TOOLS/HARDWARE

Not just hooking-and-looping anymore, Velcro® brand now makes adhesive for plastics. Our each is a 1-oz tube for porous and non-porous materials, including PVC, plastics, rubber and leather. Permanent and fast-drying, they say.

Can't beat a classic. These uncoated ceramic donut magnets have a 1-lb pull, which makes them dandy for classroom or refrigerator use. They measure 1-1/4" dia x 3/8" ID x 3/16" thick and are polarized on the faces. You get a wrapped roll of 29 donuts.

Yes, there’s a scientific explanation, but we prefer to think this magnetizing/demagnetizing tool relies on magic. Stick a screwdriver head in the bottom, it’s magnetized. Stick it in the top, it’s demagnetized. Fun for the whole family. Measures 2” square x 1-1/4” with stair-step ports for blades of different sizes. Never drop a screw again.

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.

This 300 Lumen LED light is a mighty mite. Just under 4-1/2" long x 1" dia, you slide the sleeve and the beam zooms from a flood to a don't-stare-into-this focused spot. In black or gun metal anodized aluminum, it's weatherproof and shockproof with a latching button switch and a pocket clip. Depress the button halfway when it's on and it goes into a rapid-flash mode for emergency signaling. Visible for 275 meters. Five hour life with the included 1-"AA" battery and a 110K+ hour bulb life.

This excellent 4-piece set of double-ended picks is made of nylon so you won't damage your electronics or electrocute yourself. They have hex-shaped shafts for a good grip, and assorted pick, probe, hook and scraper ends. Equally good for auto detailing or any place where you want to avoid scratching.

You get (3) of these stainless steel surgical scissors, which have a shorter working length (with the hinge closer to the jaws) than regular snippers, but you still shouldn't try to remove your own appendix. Measure 4-3/8" long and are quite sharp.

Look, Ma, one hand! These 10" Powerbuilt® wrenches have spring-loaded, self-adjusting jaws made to bite, hold and turn virtually anything--round, flat, hex or oddly shaped--that will fit. The jaws open to 2-3/8" apart and remain parallel. Designed so the jaws will generate 4X the clamping power of the ANSI pliers standard. Unlike you, its jaws have hardened steel teeth. Good to have a few in the garage, workshop and camper.

This set of (6) tweezers is as useful as it looks daunting. The (6) stainless steel tweezers vary in size from 4-1/2" up to 7". Two of the tweezers have serrated tips one is inverse, one has a slide latch and the others are straight flat tip. The set comes in a clear front plastic carrying case. Good for model cars, planes or hard to reach splinters.

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.

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.  

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.

You know what you need to lock up better than we do, so when you finish building that cabinet, secure it with this cabinet lock. 11/16" cylinder diameter, depth is 1-1/4”, and it has a 1-1/2” lock arm. Comes with (2) keys because you know how you lose things (we do too). Locking nut is included and key removes in both positions.

Since the corner of a door has only so much real estate to hang stuff on, we all need to expand at some point. We do it with these durable, stylish, chrome-looking over-door hooks. No screws or drills needed. Just slip them over the top of any door up to 1-5/8”—bathroom, bedroom, entry, craft room, workshop, garage—and watch how much stuff ends up hanging from them instead of piled in a heap. They hang down 9” and stick out about 7” from the door, with a nice round ball on the end, and require a mere 1/16” clearance at the top for the door to close. That’s not a problem for most doors. Our each is a (3)-pack.

These rolls of light blue, pink and yellow masking tape (and maybe even more colors) would be right at home at an Easter egg hunt or a preppy-themed party. Or for any taping situations where you don’t want to use the same old beige stuff. Bring some happy color into your life! These rolls are 1" wide and 10 yards long, and our each is (3) rolls of different colors.

Our each is a set of (4) removable sink strainers with stainless steel mesh wells and flat rims. The set includes (1) 4-1/2" dia for 2-1/4" drains, (1) 2-3/4" dia for 1-1/8" drains, and (2) 2" dia for 3/4" drains.

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.

The Easy Search Tool Bag combines the best of a tool box with the convenience of those bucket liners, where you can see all your most-used tools at a glance. In heavy, water-resistant gray and black poly-canvas with a rubber bottom, it measures 16” x 10” x 11” tall with a gazillion pockets. OK, (13) inside, so your pliers don't get lost at the bottom, and (25) total covering all four sides for the stuff you reach for most; including (2) hook and loop closed pouches. Pat says it's cut his tool-searching time by 70%, and his cussing has decreased by at least (5) words a day. Heavy-duty (the bag) with canvas handles and a hinged top so it will unzip and stand open like a Gladstone bag. Man, this thing is nice.