Most wooden automata in the MoveArtly collection arrive finished and are ready to run within minutes. A few need a battery, a charge or a few simple parts fitted. This guide covers what to do in the first ten minutes, how each piece is powered, how to start it and where to put it, plus some general wood care. Always check the product page for your own piece, because the details differ from one to the next.
Before you open the box
Look the piece over when it arrives. If anything is broken, take a photo and send it to our support team through the contact page, and we send a free replacement. You also have 30 days from delivery to return a piece. Real people reply within 24 hours.
Giving one as a gift? You can ship it straight to the recipient by entering their address at checkout. Our gift guide lists ideas by recipient and budget.
Fitting any loose parts
Some pieces arrive finished with a few simple parts to fit on. Tidehymn is an example: its page says it arrives finished, that a few simple parts fit on, and that this takes a few minutes.
How each piece is powered
Power differs by piece, so check the product page before you buy or give one. This is how the pages describe it today:
- Hand crank, no batteries: Tidehymn. You turn the crank, and that moves the whale and plays the music.
- Rechargeable over USB-C: Wavecrest and Pipwing. The Wavecrest box includes a charging cable, and so does the Pipwing box. Wavecrest starts with a touch of its metal switch.
- USB-C cable in the box: Longshore, Twin Wake and Tidewing, with instructions.
- AAA batteries, not included: Polar Lance and Lakesong take one, and Skyhog takes two. Add some if you are giving one as a gift.
- Plug-in base: the Levitating edition of Floatfin. The Standing edition needs no power.
We are still measuring how long a charge lasts on the rechargeable pieces, so we do not quote a run time yet.
Starting it
How you start a piece depends on its switch. On Polar Lance you flip the small switch on the box lid. On Lakesong the switch sits right on top of the box, and on Skyhog a small metal button does the job. Pipwing starts with a touch of the brass button and steps through three speeds. Wavecrest and Canterwood start with a touch of the metal switch, and Tidehymn starts when you turn the crank.
For how the motion actually comes about, read How Wooden Automata Work.
Where to put it
Choose a level, stable surface at a comfortable distance from the edge, such as a desk, shelf or nightstand. The pieces that hang their animal from wires or a rod, such as Polar Lance, Lakesong and Skyhog, look best with a little clear space around them so nothing brushes the wings or tentacles. The Levitating edition of Floatfin needs a spot within reach of a power outlet.
The product pages say where some pieces fit best:
- Lakesong fits on a desk or a nightstand.
- Twin Wake is small enough for a desk or a windowsill.
- Longshore is wide and low, made for a shelf or a sideboard as much as a desk.
- Skyhog fits on a desk or a shelf.
- Pipwing is small enough to sit next to a keyboard.
Placement tip: wood moves with changes in humidity. Keeping a piece away from radiators, heaters, damp rooms and long hours of direct sun is sensible general advice for any wooden object, although it is not a manufacturer's instruction.
Keeping it clean
These are general wood-care habits rather than instructions from the workshop. Dust the piece gently with a dry, soft cloth, and avoid water and cleaning sprays on bare wood. Do not force a part that sticks or press on thin wires or rods; if something looks wrong, photograph it and ask our support team. The pieces with open mechanisms, such as Tidehymn, are the ones most worth dusting, since you can see every gear.
A first-week checklist
- Run it for a few minutes and watch each part move through its full range.
- Listen to it on the surface where it will live. If the sound bothers you, you have 30 days from delivery to return it.
- Check that nothing touches the wires, wings, flippers or tentacles as they move.
- Note how it is powered, and keep a spare battery or the charging cable somewhere you will find it.
- Take a photo of anything that looks wrong straight away and send it to our support team.
What it sounds like
You will hear the mechanism or the small motor turning. We have not measured the noise, so we do not quote a number. If a piece is louder than you like, you can return it within 30 days of delivery.
If something is not right
If a piece does not start, stops moving or arrives damaged, send our support team a photo or a short clip through the contact page. We send a free replacement for anything that arrives broken, and returns are open for 30 days from delivery.
The details above are as the product pages describe them on 27 October 2026, so if a page says something different, follow the page. Choosing between pieces? The MoveArtly collection lists all of them, and our guide to dark and pale wood compares the two woods.
