How do you clean your loose precious gems? The professionals use this two-piece brass mesh cleaning basket. Unscrew the halves, pop your stones inside, put it back together and soak it in your cleaning solution. Measures 23mm (0.90") and would also do for very small machine parts. You can probably think of even more clever uses. Please let us know if you do.

These large momentary SPDT push-button switches are rated 10A at 125/250VAC and are mounted to a 2-7/16"dia lens plate with a 1-1/8" long x 15/16 - 2 shaft that comes with a plastic washer and nut. There's also an internal 12V 3W replaceable indicator bulb. Needs 3" of rear clearance. You pick a red, green or yellow lens.

Now comes this ball of geometric possibilities, from creativity guru Roger von Oech. Perfect for anyone with a 3-dimensional mind, from a precocious child to a bored nonagenarian, including your favorite artist, mathematician, designer, engineer, or whatever. The little red ball, 3-1/4" dia, comprises (30) magnetized right golden rhombic pyramids that will fit together in endless shapes, from a rhombic triacontahedron (see the pic), to stars, wreaths, animals, sunbursts, and endless others. Comes with a 96pp booklet on geometric possibilities and creativity. Plenty of desktop noodling fun, but a lot more than just a toy.

Remember those old school vibration football games, or those fantastic days-of-yore vibrating beds in roadside motels? This is like that, a small vibration motor (10mm dia x 2.5mm) that’s touch-sensitive and produces a pleasant buzzy response. Motor has 1-1/4" power leads, draws approx 60mA at 3VDC. Has 0.75g vibe amplitude. Self-adhesive pad on one face. No shaft.

These 3” long cricket-shaped clips are made to slide onto your car visor and open up to hold your glasses without scratching the plastic lenses they told you were scratch-proof but really aren’t. Inside has foam pads so they won’t even scratch your temples. We’ll pick a pair in black, red, blue or fuchsia. Could also hold a pencil if you don’t have sunglasses. Made for a large chain store and sold for $5.99 each, but we’ve got ’em for a fraction of that. Surplus!

This 5-pin socket is already wired with 9" leads in black, red, white, yellow and blue to its quick-disconnect sockets, ready for your 1/4" or 7mm spade terminals. Housing is slotted so you can interlock them end to end. Measures 1-1/4" x 1-1/16" x 1" thick. Matches our 94746 relay.

Pardon us--just a little machinists’ joke. This sturdy cast-iron pillow block measures 5" x 2-3/8" tall x 1-3/8". Has a sealed 1-3/4" dia bearing with a 3/4" ID x 1-7/32" bushing and a pair of set screws. Mounts via 7/16" x 13/16" x 1/2" slots in the base. Has a 1/4” lube fitting with a cover. Get a couple and add a 3/4” dia steel rod, and you’ve got the toughest towel bar in the universe.

You don’t, huh? They’re called acid brushes because once upon a plumber they were used to apply acid flux to pipes for soldering. Now they’re just the cheap, disposable brushes with hollow aluminum handles you see in glue pots and everywhere else folks need to slather on goopy stuff. Measure 6" long with 5/8” wide bristles.

Drink like your grandfather did when he was in service to Uncle Sam, from this brand new aluminum canteen nested in a cup with folding handles, both inside a padded cotton olive drab cover (suitable for soaking to keep the water cold) with a pistol belt hook on the back. Canteen holds (1) quart, the cup about half that. Includes a black screw cap with a (non-GI) chain and carabiner.

The correct answer is "I don't know; I've never toggled." If, however, you just want to turn something on and off, here's a choice of toggles for your switching delectation. The DPDT toggle is rated for up to 20A at 125VAC and has screw terminals below. Measures 1-1/4" x 1-3/4". No center-off position. The first DPST toggle is rated for 20A at 125VAC or 15A at 250VAC. Screw terminals on the bottom. Measures 1-5/16" x 3/4". The smaller DPST toggle is rated for up to 4A at 125VAC or 2A at 250VAC. Has 3/16" spade terminals on the bottom and measures 1" X 9/16". All the toggles come with switch-plates and mounting nuts.

Who doesn’t? Actually, it doesn’t look all that wanton, although it’s hard to tell with lizards. It does look realistic, though--perfect for a desert diorama. You’ll get a pair of these 3-1/4" tall polyresin iguanas, each wrapped around a little tree stump.

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+.

Vials is a much nicer name than little skinny bottles, doncha think? These amber glass vials are 5/8" dia with a 5/16" ID and come with a gasketed black plastic screw cap. You pick the short one, at 1-1/2" tall and holding 2ml (0.135 oz) or the tall boy, 2-1/2" tall, holding 8ml (0.27 oz).

Ten electrical leads with an alligator clip on each end. Each lead is about 20" long, not counting the 'gators. Vinyl coated 20-22 ga. wire with a vinyl cover over each clip. They come in an assortment of five colors with two leads in each color. The manufacturer calls them heavy duty but we would restrict them to the light currents and low voltages you will be using in your home experiments. Our each is a set of (10).

Or snake eyes, or Little Joe drink cushions. These 4" squares of white vinyl have black dots on them so you can use them for protecting your furniture during craps games. You get (6) in each package for a total of (12), or the equivalent of two dice, so they'd also be good as flash cards for teaching craps to primary grade kids. "That's right, Becky--we call two threes six the hard way!

These just in, special for military strap aficionados. Right angle olive-drab canvas strap. The wide part measures 17" x 2" and is sewn onto  a U-shaped steel clip with a 13-1/2" long x 1" strap mounted at right angles to it. Both straps have steel ends with (2) 3/16" holes. Quite useful for something, we're sure.

Big sack o' springs. You get (10) springs, mostly compression but probably with a few extension springs thrown in for dessert. Great for art projects, kinetic sculpture or creating tension in any number of scenarios. In sizes ranging from 3/4" long x 1/2" dia up to 2-5/8" long x 1-7/8" dia.

The world has enough moist towelettes, if you ask us. Instead, try this dry and super-compressed reusable cotton towelette. Starts life as a pocket/purse-friendly 2-3/8” dia x 3/4” thick disk, but add water and the PopUp Towel grows to a jumbo 22” x 12”, large enough to scrub up a good-sized third grader.