LAB & SCHOOL

You know those times when you don’t have a stove and you wonder how you’re going to heat up your soup or mac and cheese? Like at college, or when you’re on the road and living in hotel rooms? Times like those are when this 110VAC, 1000-watt (9A) hot plate shines. Has an easy-to-use dial with (5) temperature settings, from 140F to 716F, a neon power indicator, metal body, non-slip feet and a 3-foot cord. Measures approx 8” x 8” x 2-3/4”. This is a serious cooking tool, not a toy, and shouldn’t be used by anyone under age 12. Anyone over 12 should operate the plate under the supervision of an adult. Just one, though. Too many cooks spoil the broth. CE listed.

It looks as though it should be used for administering laudanum! A 30mL, 1-1/4" sq x 3" tall clear glass bottle, it has thick molded sides and a heavy lip: very antique in appearance. It is stoppered with a red(!) rubber stopper which is the squeeze bulb for the glass dropper tube inside. A real eye catcher, but give it a good wash please. It clearly is not sterile.

Clip this little lighted scope onto your smart phone and use the phone's zoom feature to show images (and take photos) up to 30X magnification. Our Optics Guru Paul says it has no business working this well for under ten bucks. Measures 2-5/8" x 1-1/4" and comes with (3) replaceable button-cell batteries for the light. Fits most major brands, like iPhones and Androids and Windows (oh, my!), and probably most tablets, too.

Good things come in (2) different small packages. Our pocket microscopes are compact and perfect for a clear, close look at stamps, coins, flora, insects or assorted minutiae. The 30X version measures 5-3/4" x 1-5/8" x 3/4" in black plastic with a focus knob, on/off switch, small LED for illumination, and a vinyl carrying case. Requires (2) "AA"s. The 60X version is a microscopic 3-1/4" x 1-3/16" x 3/4" and has a built-in white LED illuminator powered by (3) coin-cell batteries that are included. Magnifies from 60-100X, with coarse- and fine-focus knobs, and has a vinyl carrying case.

Eye dropper, tongue dropper, test tube dropper, petri dish dropper, anywhere dropper. Use this 3" glass dropper, with a rubber squeeze bulb to drop small amounts of liquid wherever you think they should go. You will have to measure by counting drops, though, because there are no markings on it. Also, it is called "3" because that is about how long the glass tube is. Overall, it is 4" long.

A honey of a little digital scale, the techies in the back room say. This improved Triton T2® scale is pocket-sized (5-7/8" x 3-1/8" x 3/4" thick), and measures up to 300g x 0.1g, 10.5 oz x .005 oz, 190 pennyweight x 0.1 dwt, and 9.6 Troy ounces x .001 ozt. Has a zero/tare button and a cover that can be removed for use as a larger tray. Comes with (3) "AAA" batteries.

We’ll say. Herr Erlenmeyer of flask fame was handled Richard August Carl Emil Erlenmeyer, but you can call him Emil. Our Borosilicate glass version of his flask holds 500ml, and is graduated from 200ml to 400ml in 50ml increments. Stands 3-3/4” tall with a 4-1/4” dia bottom narrowing to 2-1/2” at the top, which also makes it a hard-to-spill coffee cup.

Inside the lab, it's a standard translucent-white, LDPE-plastic wash bottle, 500ml/16oz, measuring 2-3/4" dia x 6-3/4 tall with a screwcap and a right-angle, 5/16" dia nozzle. Outside the lab, it's so pleasing to squeeze and squirt with that some of us keep them in the kitchen.

Almost big enough to pick up mortals: 9-7/8" long, 1/2" at its widest, with a mouth that rests open at 1-3/16". Stainless steel and non-magnetic, with a rounded serrated tip that's 5/32" wide. Good for giant splinters, crafts, jewelry, electronics, or sushi.

Stethos is Greek for chest. Indeed you can scope your stethos with this stethoscope, or your friend's or your dog's. But it works equally well for picking up any sound being transmitted through a solid medium. Listen to the air flowing through the heating ducts, the water in the pipes, the sounds of machinery, the termites munching on the floor joists!! The color does vary so we will select from what's currently available. We've had blue, teal, red, black, burgundy, green and purple, but there may be other colors yet to be seen! Not professional quality, but also not just a toy.

These traditional-looking white plastic scoops with handles are for anything from flour and coffee beans to beads and glitter. You’ll get (1) in either 3 oz, measuring 8-1/2” long overall, or 2 oz, measuring 8” overall. Both are sturdy, super lightweight and made in the USA. We will stick our hand into the bin and grab one.

Porcelain mortars and pestles. Great heavy duty mortars, with sides that are easily 5/16" thick on the smaller ones, and up to 1/2" on the larger. The mortars are glazed outside, but rough inside, the better to grind, and have a pouring lip. The business ends of the pestles are unglazed, while the shafts are glazed. Very functional, very good looking!! So grind your own spices, fresh herbs or lab concoctions as you prefer. You get a mortar and pestle as a single order.

So you don't have a gas jet in the garage? You don't think Margie and Ted are old enough to handle the high temperatures of a Bunsen burner? Our alcohol lamp is the answer. It burns alcohol (available at the hardware store), and is hot enough to boil water, to soften glass tubing for bending, and to generate the chemical reactions generally called for in science projects. The lamp is thick glass, shaped somewhat like a squared-off ink well, 3-1/2" tall w/ cap x 2-1/2" and comes with a screw-on wick holder and a handy little lid/extinguisher, both metal.

In the lab or kitchen, these clear borosilicate glass mugs have a handle and lip and remind you that science is part of your every day. The smaller 4-1/2" 400mL one has graduations in 50mL increments and the larger 6" 1000mL one in 100mL increments with numeric markings every 100mL or 200mL accordingly; both with more room before you have to worry about spilling. May come with a pour spout on the side opposite the handle which won't affect your beverage consumption but will make it easier to water your favorite house plant. Not intended for serious lab use as the volumes are approximate. Remember to ask for 236.5ml of coffee the next time you visit your favorite diner.

This blue plastic test-tube rack measures approx 8" long x 2-1/2" wide x 3-1/4" tall with (6) holes for full tubes, the end ones at 1-1/16" / 27mm dia and the others at 3/4" / 19mm. In front of these are (6) pegs for clean inverted tubes.

This (10) piece set of weights are brass cylinders topped with knobs. The weights are stamped on the top. There are (2) each of 1, 2, 5 and 10 grams, plus (1) 20 and (1) 50 gram weight. Our each is the full set of 106g. 

Wanna stir up a little trouble? We've got just the tool. Our solid glass stirring rod is 8" long x 3/16" dia. Flat ends. Perfect for mixing a scientific formula, a perfect martini or a jar of tempera paint.

This funnel looks delicate, but it's borosilicate so heat won't hurt it. The tough little glass funnel has a 75mm (approx 3") ID mouth and an 80mm long neck with a 6mm ID fluted outlet. No markings.