Le Pinch Care: Keep Your Wind-Up Pet Bug Moving

Quick answer

Caring for your Le Pinch is simple: keep its moving parts clean, wind gently, and always use a flat, smooth surface. When it stops moving correctly, check for dust or debris before anything else.

Diagnosing Le Pinch problems

• Symptom: Le Pinch doesn't move or moves very slowly.
• Likely cause: Dust, lint, or debris caught in the mechanism or on the surface.
• Corrective action: Gently wipe the underside and the two halves with a dry, soft cloth. Test on a clean, flat surface. If that doesn't help, check for hair or thread wrapped around the moving joints and remove carefully with tweezers. After cleaning, wind gently and test again. If movement is still poor, the mechanism may need a tiny drop of lightweight oil on the axle (not the plastic gears).
• When to stop or choose another option: If Le Pinch still doesn't move after cleaning and oiling, the internal spring may be broken. At that point, it's best to retire the toy rather than attempt a repair that could damage the plastic shell.

About your Le Pinch

• Le Pinch: Le Pinch was one of the most complex wind-ups to bring to life. Moving like an inchworm across a flat surface, designing his two separate halves to relate to one another was no easy task. This design means Le Pinch relies on precise alignment of its two halves. Any dirt or misalignment can prevent the inchworm motion, so keeping the halves clean is key.