Technical Little tips and tricks for garage hobbyists.

When I first moved here to the Prescott area and went to the MVD, I was pleasantly surprised. Short line, knowledgeable staff.
This has degraded over time. The staff are still helpful, there are just as many, but the slaughterhouse treatment of patrons has been ramped up. An online kiosk at the front (if I could do it online, I wouldn't have driven here), followed by a self check-in which asks questions and spits out a number to stand in a twisting line that herds you toward the front slowly. The last one, the clerk took my paperwork and disappeared for 10 minutes. When she returned, she explained it was to train another person in how to spot fakes. So no explanation to start, a long wait, then an alarming twist. After that, she then said everything was okay. I was not happy, but sure didn't want to press the matter.
They also collect and sell your data without ANY Terms Of Service. warning or disclaimer.
Note the ***le, then what is in the article
https://azmirror.com/briefs/arizona-mvd-doesnt-sell-records-to-third-parties/
In Arizona, a little more than 762,000 requests for driver license records were made to the motor vehicle division from Sept. 10, 2018, to Sept. 10, 2019, according to Arizona Department of Transportation spokesman Doug Nick. The requests brought in more than $2.3 million for the agency.

 

Thanks!

 

Here’s a tip for to increase the longevity and function of those generic casters from all the big box stores (aside from lubricating the axles).

Squirt some grease in the swivel bearings and wrap it with an o-ring.

It may not swivel as easily at first but it won’t fill up with dust, preserving the action for miles of smiles.

 

Hand smack to forehead, “why didn’t I think of that!” Moment…

 

Been waiting awhile to do this one until I got some pics to explain; Here's what I came up with to create a hose barb on a metal line for the cooler lines on a T400. I use a br*** compression fitting ferrule. Just the ferrule. I crank the fitting down, take it apart and carefully cut off the nut. Voila! just be sure to give it a test tug to ensure it will stay put. Works for me, and costs a lot less than a tool to bead the tube. I've used them lots of places.

 

Very cool, Steve.

 

Since I’ve been so busy procrastinating on making a 5/16” bead tool, maybe I’ll do it this way instead.

 

When I had my shop it was inspected by the fire department about every three years but one time the chief was in getting his wife’s car repaired and noticed that the wall clock in my office had its cord still wound up he made me unwind it on the spot and said he’d seen an actual house fire start that way. About a week later I was inspected again and of course the clock in the shop, bench grinder and something else had to be taken care of. They didn’t like how I had the power cord permanently attached to the welder and d****d around the tank until I showed them how I had to remove it to use it anywhere in the shop. I never understood how low draw clock would be a problem but they said they would rather see the cord cut off and a new plug installed on it.
I don’t know

 

dis he actually have the address of the burned house....?

 

Nobody who asks tough questions like that lasts long employed by the government.

 

Don’t do squats in a asparagus patch!

 

I drive by out “ tag office” most every day! So…I keep my current paper work in my;vehicle and when I drive by and see no cars out front, I wheel in! Most of the time you have 30 days to get something done! In that 30 days I have always found an open day! I avoid the first and last of the month! That’s a factor in Oklahoma, not sure of other states!





Bones

 

Ever make your fingers hurt tightening or loosening the ****erfly nuts on a roadster windshield? Grab a pair of channel locks and cry no more...

 

Years ago I plugged an old steam cleaner into one of those reel type drop lights to get a few feet more distance. Let all the smoke out!

 

Maybe that is why the water from the black hose on my hose reel is so hot?

 

Around here, worst time to go to DMV is several days before the end of the month and a few days after. Best time is middle of the month shortly before 4:30 in the afternoon. They get off work at 5, but lock the front door at 4:30 so they can finish up everyone that is waiting before they go. Maximum wait, a 1/2 hour.

 

Not the same type of cord. That cord reel has a ground, and the insulation is designed to be coiled, unlike the 2-wire cord on the chargers.

 

Here you have to make an appointment!

 

Pretty much the same here in Missouri. Early and late in the month is really problematic. I bet it's the same in every state.

 

Same here in Nevada. To make an appointment you must open an account. Every time you open it they send a code by text or eMail. The code is good for 30 minutes and for some reason it takes a few hours for mine to arrive.They have expired before I get them. I just went through a month of trying to make an appointment to renew my license. I finally gave up and went in the day before I thought I might have made an appointment I could not confirm. The lady at the information desk said I had one that day in 15 minutes. Got my renewal and a few days later a letter from the County clerk saying my voter registration had changed parties based on information from the DMV. WTF?

 

well.kind of making some of us feel slightly better about our state offices--not much though!

 

Okay, I was told last night that the system has changed a bit here now. Seems that they still do walk ins, but you can make an appointment. If you don't show up on time, you lose your place and the clerk does walk ins until time for the next appointment. So, if you're late you make another appointment or wait with the rest of the walk ins.
Also, they've had webcams on the waiting room for years, so you can see how many are waiting at any time.
That doesn't seem so bad to me.

 

You have to realize that many of our bureaucratic positions are filled with people that could not get jobs in California. But I will say that all 3 people I talked to that day were very nice.

 

I rent a little one car storage unit were I store my 1954 Chevy ,Its not much but it gets her out of the WX and I can do some work there as well, I had a engine stand kicking around that I tried to sell on Facebook market and got no bites .I did not need it and I am not planing to build any engines so it was just in the way, I also had a bench vise I was constantly kicking around,One day I was doing some project and was wishing I had a work bench for the garage,Something portable, I got some s**** lumber at Home depot and I killed 3 birds with one stone,and built a bench ,Found a use for the engine stand ,A place for the vise, and got a small work bench that can be broken down or rolled out of the way. I am no carpenter but is pretty sturdy for what i use it for

 

Very clever Frank!

 

I like!

Ben

 

And you still have an engine stand if you need one.