Author Profile

ralph mroz

Ralph Mroz grew up in an extended family of tradesmen, and worked at the trades summers and weekends through school. He put those skills to good use in renovating the five houses he and his wife have owned. Even while working in the white-collar and law enforcement worlds, he's always had one foot in the construction trades.

All Posts by ralph - Page 2

Kolbalt Tool Bags Review

By ralph mroz

Three Kolbalt Niche Tool Bags The three Kolbalt niche tool bags that we look at here are often overlooked when we build our inventory of working tool boxes and bags.  But take a look at them; one or more may fill an unserved need for you. What Kind of Tool Bag is “Right”? Oh boy! …

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Carhartt Jackets and Vest for Outer Layering

By ralph mroz

Carhartt Jackets and Vest for Outer Layering A Five-Layer System The two Carhartt jackets and vest that I describe here represent two possible outer layers in a five-layer modular cold-weather layering system that I’ve developed over the last 50 years.  Look up “cold weather layering” and you’ll mostly get descriptions of a three-layer system consisting…

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RYOBI 18V Handheld Tile/Masonry Saw

By ralph mroz

RYOBI 18V Handheld Tile/Masonry Saw RYOBI has just released their 5-inch cordless 18V Handheld Tile/Masonry Saw (Model PBLHTS01B), part of their 18V ONE+ lineup.  It joins the earlier RYOBI corded handheld tile/masonry saw with a 4-inch blade.  This new tool brings RYOBI into the cordless tile/masonry saw fold, a relatively new class of tool. The…

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What Tool Reviewers Can/Cannot Do

By ralph mroz

What Tool Reviews Can/Cannot Do Tool reviews are what we do here at Tool Box Buzz and A Concord Carpenter, and we are one of the best-known and trusted sources for them.  We are proud of both the accuracy of our reviews and the fact that we’ve maintained good relations with the tool vendors so…

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Kobalt 7-inch Sliding Table Tile Saw

By ralph mroz

Kobalt 7-inch Sliding Table Tile Saw Here at Tool Box Buzz and A Concord Carpenter we’ve reviewed several top-mount tile saws, but this Kobalt 7-inch 6-Amp Wet Tabletop Sliding Table Corded Tile Saw (model KWS B72-06) is the first bottom-mount tile saw that we’ve looked at.  We’re glad to correct this omission because bottom-mount tile…

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Ridgid 8-inch Wet Tile Saw

By ralph mroz

Ridgid 8-inch Wet Tile Saw The Ridgid 8-inch Wet Tile Saw (model R4041S) is a tool that all Type 2 (skilled DIYers) and Type 3 (general contracting pro) tradespersons will want.  Both of these trades types do tile work from occasionally to several times a year.  In fact, this saw has received praise from many…

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CAT 18” 60V Chainsaw

By ralph mroz

A New Kid on the Block: the CAT 18” 60V Chainsaw The CAT 18” 60V Chainsaw (model DG631) is one of the tools in the new line of CAT-branded outdoor power equipment (it also comes in a 16” version).  I recently looked at CAT’s new 21” lawn mower, another new CAT-branded OPE tool, and found…

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Truewerk T1 Werkshort

By ralph mroz

Truewerk T1 Werkshort — the advantages of engineered fabrics and garments The Truewerk T1 Werkshort is a great example of why synthetic materials are replacing traditional ones in construction and trades clothing.  As much as I like tradition, and even traditional denim, cotton, and canvas work clothes when the weather is unpleasant synthetics get my…

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