LAB & SCHOOL

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.

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.

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.

A great pack of (10) non-medical quality disposable masks. 3 Ply non-woven material for general use. Comfortable fitting and easy breathing. Elastic ear-loops with no pressure to the ears. All in a handy dandy,  reclosable zip seal bag. One for the purse, one for the glove compartment and one for work. Executive standard GB/T 32610-2016. 7’’ X 3.75’’

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.

Easy to do, and important these days. We’ve been pointing this non-contact infrared thermometers at just about every forehead we see. Reads in one second with a digital display in C or F. Measures body temps of 89.6 to 108.5 F (32.0 to 42.5 C) with a resolution of 0.18 F (0.1 C) and color changing backlit display to warn you when hot is too hot. Normal operating temperature (ambient air) range is 60.8 to 95 F (16.0 to 35.0 C), and the device should be held between 0.4" and 2" inches from those foreheads. Want to fry an egg on your car dash? Switch it over to surface mode to check, well, surface temps. Couldn’t be easier to use, or more important in times like these. Plus, when this is all over, you’ll never have to stick a thermometer under your tongue, or anywhere else, again. Approved by the FDA as soon as you add a pair of "AAA" batteries.

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.

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.

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! A great discovery device whether for biology or other pursuits. Not of professional quality, but not just a toy.

Stainless steel mortar and pestle set. Mortar measures 5-1/4” dia x 3” on a 4” dia attached saucer-like base. Holds approx 250ml. Pestle is 6-3/4” long with 1-1/4” and 2” dia heads. Nice for the lab, or for folks who want everything in their stainless steel kitchen to be stainless steel. You know who you are. And we salute you.

This digital instant-read lab thermometer measures 8-1/4" long total with a 5" long stainless-steel probe that's resistant to most chemicals. Has a removable cover with a pocket clip, on/off button, and C or F readings (-50 to +300C, -58 to +572F). Button-cell battery included.  

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.

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.

Sometimes at the end of a long day of typing, our fingers just need to lie down for a while, so we grab one of these finger cots and….sorry, we were challenged to write a clean finger-cot joke. Never mind. These are your standard, natural rubber latex finger cots, aka “sheaths,” size small. Use them to protect your fingers from paper cuts, dryness, chapping, irritating liquids, whatever. Our each is a box of (144). Gross, you say? Yeah, kind of.

When you peer through your magnifying glass at this specimen, or focus your microscope on it, even at the lower magnifications which work best, you're looking at one big bug. Make that (4) big bugs. The insects are real, encased in clear acrylic blocks 1-3/4" x 1-1/4" x up to 11/16" thick, and ready for inspection. Set 1 includes a scorpion, giant ant, wasp and a flower bug. Set 2 is a cricket, locust, yellow leaf beetle, and crab. No, not a crab louse or a crab spider, but definitely a crab ugly.

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.

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. If you don't want to display them, they can be stored in their molded plastic holder. Our each is the full set.

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.