ARTS & CRAFTS

This is the warranty-violator special, or just a MacGyvering guys toolbox. The black, 8” x 6” x 1-1/2” zipper pouch holds a rechargeable battery power pack with a USB output, which will power the little, quite gusty fan, the 5-LED flashlight, and the reversible torquey screwdriver with tiny Phillips, flathead, hex and square bits, each with a 4mm shank diameter. Battery will also charge cellphones and other devices.

Teensy tiny brushes for cleaning teensy tiny tubes, airbrushes, spray guns, tattoo equipment, nozzles, etc. Think miniature bottle brushes. You get a set of (5) brushes: 1/32", 1/16", 3/32", 1/8" and 3/16" dia. All have nylon bristles, are 4" long, and are on a slip ring so you won't lose them.

Pop one of these roughly 1-1/4" dia stones into the toe of a sock, smash it with a hammer, and be the first person ever to see your real-as-Nature-makes-it geode!! Ninety percent of them have the familiar beautiful white crystals inside. Formed by volcanic action, they are found all over the world, but ours are from Mexico. There is no way to tell from the outside if they have crystal centers, but we will send you two just to raise your odds, and we haven't had a dud yet in our stores!! Much much more fun and satisfaction than buying one already cracked.

Our best and prettiest-ever slices of polished agate, showing concentric rings of natural and dyed colors. The slices range from 3" to 4-1/2" across and from 1/8" to 3/16" thick. We've seen samples from milky white to blue, purple, red, yellow and brown. No two alike, by definition. We'll choose. Think scientific specimens, framed art, coasters, trivets, paperweights, or skipping stones for rich kids who don't want to search the beach for flat stones.

Any way you want it. This cast aluminum wire jig for jewelry-making measures 4-3/8" x 1" x 5/8" with (4) 1” x 1/4” steel pegs, semi-circular and triangular bending points, slots at 3/32",1/8" and 3/16" wide, plus one with a small divot to one side. Includes mounting screws so you can stick it to your workbench. Not into jewelry? Bend your own fishing hooks, S-hooks and soft metal strips.  

Riffler files are most prized by sculptors, wood carvers, model makers and similar fashioners of precision objects. They come in a variety of flat, round and triangular shapes. They are usually pointed and always have a delicate curve toward the point which makes them particularly useful for working in tight and curvy spots. We have a set of (10) in an attractive red plastic case. They are 3 x 180 mm size (about 7"), and were made in China for the King Manufacturing Co. Very nice quality at a very nice price. They can cost as much as $4.00-$5.00 apiece in regular outlets.

Maybe a little eclectic for an artist with a single style, but perfect for one who's still searching for himself. Or for any hobbyist. There are no (2) brushes exactly alike in this set of (15). They all have natural bristles, color-coded wooden handles and metal ferrules, but they range from fairly fine to 1/2" wide, and 7" to 10" long. There are at least (3) different kinds of bristles, and they are round, blunt and pointed. A nice variety, and a very nice quality for this price.

And we did it ourselves with this self-healing cutting mat. It's hard rubber and no, we don't know how it heals itself, but it does. Measures 11-3/4" x 8-3/4" x 1/8" thick., it's marked in 1/8" and 5mm increments and 1/2" squares, with lines for 45° and 60° cuts.

This all-purpose scissors is the favorite of everyone at A.S.&S.: Pat uses his to cut and strip wire. C.J. uses his to slit the tape on packages. Mary Ann uses hers to open bags of pretzels. It's 6-1/4" long overall, with a very sharp 2" stainless steel blade and large, comfortable handles. It would sell for $9.95 retail if it was new, but it was used for one day to cut cloth in the assembly plant of a major car company, then discarded. Quality control is a wonderful thing.

This QMD (Quality Medical Devices of Canada) micro-perfed surgical tape is clear, transparent, and hypoallergenic. Made for easy tearing in either direction and often used for taping down IV tubes among other uses. Our each is (12) rolls, 1" wide x 30-feet.

The secret is ceramics. This newly redesigned 5-1/2" long precision cutter has a ceramic point that's as sharp as an X-actly knife, stays sharp 11x longer than steel, never rusts, is non-conductive, non-magnetic, non-sparking, chemically inert and is easier to maneuver in intricate cutting patterns. Cuts paper, card stock and more easily while being finger-friendly. Pencil-style ambidextrous durable nylon handle with a textured anti-slip grip and no-roll oval design has a cap and now features a replaceable blade. A boon for crafters, and a blessing for junior crafters.

Prick tiny bits of gunk from nasty places with these U.S. made hardened stainless steel dental tools. But please don't use them for dental work. They are slight seconds, and some may have been re-worked which only matters to teeth. Trim excess glue from models, place a barrel on the deck of the ship-in-a-bottle, clean a rasp. If you need the strength and durability in a tiny pick, you need these tools. We have an assortment of the sort you've seen laid out on your dentist's tray. We'll pick (3) different ones for you.

These are the so-called miracle shears. They were designed for use by paramedics and others needing quickly to cut wire, light sheet metal, or other tough stuff that might stand between them and their quarry. They are normally demonstrated cutting a penny in two. Which they will do. But not as a steady diet. Let's dispel a few myths. While these are Pakistani stainless, we're not talking any miracles in manufacturing. They are good for their purpose, and real handy to have in the old tool box. But their purpose isn't making pennies into 5-mil pieces, and you will twist or break them at about the same time you find out that you've done the same thing to U.S. laws! For sheet metal or wire or fishing leaders or tin cans or whatever, be our guests.

Prerhaps best known for its use in stained glass work, but you can take this copper tape/foil to liven up your crafts, from journals and scrapbooks to jewelry, collages and picture framing. And since one side is conductive, you can wire a dollhouse with it. We've also heard of gardeners using it to make slug/snail proof barriers. Our each is (36) yards of 3/8" wide x .0015" thick actual copper tape on a 3” core. It’s self-adhesive on the non-conductive side, too.

From K&S®. this 100W soldering gun features instant heat and an illuminating bulb so you see what you're doing. Includes on/off switch, an extra tip and a 4-foot cord. Heats up to 600 degrees F. Anyone who’s soldered knows that soldering is solid fun, and much safer than soldiering.

Just the one, actually, but it’s been sliced in half so the pair is perfectly symmetrical and mighty pretty. Although ammonites have been extinct for 65,000,000 years, we’ve got their approx 1” dia fossils for you. Our each is a book-matched pair of polished ammonites fossils of a single critter halved and polished to a bright symmetrical shininess. The colors vary from light tan to dark brown and we’ll pick because we have impeccable ammonitical color-shade taste. And yes, they’re just screaming to become cuff-links or earrings.

About 30-40 highly polished stones, all shiny, translucent, or brightly colored, ranging from 3/4" long to 1/8" long. Great for mosaics, jewelry, or aquariums.

That’s the decade when happiness was a pack of warm Shrinky Dinks®. Well, climb into the way-back seat with us and get this DIY Shrinky Dinks® pin kit to make nifty pins to put on your jean jacket. You’ll get (4) 5” x 8” frosted white shrink sheets, (2) 5” x 8” crystal clear sheets, (4) traceable art sheets, a holographic glitter sticker sheet, (8) decal sheets, and (8) pin-backs. Tracing pics include a bike, butterfly, pizza, French fries, panda, boom box and a cassette tape. Includes easy instructions. To really take yourself back to those golden days of the 1970s, ask your mom for permission to use the oven.