Budding lapidarians will lap up this rock polishing kit which is so complete it even contains some rocks. The polishing tumbler has a (3 lb. /1 qt.) fifteen sided rubber barrel and is driven by a 115 VAC motor. Overall dimensions are 6" x 6" x 7-1/2" high. In addition to the tumbler, the kit includes an assortment of jewelry findings, a #300 4-Step Grit Pack and a detailed manual giving you easy to follow instructions. But don't think of it only as useful for jewelry making. As a hobby, our Uncle George for many years collected and polished a wide variety of rocks which he found interesting and made beautiful in and of themselves. The #300 4-Step Grit Pack is also available separately, for when your grit has run low, and includes 4oz. coarse, 4oz fine, 2oz. prepolish and 2oz polish grits. 

A great hand held rotary tool and an excellent buy. The plastic carrying case at 12" x 8-1/2" x 3-1/2" contains not only the 120VAC-powered variable speed (8,000-30,000 rpm) mini drill/grinder, but a 3-ft flexible extension shaft that allows you to operate in even the tightest spots and a good assortment of bits, grinding stones, cut-off wheels, etc, including collets to fit 1/8" and 1/16" bits. A nice package, and a very nice gift for yourself, or for anyone who enjoys working with hobby tools. UL listed, just like the big boys. Check out all our rotary tools and accessories. Click! 

Lovely to look at, delightful to make jewelry out of. Our (25) piece set of polished gemstones includes: amethyst; howlite; tiger eye; hematite; amazonite; carnelian; sodalite; turqurenite; plain and rose quartz; rhodonite; unakite; snowflake obsidian; orange calcite; lemon jade; four varieties of jasper (serpentine; red, brecciated, picture and blue dalmation); and more. All approx 5/8" across.

A big step up from the basic soldering iron, and much safer, our soldering station features continuously variable power between 5-40W, a 1.5mm pointed tip thin enough to use on surface-mounted components, a 4-foot cord, padded grip, iron holder, built-in cleaning sponge, and a stand-alone controller with a 5-1/2" x 4-1/2" footprint and a power switch. Grip is padded with a 3/16" dia shank. From Stahl Tools" for hobbyists, do-it-yourselfers and students.

What do rotary tools have in common with fashionistas? Yes, it really is all about accessorizing. This set includes (20) shading bands, (10) fiberglass cut-off wheels, (21) assorted grinding stones, (3) polishing wheels, (45) woolen wheels and points, (36) silicone cut-off wheels, (60) sanding discs, (6) brushes, (5) diamond burrs, (8) high-speed steel burrs and drills, (3) mandrels and some polishing paste, all have a 1/8" shaft and come in a dandy wooden case. Case measures approximately 12-3/8" x 5-3/8" x 1-3/4".  Check out our best selling rotary tool here. Click!

And then give us a little tweeze, and a couple more for luck. Our 4-piece stainless steel tweezer set includes: 4-5/8" long bent tweezers; 4-1/2” fine point; 4-5/8” cross-locks; and 4-1/4” blunt-tip stamp tweezers with 1/4” wide tips for you philatelists.

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.

Make your own custom clock in a tick with this quartz movement. It's in a 2-3/16" square x 5/8" thick black-plastic case with a built-in hook for hanging it. Comes with minimalistic hour, minute and second hands, the latter (2) of which will extend out 2" from the clock's center. You supply (1) "AA" battery and the clock face.

"Screeeeeek! Screeeeeek! Screeeeeek!" Recognize that? It's the sound of someone sawing a styro-foamal block. It's followed by the sound of a vacuum sucking up hundreds of little foam shards. Free yourself from both with this clever electric hot-knife that slides through those chunks of craft foam like a straight razor through a ripe mango. Perfect for carving foam blocks into shapes - or smaller blocks. Measures 10" long OA with a 4-3/4" long, needle-like cutting wand, heats up to 410°F (so be careful), and makes screeeek-free and shardless cuts. Has a 7-foot cord, line switch, safety stand, and wall-outlet adapter.

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.

And we do mean micro. Sizes #61 to #80 (yes, that is twenty different bits) which are from 0.013 to 0.038 inches diameter!! The big boys sell a set of similar bits (carbon steel, like ours) for about $30.00!! Maybe theirs aren't from China.

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.

Winner of this week's "What IS That?" award. It's a watch crab, also called a spanner wrench, that's designed to remove the back from watches, lenses from telescopes, and other thin, flat components from whatever they're attached to. Heavy for its size, it's 1" x 2-3/4" x 3/8" thick, with sharp 1/4" prongs projecting from the edge. The prongs move from 2" to 7/16" apart as you spin the knurled nut between them. An impressive tool to flash in front of your brother-in-law. If he doesn't read our catalog, he won't have a clue!

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.

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.

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.

Create your own crystal garden and you'll never again have to run out to the store in the middle of the night for more crystals. Put the approx (2) ounces of rocks from this kit in a bowl, add white vinegar, put it in a warm place, and wait for the vinegar to evaporate. You'll have crystals in (2) days to (2) weeks. Add food coloring if you want to change your tasteful monochromatic crystals into a phantasmagoric garden of color. You provide the bowl, vinegar, food coloring and warm place. For ages 8+ with adult supervision.

No autoclave machine? Worry not. Like syringes and half of the medical equipment in the world, scalpels are now disposable. This one is 5-3/4" long and has a green plastic handle with a textured grip (with a 60mm rule on it) and a #11 (that’s pointy, for you non-surgeons) stainless steel blade. Perfect for all your hobbyist needs. Please replace the blade guard before disposal.