mullettools.com, $229.99

Cyclone dust separators for shop vacuums have been around for a while. They excel at keeping the vac’s filter clean by dropping debris out of the airstream ahead of the filter. The folks at Mullet have taken this basic idea and improved it by making the connection between their separator and the vac rigid. This means the two units move as one when you tug on the hose—a welcome convenience when cleaning up the shop.

I’ve been using the U.S.-made Mullet for several months now and like it a lot. As advertised, it keeps my vac’s filter clean, and the suction strong. Their instruction manual was clear and actually fun to read with some Texas humor thrown in for good measure. The initial setup took about 10 minutes, the included adaptors mating perfectly with my Craftsman vac. (Mullet includes adaptors for all the major brands.) The clear plastic lid and the translucent hopper make it easy to tell when it’s time to empty the canister, which is a fast, easy, tool-free operation. The only troubles I’ve had have been a couple of clogs after sucking up too many hand-plane shavings. I can live with that.
Ken Burton

Evapo-rust.com, $8.99/qt.

Until I inherited them, my dad’s hand tools sat unused for 20 years in the heat and humidity of his Florida workshop. They were rusty, to put it mildly. Obliged to recondition them, I took a friend’s recommendation and soaked the still good tools in Evapo-Rust. Immediately, I noticed that rust began dissolving, and within 20 minutes, knobs and screws could be loosened. I soaked chisels and plane irons for an hour, wiped them down, and they were ready to sharpen. Inspired, I set about de-rusting the rest of my shop. I dipped old saws in a bath of Evapo-Rust; I soaked a rag in the liquid to wrap around turning tools and plane bodies, and used another to wipe machine tables. And because it’s re-usable, I’m still on my first jug. Best of all it, it attacks the rust but not the metal beneath. I accidentally left a rusty old square soaking all weekend, but when I saw it again on Monday morning, it was rust free and intact. To top it off, Evapo-Rust is non-toxic, non-corrosive, contains no acids or bases, and doesn’t produce harmful fumes. 
Derek Richmond