to the device's wind-up mechanism can be overwound, and permanently damaged.  Be careful not to perform more than 7 rotations of the device at a time, as this can put too much strain on the spring, causing it to warp.

If you notice a rattling noise coming from your device's motor, carefully remove it from the assembly, and shake it gently, listening close.  If you hear a noise coming from a loose component inside, shaking around within the motor, contact support@thamesandkosmos.com for a replacement part.

The Thames & Kosmos Technical Support Team