Our RV Adventures

and where does it stop? As I expected the other day, the bans have started.

New York State has now banned “Assault Weapons” with only ONE cosmetic feature, not two like before. So now 100’s of thousands of New York gun owners that owned legal guns yesterday are now criminals. So having a folding or adjustable stock on your rifle, even a standard deer hunting rifle, makes you a criminal. Even if it’s only used so your wife or son can shoot the rifle more comfortably.

They have also redefined a “High Capacity” magazine to be one that holds no more than 7 rounds, down from the previous 10.

You can keep your old 10 round magazine, but if you ever put more than 7 rounds in it, you’re a criminal, even if you never put it in a gun.

And of course you can forget that 13 – 17 round mag that came with your pistol. It’s now a felony to posses one.

Maybe the government ought to take a look at the first 9 ‘Killers’ on this list before they worry about guns.

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Under the heading of “Make your own Assault Weapon at home”, it’s almost here.

You may or may not have heard about 3D Printing. A 3D printer is a device that allows you take something designed by a computer and print it out in plastic, or in some cases, metal. Think Star Trek Replicator.

If you’re a car company, you get a multi-million dollar model to literally print out the parts of a new prototype car, rather than making them by hand.

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And if you’re Jay Leno you can use one to made new parts for your large collection of antique cars.

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Ever owned an HP LaserJet or InkJet printer? Now you can own an HP DesignJet 3D printer. This ones about $15,000.

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You don’t even have to own one. You can design your part at home and then send it off to have it produced.

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You can print everything from simple things

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to very intricate ones.

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Even better you can get one for home use as a kit for between $500 and $1000.

And even more better, you can use this one to print the parts for a new one. Kind of self-replicating. So where does this all lead?

Like I said, make your own AR-15 “Assault Weapon” at home.

Most people may not realize that the important part to an AR-15 is the lower receiver.

This is the part that has the serial number, and is regulated and tracked by the government. The barrel, stock, etc. are all readily available. But now, you can print one at home.

Of course it’s a work in progress, playing off the type of plastic used, the design, and the durability of the piece.

The first lasted for one round, the second one lasted for six, the third for 40 rounds, the fourth, fifth, and sixth, who knows.

But even better, and what works now, is a print-it-yourself magazine.

They’ve printed magazines that will work with no problems, and will hold up to 100 rounds.

Now that’s a High Capacity Magazine!

So now, let’s ban 3D printers, right?

Also apparently now finger guns are illegal.

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Next up: The Splendide Repairman

I had two problems with our Splendide washer/dryer. The first was a flaky door switch that sometimes would not allow the door to be opened after use, sometimes until the next day.

But while I was waiting for the new switch to come in from Westland Sales, another problem appeared. The dryer stopped drying. Everything worked except for the heating up part.

At first I was hoping it might have a connection with the defective switch so I could fix both problems with one repair. But a close look at the schematic in the service manual proved that wrong.

I could have replaced the switch from the outside, but I now couldn’t avoid pulling the washer out of the cabinet, a real pain in the rear.

So today was the day.

After I removed the retaining strip at the bottom of the opening, I next removed the cabinet doors, and other parts like this latch.

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Then I started inching the washer out.

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Since there is plenty of room inside the cabinet you think they could have left a little more room in the opening.

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You can’t even get a screwdriver in between the washer and the wall.

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But finally I had it out far enough to tilt it onto the floor dolly. The dolly all the difference in getting it out of the hallway.

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Now I could get to the water hoses, after turning off the water, of course.

The string is left over from my fan motor replacement last year. It lets me push the washer back in and hold the drain hose out of the way so it doesn’t get crimped as I do.

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Now I was able to push the washer aside so I could get inside the cabinet, unplug the power cord, and turn off the water at the valves, This let me turn the coach water back on.

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The gob of sticky Plumber’s Putty holds the drain hose in the drain pipe so it doesn’t come loose while bouncing down the road, and then flood your RV once you get to the RV park.

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Now with the lid off I was able to start checking components. And my first test proved to be the last one. Because it found the culprit.

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And this is it. It’s a thermal fuse. And it’s your last-ditch protection against the dryer catching fire.

If the High Temp thermostat shorts out, the dryer would just run hotter and hotter, possibly starting a fire. A clogged exhaust vent can also cause this to happen.

But these fuses sometimes just die and open up, which is what happened here.

The markings on the fuse does not tell me the temperature rating, nor does the schematic. So I’ve got a call into the Westland Sales to see if this is a part I can find locally, or one I will have to order from them. Hopefully I’ll be able to talk with them tomorrow.

Coming Up Soon: The Blind Repairman, or How to repair/restring your RV Day/Night Shades.

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Thought for the Day: Be sure and note who said this!

“Certainly one of the chief guarantees of freedom under any government, no matter how popular and respected, is the right of citizens to keep and bear arms. This is not to say that firearms should not be very carefully used and that definite safety rules of precaution should not be taught and enforced. But the right of citizens to bear arms is just one more guarantee against arbitrary government, and one more safeguard against tyranny which now appears remote in America, but which historically has proved to be always possible.” – Hubert H. Humphrey – Democratic Senator and Vice President – Guns magazine, February 1960, p.6

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We’re now into our 5th day of cold, rainy, miserable weather. Today’s high was 45 with a low tonight of 37. Then tomorrow it’s 40 and 35. And of course don’t forget the intermittent rain.

And even better, we’re looking at another week of this.

Blah!

I had appointments with several clients this morning, but that got cut short due to the flu.

Not me. Them.

But since it’s been about 10 days since I’ve seen them, and the incubation period for the flu is 1 to 4 days, I should be OK.

So far they’re the only ones I know with the flu, so I hope my luck holds.

I didn’t get the flu shot this year, and haven’t gotten one since the mid-60’s. I’ve the shot twice and both times I got sick. The last time I almost had to be hospitalized.

So now I depend of the kindness of strangers. I figure that if everyone else gets their flu shots like they’re supposed to, then I don’t need to get mine.

So, get your flu shot today.

My continued good health depends on it.

So after checking in with my healthy client, I headed over to the house to check the mail. I was hoping that the door switch to fix the washer had come in, and it had. Of course I still have to pull the washer out of the wall to fix the ‘no-heat’ problem, but I’d rather only pull it out once to fix both problems.

Leaving the house my next stop was Fry’s Electronics to pick up a new computer for a client. Fry’s is starting to run out of Windows 7 machines, so I hope they hold out until Jan and I leave here next month.

Getting back to the rig, Jan and I headed back out about 4pm to first have dinner at Chili’s and then on to Kroger’s for some groceries. Then it was home for the night.

Tomorrow I play Splendide repairman.

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Thought for the Day:

"I am for doing good to the poor, but I differ in opinion of the means. I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it. In my youth I traveled much, and I observed in different countries, that the more public provisions were made for the poor, the less they provided for themselves, and of course became poorer. And, on the contrary, the less was done for them, the more they did for themselves, and became richer." — Benjamin Franklin

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