What magnification do the LED magnifiers give?

Magnification differs between the visor, the COB unit, the six LED magnifier and the foldable glass, and most designs of this type sit between roughly two and five times. The exact figure and any interchangeable lens plates are listed on each product page, so check there if you need a specific strength for watch or circuit board work.

Do the LED magnifiers need batteries or mains power?

The lit magnifiers in this collection are battery powered so they can be used anywhere on a bench or away from a socket. Battery type and whether cells are included vary by model and are stated on the individual product page. Keep a spare set to hand, since LED output dims noticeably before the batteries fail completely.

What is a mini anvil actually used for?

It gives you a small hard flat surface to work against for jewellery making, riveting, straightening pins and wire, closing jump rings, flattening metal findings and light model work. It is not intended for forging or heavy shaping. For anything struck hard or repeatedly, step up to the 5kg bench anvil instead.

Can the electric engraver cut glass and metal?

Yes. A 13W engraver of this type marks steel, aluminium, glass, ceramic and hard plastics using a vibrating carbide tip. It scribes a line rather than removing much material, so it suits security marking, naming tools and personalising gifts. Practise on scrap first, because engraving cannot be undone once the tip has touched the surface.

How strong is the magnetic pick up tool?

It is rated to lift up to 16lb, which covers dropped screws, bolts, sockets, spanners and most small fixings. The telescopic shaft extends into gaps and the flexible head bends round obstructions, so it reaches into engine bays, floor voids and the back of bench units. It will not lift stainless or aluminium parts, which are not magnetic.

What magnification do the LED magnifiers give?

Magnification differs between the visor, the COB unit, the six LED magnifier and the foldable glass, and most designs of this type sit between roughly two and five times. The exact figure and any interchangeable lens plates are listed on each product page, so check there if you need a specific strength for watch or circuit board work.

Do the LED magnifiers need batteries or mains power?

The lit magnifiers in this collection are battery powered so they can be used anywhere on a bench or away from a socket. Battery type and whether cells are included vary by model and are stated on the individual product page. Keep a spare set to hand, since LED output dims noticeably before the batteries fail completely.

What is a mini anvil actually used for?

It gives you a small hard flat surface to work against for jewellery making, riveting, straightening pins and wire, closing jump rings, flattening metal findings and light model work. It is not intended for forging or heavy shaping. For anything struck hard or repeatedly, step up to the 5kg bench anvil instead.

Can the electric engraver cut glass and metal?

Yes. A 13W engraver of this type marks steel, aluminium, glass, ceramic and hard plastics using a vibrating carbide tip. It scribes a line rather than removing much material, so it suits security marking, naming tools and personalising gifts. Practise on scrap first, because engraving cannot be undone once the tip has touched the surface.

How strong is the magnetic pick up tool?

It is rated to lift up to 16lb, which covers dropped screws, bolts, sockets, spanners and most small fixings. The telescopic shaft extends into gaps and the flexible head bends round obstructions, so it reaches into engine bays, floor voids and the back of bench units. It will not lift stainless or aluminium parts, which are not magnetic.

Engravers & Magnifying Tools

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Rolson LED Magnifier Visors and Illuminated Magnifiers

The Rolson LED magnifier visors and lit hand magnifiers are the core of this small but useful collection. The LED head magnifier visor is the one most people want, because it frees both hands for soldering, watch work, fly tying, model building or picking splinters out, and the light travels with your eye line rather than casting a shadow from across the bench. Alongside it sit a 3W COB LED magnifier, a six LED illuminated magnifier and a foldable LED rectangular magnifying glass that closes into its own handle for a drawer or a first aid tin. All are genuine Rolson Tools stock. For more fine work gear, the precision and watchmaker tools page goes further.

Mini and 5kg Bench Anvils

Two anvils sit in the same collection because the same people tend to need them. The mini anvil is a desk scale block for straightening pins, riveting, closing jump rings and light jewellery or model work, and it will live on a bench without taking a corner over. The 5kg anvil is a proper small bench anvil with enough mass to take hammer blows without walking across the surface, which is what separates a working anvil from a decorative one. Weight is the specification that matters here, since a light block absorbs the blow and bounces rather than shaping the metal. The Rolson hobby tools range covers the engravers, glue guns and cutting mats that usually sit around them.

Electric Engraving and Magnetic Retrieval

The 13W electric engraver (70536) handles marking rather than making. It cuts into metal, glass, ceramic and hard plastic, which makes it the practical way to security mark tools, bikes, garden machinery and power tool cases with a postcode or a name, and it is equally at home putting a date on a trophy or a gift. Rounding out the collection, the 16lb telescopic flexi head magnetic pick up tool retrieves dropped screws, sockets and fixings from engine bays, floor voids and under bench units where a hand will not reach, and the flexible head lets it work round a corner.

If you are buying one thing from this page, make it the LED magnifier visor, because it changes close work more than any of the others. Add an anvil only if you actually shape or straighten metal, and size it by weight rather than price. Keep magnifier lenses clean with a soft dry cloth and never a solvent, since the coatings mark easily, and store the foldable magnifier closed so the lens does not pick up scratches. The full Rolson Tools range and the trade tools collection cover the heavier kit that sits either side of this one.