Care & materials
What the pieces are made of, what they can take, and the one thing that will ruin them.
Materials
| Body | Solid rubberwood (Hevea brasiliensis), plantation-grown, kiln-dried |
|---|---|
| Shell & dark parts | Mahogany on the sea turtle; elsewhere, water-based wood stain on rubberwood |
| Finish | Clear plant-based oil, rubbed in and wiped back. No lacquer, no varnish |
| Colour | Water-based paint, applied thin so the grain shows through |
| Magnets | Neodymium discs, recessed and glued flush into both joining faces |
| Standards | Finishes meet EN 71-3 and ASTM F963 limits for migration of elements |
Everyday care
- Wipe with a dry or barely damp cloth. That is the whole routine.
- Do not soak, run under a tap, or put anything in a dishwasher. Wood swells, the magnet seats open up, and the join stops sitting flush.
- Keep them off a radiator and out of a sunlit window sill for months at a time. Heat dries the oil out and strong sun will bleach a stained back.
- If a piece gets sticky, a cloth with a drop of mild soap and then a dry cloth immediately after will deal with it.
Re-oiling
After a few years of handling, a piece looks dry — pale, slightly chalky, the grain gone flat. That is the oil, not the wood, and it takes ten minutes to fix.
- Sand lightly with 400 grit if the surface feels rough. Usually it does not.
- Wipe on any food-safe finishing oil — linseed, tung, or a plain butcher-block oil.
- Leave it five minutes, then wipe all of it back off with a clean cloth.
- Stand it somewhere airy overnight. Lay the oily cloth flat to dry before binning it.
Avoid the magnet faces when you oil. A film of oil there is enough to weaken the grip noticeably.
The join
The pull is set so that a head lifts off with deliberate effort and does not come away when the piece is carried. If a join starts to feel weak, the usual cause is dust or grit in the recess — a cotton bud will clear it. If it is still weak after that, email us.
Marks, splits and colour
Grain runs differently through every blank, so two of the same animal will not be the same colour. Small dark flecks, a faint line where the grain changes direction, and a shade difference between head and body are all normal in solid wood.
What is not normal: a crack running across the grain, a magnet that sits proud, a piece that will not stand. Those are faults and we replace them.
Safety
Every piece contains magnets. Not suitable for children under 3 years. Swallowed magnets can cause serious internal injury, particularly if more than one is swallowed — seek medical attention immediately. Check the join and the magnet seats from time to time, and stop using a piece if a magnet is loose or missing.