Into soldering? Want to get into it? Either way, this Velleman® 60W electronic temperature-control soldering station is for you. Has a ceramic heating-element with a range of 392 to 896 degrees Fahrenheit, a sensor and heater-fail notification and an LED display with a digital temperature scale (Celsius or Fahrenheit). Low-voltage iron draws 24VAC. Measures 8" x 5.25" x 3.75" and has a password lock. UL.

You know those classic work gloves that every American garage should have ready to go at all times? The ones that most American garages actually do have ready to go at all times? These are those. Made of cowsplit leather, 10-1/2" long from middle fingertip to wrist and 5" across the four fingers, these are classics that last forever. Listed officially as size "Men's", these fit snugly on Billy's L/XL Welsh combs. Protect your hands--they’re the only ones you’ve got.

Time was, the Scouts taught tots how to tie a few knots, but that was before John Sherry (knot-instructor par excellence and a member of the International Guild of Knot Tyers) came along with Knot It! a (126)-page hardcover book with illustrated instructions for tying (100) different knots. Our faves are the Schwabisch Hitch and the Slippery Night Loop. Includes a couple of 15” hanks of practice paracord and waterproof cards with (20) knot instructions. This could be your new hobby.

If giants smoked, these flint wheel and wick lighters would be in their pockets all the time. But at 6-1/2" x 4-1/2" x 1-1/2", they won’t fit into yours. Which is what makes them so cool. In a steel housing with assorted enameled finishes inspired by Ed Hardy, these oversized flip-top lighters look just like their normal-size counterparts. Come with a double-length flint (use two standard flints back-to-back when it’s time to replace), and enough batting to soak up a full 8 oz bottle of fluid.

Those new-fangled virtual reality games make you wish for a simpler virtual world? If you have, say, medium soldering skills, your sensory overload is over. Now you can make your own Pong-style, TV tennis game and while away days at a time just like your ancestors did. (It’s mysteriously compelling--go find an ancestor and ask.) Will work through any TV with NTSC video (via RCA jack inputs). For one or two players and has (4) levels of difficulty. No case, but there are standoffs. You add a pair of “AA” batteries.

Fully licensed by the Discovery Channel™, these polyresin sharks are 6” long and bounce on little springs above their 3” round coral-reefish bases. Put one on the floor and make guests jump it, or add a little double stick tape and have a dashboard shark. We’ll pick a great white or hammerhead for you because of our superb ichthyological taste.

Drive yourself to drink coffee, tea or any hot treat with the Max Burton® Smart Pot To Go™. It’s a portable beverage heater that’s also powerful enough to boil water! Go ahead, use it to make soup, too. Operates on 12VDC and has a 6-1/2-foot power cord with a fused cigarette-lighter plug. The 4-1/2" x 3-1/4" x 4" base holds a heating element and comes with a metal clip so you can hang it on a car window. Pot sits securely in the base, holds 20 oz, and has a flip-up lid and pouring spout. The whole shebang measures 5-3/4" tall x 3-3/4" x 2-5/8" with a 4” handle. You’ll never be stuck with tepid liquid again.

Everyone should have this classic, stainless steel vacuum-insulated flask, which looks more like an elegant canteen with its rounded top and brushed-steel finish. The one-touch stopper seals liquids in or lets you pour them out without having to screw and unscrew the cap all the time. And when you finally do screw the cap back on, the ring button will automatically seal. Holds 450ml (ignore the 500ml claim on the box), stands about 9-1/2” tall with a 2-1/2” dia and weighs a scant 10 oz when it’s empty.

And no need to hang on, because this large, 9-3/8” x 6-1/2” Fresnel magnifying lens with approx 2X magnification is in a black plastic frame with folding legs. Stands approx 4” above a tabletop but stores flat. Also comes with a lightweight cord, so it will hang from your neck for close work sewing, knitting, or whatever. Try it once and you’ll wonder how you got along without it.

No, really. Literally. This decorative, 750ml Bordeaux-style wine bottle, upright with shoulders, is frosted opaque white on the outside. Stands 11-7/8" tall x 2-7/8" dia, and would accept a marker if you want to leave a message. Would also accept a standard wine cork. There’s some twine around the neck, too, which makes it more designer-ish, more stylish and all-around more better.

You’ll never wonder just exactly how loud a sound is again when you have our minimalist, digital sound-level meter, which is about the size of a flip phone (4-1/2" x 2-1/4" x 1-1/4" with a tripod mount). Measures sound from 30-130dba +/- 1.4db with a ref. of 94db at 1khz via a 1/2" electret condenser mic. Frequency range is 31.5-8khz. Your readout will appear on a 1-1/2" back lit LCD with 3.5 digital display. Has min/max modes and comes with a 9V battery for power. Resolution is 0.1db. Fun at outdoor concerts and wild parties. Also handy near airport runways, and for shouting contests with your friends.

• max / min function-- auto backlight on/off--
• auto power off--
• windscreen, battery, user manual--
• resolution: 0.1 dB--
• Level range: 30-130dB--
• accuracy: ± 1.4 dB (ref 94dB @ 1kHz)--
• frequency weighting: A--
• time weighting: fast (125ms)--
• frequency range: 31.5 Hz to 8 kHz--
• microphone: ½" electret condenser microphone--
• LCD display: 3½ digits--
• operating temperature: -20 °C~ 60 °C-- humidity: 10 ~ 90% RH--
• power supply: 1 x 9 V 6F22 (included)-- auto power-off: 15 min.--
• dimensions: 144 x 55 x 38 mm-- weight (with battery): ± 149 g--

From the Italian military, it’s not a pickaxe (piccone) so much as a pick hammer. We’re not sure of the era but it’s well worn. That’s something money can’t buy--only time. The head is 13-1/2” long with a pick on one end and a 1-1/2” square flat head on the other. (We’re thinking for tent pegs.) Head is on a 14” wooden handle. It’s a heavy puppy at approx 4-1/2 lbs, but still compact enough to tote in a kit and swing in a foxhole.

New category of figurines: zombie gnome. It was bound to happen, with all those dating apps out there. Ours is made of nicely detailed polyresin, approx 7-1/2” tall, even with its neck bent to the side, on a 4-1/4” wide base painted to look like blood-stained grass. Sickly green skin, a classic red gnome hat and a bit of exposed brain contribute to its authenticity. The felt-coated bottom lets you stand it on your finest furniture, but you can also park it in your garden, or on your front stoop.

How about a nice cold one, Rover? Hey, you’re not the only one who likes a nice chilled beverage, you know. Your dog or cat will appreciate the Frosty Bowl, which keeps water not only cold but fresh. How often have you seen an animal lower its head to a bowl of water and take a pass? Too often, we know. Set the inner core of this bowl in your freezer for a couple hours, drop it into the bowl’s base (which measures 9-1/2” across) and fill it with approx 16 oz of water. Your pet will have fresh, cold water for hours. Plenty of time to have a few cold ones yourself.

Yeah, that’s our sun. Don’t you want to know more about its mighty power? This environmentally friendly Solar Educational Kit will show you and your kids how to harness that power in a series of DIY experiments. You’ll make an electrical circuit and a solar circuit, learn how to increase voltage and current, and use solar power to run a radio, calculator, lamp, battery charger and other things. Includes a musical unit and a plastic lamp.

Our tabletop telescope from Celestron is an excellent choice for traveling or as a first telescope, which explains its “FirstScope” name. It’s a 76mm reflecting telescope with 20mm (15X) and 4mm (75X) 1.25” eyepieces and mounts for a finderscope. The mount/stand has a lazy-susan style swivel and a variable tension knob. The Accessory Kit includes 12.5mm (24X) and 6mm (50X) 1.25" eyepieces, a moon filter, a 5X24 finderscope, planetarium software ("THE SKYX") for Windows 7, XP, Vista, Mac 10.4.8 or later, a nylon carrying case for accessories.

Rodney Dangerfield got no respect himself, but as Al Czervik in your favorite golf movie he got tons of respect--especially when he cranked up the tunes on the fairway. Now you can, too, with our Jam Turf wireless Bluetooth® golf speaker. Shaped sort of like a water bottle, at approx 6-1/2” tall x 2-1/2” dia, it fits in a cup holder. Has an 8-hour battery, a USB charging port, a carabiner that’s also a bottle opener, (2) tees and a strap to hold more, a ball marker and a speaker phone. Also has voice prompts. Plus it’s rain proof, which Carl Spackler and The Bishop would appreciate. Don’t worry, though, we don’t think the heavy stuff’s gonna come down for quite a while. $79 MSRP (But who pays retail?)

There is an entire class of transformers that surplus dealers call "AC Adapters." What we really mean is transformers or wall warts that plug directly into the wall (primary voltage 110 VAC), and via a cord and/or plug provide various levels of output current at various voltages. It is a rare buyer of surplus that gets the plug configuration he/she wants, and many get snipped off (plugs that is). They are handy power supplies, battery charging units, substitutes for batteries in toys and games, or for providing safe illumination to models and displays. Be sure to note whether the output is AC or DC (Direct Current, like a battery) and whether it can provide enough current for your application. Unless otherwise noted, all are suitable for indoor use only. Stick with us and you'll get the hang of adapting to AC...and at much lower prices than your friendly appliance/game/computer/calculator shop asks. Unless otherwise noted, all adapters are for 115 volt AC primaries, and all have about 6 ft. cords. (MA=Milliamp) (A=Ampere) (VDC= Volts DC) (VAC= Volts AC).

Nothing quite dresses up a room like intergalactic peel-and-stick wall decals. You'll get one of each from our collection of stunning interior design elements. We have a 9-piece R2D2 who’s 36” x 24” when complete; an 11-piece C3PO who will be nearly five feet tall and two feet wide; and a 17-piece death star that will measure 16-3/4” dia along with sundry fighters. Everything’s vinyl, repositionable, washable and licensed by Lucasfilm. Imagine the anticipation you’ll feel waiting to see them arrive at your front door.

Don’t miss your chance to upgrade your workbench with this Velleman DC lab power supply with dual LCD displays. Can be used as both a constant voltage and constant current source with rated outputs of 0-30VDC at up to 3A max, and is overload protected. Precisely control your tests with coarse and fine-tune controls and easy-to-read digital displays. 

• LCD display for voltage and current protection mode: current-limiting
• colour: white-grey insulated terminals output connectors: IEC1010 
• protected against overload 
• input voltage: 110 VAC 60 Hz 1.3 A max. pf: 0.77 
• output: 0-30 VDC adjustable max. output current: 0-3 A 
• adjustable max. ripple voltage: 1 mV 
• dimensions: 5.31 x 6.3 x 11.02 inch weight: 9.48 lbs fuse: T2

Himalayan, Heralayan, what’s the difference? The difference is, Himalayan rock salt is pink, and this 5-lb hunk of it has been repurposed into a very cool lamp with a 5-foot power cord and an inline on-off switch. Includes a socket for a 110V 15W incandescent bulb (included), and the hunk itself measures approx 7" tall on a 3-7/8" dia wooden base. Just plug it in and feel the Himalayan difference.

The package calls it a Slinky Flow Bracelet, but that’s for the really thick-wristed. It’s more a like a 5” dia, 14-ring Xena-ish armlet for around a bicep, but shake it and it pops into a geometrically complex sphere. Smash it down to make it a set of rings again. In metallic, multi-colored, anodized aluminum. Perfect for a warrior princess who wants to teach or learn about geometry on her days off.

Little solder girls also welcome, of course. Teach a kid to solder with this AmeriKit® Learn to Solder Kit from Elenco®. The kit will result in a working two-tone and flashing Euro siren, and comes with a 25W soldering iron, a speaker, dual LEDs, 4” side cutters and a spool of lead-free rosin-core solder. Includes detailed instructions for ages 12+.

Banking in ceramic pigs is so over. Your modern, incipient hipster kids keep their cash in these life-size, metallic, ceramic human skulls. (They’re also nice glam additions to any productions of Hamlet.) Measure 7-1/2" x 5" x 4-1/2" with a coin/bill slot at the crown and a rubber plug at the bottom, where your spinal column meets your brain stem. We’re guessing that design was on purpose, and we like it. You pick the bronze, gold, or silver glaze.

Donut magnet you can take to town!! 74mm dia x 14mm thick with a 30mm hole. Very strong and well pedigreed - in fact, its kin are activating pacemakers. They are of a high permeability ferrite material with a lovely light blue or white epoxy coating. Okay, we have them because there is the odd bubble, slight scratches or the word MAGNET painted in the coating which ruled them out of the medical ball, but they're fine company nonetheless. Good display bases, paper clip traps, and super for classroom demos.

It’s called Thinking Putty® because while you do whatever you want with it, your brain relaxes and opens up to all kinds of creative thinking. Need it? Yes. And you can also knead it. Or bounce it, bend it, tear it, stretch it, snap it, pop it. Pick from the 3.2 oz of dark green magnetic Strange Attractor putty with iron filings infused in it, plus a 1/2” cubed rare earth magnet; the shimmering Mystifying Mermaid that changes colors from the heat of your hands; the sparkly and bounceable Dino Poop: the glow-in-the-dark, neon confetti and golden glitter filled Enchanting Unicorn; the heat morphing orange-to-pink Flamingo Feathers; or the Super Scarab, 3.2 oz. of color-shifting blue/purple/copper/red putty reminesent of Egyptian scarabs. Comes in a 4” dia x 1-3/8” tin.

Yes, you can now take all those hours, days, months and years you spent playing Pac-Man® and convert them to a table lamp that your spouse will hate. You pick: the Pac-Man® itself comes at 8-1/4” dia with a remote control to pick one of (7) brightness levels and (12) authentic sounds from the original game; or the Pac-Man® Ghost lamp, 7-3/4” tall x approx 7” dia in a white housing with internal LEDs and a remote that lets you choose from (16) colors in flash, strobe, fade or smooth modes. Both lamps come with a wall adapter and battery for the 15-foot-range remote.

Give the poor beast an ice pack, just like in the movies, but in a zippy zebra print. We miss ice packs, frankly, and so should you. These are the classic design. You pick: the medium one at approx 9” dia when flattened empty; or the double-trouble set with (1) large at 10” dia and (1) small at 6” dia. All have 1-7/8” ID mouths with gasketed screw caps, so they should also work with hot water.

Spin this spindle and watch it turn in perpetuity!!  Well, for a long time anyway.  Inside the 5-1/2" long colored plastic spindle are magnets which are repelled by magnets in the 5" x 3" black plastic base.  The variously colored spindle floats in the air above the base thus virtually free of normal friction. Nifty desk toy named "Revolution".

Please note #91664 with flashing red lights was incorrectly advertised, that item is not available. 

Snap Circuits™ has added Brics, their name for little plastic building blocks that are, luckily, compatible with those other little, inerlocking plastic building blocks you have. This award-winning 200-piece Bric Structures set has sheets and blocks plus Snap Circuits connectors, blinking and steady LEDs, a slide switch, a fiber-optic bundle, an incandescent bulb and a melody integrated circuit, along with adapter blocks to mate the Snap Circuits components with the brics. Has instructions to make (26) electrified models, including a house and a tower, on the 10” x 5” base. You add a trio of “AA” batteries. For ages 8+. Winner of Six Toy of the Year Awards!

Our most reversible double-axle split and swiveling lantern work-light. Hard to explain, but incredibly handy. Has a pair of opposed but ratcheting frames/handles, bracketing a pair of intense 500-lumen LED COB lights in waterproof housings. Carry it or stand it up and shine the lights up or at 90-degrees or anywhere in-between, together or separately. Probably best to just buy it and see for yourself how useful it is. Measures 7-3/8" x 4-3/4" when it’s folded and double that when open, and comes with (4) “AA”s for power.

Cutest drone ever. Shaped, and sized, like a chicken egg, just over 2-1/2” tall . Opens up to a 5” wide quad-rotor drone with a range of approx 100 feet, and it’ll fly for approx 6 minutes on a 45-minute charge. Features auto-hover and 360-degree roll, headless remote and (3) speeds. Includes charging cord, spare blades and a small screwdriver. Has a 2.4 GHz transmitter that uses (2) “AAA” batteries.

High tech comes to Am Sci & Surp!! It is here in the form of a Peltier junction, a thermo-electric device that translates electric power into heat, and perversely, into cool. Apply current at 15VDC to the gizmos and they extract thermal energy from one face, thereby cooling it. The heat is dumped onto the other face, thereby heating it. Please note: you must use a heat sink on the hot side or the junction will fry itself, since it can quickly create a 65° C temperature differential in a no load situation. Stack two, or build a cascade to increase the thermal differential created. Or run it backwards. Apply heat or cold to the relevant face and produce a current. Amazing for science projects and experiments. Practical for coffee warmers, beer coolers and mini-refrigerator or warming oven applications. They come with a datasheet. Large is 1-9/16" sq. x 3/16" thick and draws 6A and small is 1-1/4" sq. x 3/16" thick and draws 3A.

Cleverly made, and mighty heuristic, too. For someone entranced by hydraulics, or for a whole classroom of students, there's the Pathfinders 4-In-1 teaching kit, with 4 different hydraulic-system kits that use unfinished wood, transparent tubing, and plastic syringes, which power the movement. The mini models include an excavator, scissors lift, cherry picker, and platform lifter. Bases are approx 4" x 7" and finished heights vary, thanks to those syringes! Very clever teaching tools for ages 8 and up.

Zivko the Robot. Just call her (or him--it’s unclear and we don’t like to ask) “Zivko” because “the Robot” is her last name. Using just a screwdriver and side cutters, you build Zivko from this 107-piece S.T.E.M. kit. Set the mode for “Follow Me” or “Explore,” and Zivko will, yes, track you, or evade obstacles, respectively, via an infrared sensor and micro-controller programming. Interactive LEDs and sounds abound. Measures approx 5" x 5-1/2" x 6-1/2" when assembled with all (6) legs. You add (4) “AA”s for power, which is the least you can do for someone this cute. Ages 10+.

Now through Sunday 12-15 get a transforming robot pen with each order. Item will be added to your shipment not in your shopping cart.

This extremely good quality folding jeweler's loupe is in polished aluminum and folds into a protective cover. It measures 1-5/8" x 13/16" and is teardrop-shaped when closed. Doublet lens, 18mm dia, 10X, lit by (2) very bright white LEDs, powered by (3) button-cell batteries that are included. It has a small loop for a chain, and comes in a plastic case with a small tool for accessing the batteries.

Got worries at home at work or while driving? Diffuse them with this very nice USB-powered, portable Geek Tek® essential oils diffuser/humidifier, which holds a little under 8 oz of water, can glow in (7) different LED colors (shifting or steady) and offers (2) mist modes (steady and intermittent). Put a little fragrance or essential oil into it, for that special spa atmosphere you love so much. Don’t say you don’t. Not interested in fancy scents? Just use it as a personal/desk/car humidifier and breath easy. Measures 5-1/2" tall x almost 2-3/4" dia w/a 3-foot cord. Comes with a filter stick, plus a spare. Should draw about 400mA with the LEDs on, and will mist a little over an oz per hour. Spillproof, too!

This handy acrylic 2X magnification Fresnel lens (“Fresnel” meaning it has a series of concentric grooves on it) measures 6-1/4" x 4-1/4". It’s mounted in a 360-degree pivoting frame on a stand for hands-free use with books, papers, laptop screens, models, puzzles or whatever you’re working on. Has a pair of LEDs to illuminate your task. You add (4) “AA” batteries.

Santa and Tiny Tim? No. Rudolph, maybe? Not a chance. These are the delightful characters from The Nightmare Before Christmas, 2-1/2” tall hard rubber figures including Jack Skellington, Sally, Zero, Mayor, Oogie Boogie, Lock, Shock, Barrel, Scary Teddy and more. They’re all on 1” chains with a split ring, and we’ll pick (1) for you because then opening the package will be more like Christmas morning (but still the nightmare before). No one knows what you’ll get in this blind pack because the surplus gods will be choosing, not us.

Based on drawings from Da Vinci's Codex Atlanticus, this Pathfinders catapult kit uses a pair of bent wooden arms as springs to launch clay balls (included) over (4) meters at enemy fortifications (not included, go make your own enemies). The assembled model will be approx 9" tall on a 10" x 7-1/4" base. Made from pre-cut, untreated wood from sustainable forests, and built with pegs for added strength and verisimilitude. A 2013 Creative Child Magazine Top Toy of the Year Winner and a great resource for STEM activities. For ages 12 and up.