One promotion above 1st Lieutenant Polyimide? Nope-- tape material that makes duct tape hang its head in shame. Kapton polyimide is used in everything from flexible printed circuits, to the Apollo moon missions, to cryogenics. In this case, it’s a 1/2” wide x .0025” thick adhesive tape on a 36-yard roll. Has a normal tensile strength of 30 lbs, insulates up to 7500V, and has a working temperature from -100F to 500F. High temp tolerance makes it perfect for masking during powder coating. Made in the USA.

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.

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.

Need to hide your skivvies in the woods? This sturdy nylon canvas drawstring bag is lined, and measures 31" x 23" in digital camouflage. And yes, you could put anything into it, even duffel, as long as you can find it later.

Stop wrapping duct tape around your vise, and protect delicate material the right way with this pair of hard-rubber, ribbed pads made to cover the jaws. The pads have (2) rare earth magnets embedded inside the rubber. Made for a 4" vise, they measure 4" long x 1-1/8" high x 3/8" thick with a lip along one long side. The rubber is 3/32" thick.

Our most minimal, but still really bright gooseneck lamp is a mere 6" long in flexible rubber. Plugs into a USB outlet and has a bright COB LED on the business end. Travel essential. Holds its shape well, which makes it great for laptops. In assorted colors that we’ll pick because it doesn’t matter.

Don't panic. A meteorite is speeding toward you, but it will only hit your mailbox. These small hunks of genuine meteorites are approx 4,200 years old and have been harvested from Chaco, Argentina. (We never miss the meteorite harvest in Chaco.) Most will weigh 20-33 grams and measure approx 1-1/4" x 3/4" x 1/2", which is very dense. Carry one in your pocket and you'll never be hit by a large meteorite. (And if you are, we'll give you double your money back.)

This isn't a book, but it's definitely book-ish. Looks like a leather-bound volume from the Bodleian but it's just a little wooden box, approx 8-1/2" x 5" x 2" (7" x 3-7/8" x 1-5/8" inside) that's perfect for stashing the jewels, cash, or whatever you need to stash in plain sight on the shelves.

Or garage, or hallway--anywhere that’s wireless in the bad sense. CJ calls this “another retina scorcher” from iZoom® because of the brightness of the COB lights. Fixture measures 3" x 4" x 13/16" in white plastic with a big rocker switch that activates the 1” white COB LED in its center. Powered by (4) “AAA”s, included. Mounts via self-adhesive hook-and-loop pads or the pair of little disc magnets on the back.

Based on drawings from Da Vinci's Codex Atlanticus, this Pathfinders catapult kit uses a pair of bent wooden arms as springs to launch clay balls (included) over (4) meters at enemy fortifications (not included, go make your own enemies). The assembled model will be approx 9" tall on a 10" x 7-1/4" base. Made from pre-cut, untreated wood from sustainable forests, and built with pegs for added strength and verisimilitude. A 2013 Creative Child Magazine Top Toy of the Year Winner and a great resource for STEM activities. For ages 12 and up.

This multi-bot solar kit includes a 1.5V solar cell, a small DC motor and gearbox and a boatload of parts that will let you make (14) different solar-powered projects including: a turtle-bot; walker bot; quadru bot; wheel bot; boat bot; beetle bot; dog bot; auto bot; carb bot; slither bot; roly poly bot; surf bot; and, you should pardon the pun, the row bot. No, really--there's a row bot. Projects come in (2) levels of difficulty and include an 81pp graphic manual. You'll need a hobby knife or a pair of side-cutters, and sunlight. Most projects will be approx 5" tall when assembled.

Do your kids think the whole world snaps together? Time to get them the Steel Works, a classic steel construction set from Schylling not unlike those erecting sets of yore. Has more than (300) pieces, including beams, plates, angles, nuts, bolts, washers and more, along with instructions for making an airplane, helicopter, dump truck, satellite truck, fire truck, forklift, claw truck, gyrocopter, bulldozer and backhoe. Includes wrenches and a hex key. Models have mechanical actions triggered by wheel movement. Parts are interchangeable with any other Schylling Steel Works kit. For ages 8+.

These silicone hot pads double as trivets or oven mitts. Measure 7-1/8" dia x 3/16" thick with 1/4" honeycomb indentations to further dissipate heat, plus a 3/8” hole near the edge so you can hang them up. We’ll pick one in red, blue, green or orange, and you can redecorate your kitchen to match. They also double as the world’s safest frizbees.

Our thinner picker-upper, but with a powerful 5-lb-pull, 9/16" dia magnet on the business end (for spilled nails, the screw that rolled under the stove, or the heavy wrench you dropped into the sump). The 5/16" dia x 5-1/4" long 4-draw barrel extends to a full two feet. Has a convenient pocket clip.

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.

These miniature versions of the traditional floor fan say "Retro Mini Fan" on them, and the retro part is that the blades and cages are all metal. The handy part is that they're just 5-3/8" dia and the plug is a USB, ready to cool you off right from your (actual) desktop. Tilts 180° up and down and comes with a 4-foot cord. Super quiet, too. We'll pick one in red, blue or black.

A really small guy who lives....Whoops! Wrong Chuck. This one is a drill or rotary tool chuck with a 1/8" shank and fits bit sizes #60-#80 to facilitate handling tools with truly small shanks. Very handy in the modeling and electronics worlds.

We like anything in a can, of course, but these sets of (20) cards with science experiments, plus a few tricks, from The Crazy Scientist are right up our alley. (Science is our middle name, remember?) You pick: Indoor Science has (20) chemical and physics experiments with basic household items; The Magic of Science has (20) science-based magic tricks (duh); The Five Senses has (20) ways to mess with your senses; and Young Researchers has (20) experiments involving light, heat, liquids and gasses. All are made for ages 6+, and all include (1) card especially for the parents.