Bike apprenticeships?

There's a bod posts here or in classic - Stephen Hull, I think, but it
might be somebody else - he's a painter and knows a lot about hand
painting. Fwiw, the best results I had were with Tractor Enamel and
Highway Paint [1] - both paints designed for brush application, but they
could be sprayed if necessary. They had a long flow time, but runs
weren't a problem once you got the hang of them. Results were pretty
good as they were very forgiving of errors.

[1] A bit of a misnomer- not designed to paint highways, but the
vehicles on them. The range of colours was limited, but adequate.
--
Dave
GS850x2 XS650 SE6a

"It's a moron working with power tools.
How much more suspenseful can you get?"
- House

 

Because of your condition you wouldn't understand Adrian. Seek
professional help.

All the best ..

T i m

 

Ok, I'll note that for when I do the Schmitt.

Ah, good to know.

The mate (who owns his own garage) who sprayed the parts on my CB250
recently isn't used to spraying bike shaped bits (car stuff is
normally flat or basic external curves). He had some problem with the
tank and the spoked mag wheels, the very edges of the mudguard were
only just done, as if he was spraying a flat rather than three
dimensional object <g>. Sfunny, although the final job is quite
presentable, I feel I could have done a better one (once everything
had been set up) and I'm not really a sprayer (do ok with aerosol cans
etc though). ;-)

And watching him do the side of a Merc the other day, it's all
changing again with water based paints?

The CB was sprayed in 'a silver' ... whatever he had left over from
another job (so I can't really complain eh) ;-)

 

I can enjoy a joke (as you should be able to tell from most of my
replies) but I think you might be right about the last bit Champ. My
mistake for asking a question about motorcycles!

Thanks to all those who did proffer a sensible reply though.

All the best ..

T i m

 

What "condition" would that be?

 

Yours?

All the best ..

T i m

 

puttayatoysbackinnadapram

 

Sounds like a barrel of laughs.

Maybe she feels a bit pointless as everything is done for her?

--
TD
1991 VFR400R NC30 (black and red)
2001 ZX-9R (red and black)
1999 M5 (neither black nor red)
Missing: SOB, Unreliable Italian exotica, Lardy tourer

 

Is that how you decide things in your family, a joke competition?

Or maybe like many around her age she's doesn't really know what she
might want to do for a job (potentially) the rest of her life?

You see, we aren't all lucky like you and come from perfect parents,
that just let you get on with everything. How lucky you were to have
known exactly what you wanted to do at her age and be able to get into
that profession but not only that make a good living from it and
joking away every fun filled day.

All the best ..

T i m

 

Actually, if it's something concerning /my/ life, /I/ decide by /my/self.
Most attempts to ask for advice were met with "You decide, it's your life."
This wasn't buck-passing, especially now I look back, I can see the sense in
it. I provided my own viable solutions.

And you reckon that you can help her make her mind up?

Indeed. I am lucky. Don't know if I've made such a good living, but that's
more lack of desire to fit into corporate moulds, than me being bad at what I
do.

Never fear, I feel that with ukrm's parenting advice, she'll be TIUTA before
very long.

--
TD
1991 VFR400R NC30 (black and red)
2001 ZX-9R (red and black)
1999 M5 (neither black nor red)
Missing: SOB, Unreliable Italian exotica, Lardy tourer

 

LOL!

Thanks, I needed that. ;-)

I actually have no problems with any of the replies, like I said, this
*is* the interwebby and many were well meaning if OT. I know I'm not a
perfect parent (I didn't even particularly want to be a parent), but
we do our best and believe what we have brought up with this daughter
is a very 'nice' and fairly well rounded person.

Everybody who meets her (especially if they she can be bothered with
them) seems to like her and is impressed with her mature attitude and
good nature.

Most things she turns her hand to she is good at, more so if it's
something she actually want's for herself (and no surprises there).
However, there are also many things we have suggested / introduced
her to that she is equally happy with and grateful for.

The local bike shop have lent her a 2000 mile, one year old bike 'till
she's finished with it' ... for nothing. I guess they have done so
because they are pretty sure she will do her very best not to chuck it
down the road. The guy she helped for a day doing some tree felling is
now bending over backwards to get her on his books and is working with
the Horticultural College to get her on their Arb Apprenticeship
course. The College have spoken to her and they want her there very
much. They also mentioned to him "how nice it was to see her parents
behind her and supporting her" ...

But she can also be lazy and stubborn (she's 17 ffs) and she has her
weaknesses. Like not very good on directions and not just the local
area, she took ages to learn her way round her old school (a place I
knew inside out within days when I went there as a kid) but that's
just because we are all different. [1]

But some of the replies have got me thinking and that was reinforced
by the fact that she was unable to describe to the guys coming to pick
her up at 6:30 this morning (more Arb work) how to get to our place (I
wasn't going to offer to do it for her, something I do regularly in
spite of what some here may think). So, the next time we go out on the
bikes I'll take her round all the local roads and let her navigate her
way back (combining bike practice with road knowledge), now it's
important for her to have such skills.

All the best ..

T i m


[1] I'm not generally sexist but it seems more wimmin have trouble
with directions than men (probably a good technical reason).

Like, you walk to a shop from the South and when you leave they walk
out first and go North?

A mates missus rode out of a petrol station first and went the wrong
way. He stayed there and 10 mins later she rode back ...

Her: What are you doing?

Him: Wondering where you were going?

Her: Going to John's?

Him: But do you know the way to John's?

Her: Not really?

Him: Then why leave first and why that way?

Her: Erm, I thought it was that way ...?

 

Understood again , for things for you or things where you are most
likely to make the most informed decision (like a motorbike for you or
a new boiler for the house).

Of course. And they were all a barrel of laughs tho yes?

Of course not and I never even hinted that. What I *said* was we help
her where we can, be that offering her ideas about opportunities that
we think will suit her, be worthwhile, give her a reasonable future /
income etc. It's up to her if she follows any of the suggestions or
advice up (and in many cases she doesn't).

Likewise TD. I worked as an engineer for BT, Kodak, An American owned
Datacomms Co, and various IT training houses. In many cases the job I
was doing was 'easy' and I knew there was better money elsewhere but
that isn't the be_all and end_all of life (for me or us). However, I
was never a yes_man, resisted moves into_the_office, simply because I
knew I would enjoy them far far less that I did doing the hands on
stuff.

Our daughter does seem to have a better idea now re what *might* be a
career for her and we will do our very best to make that happen for
her if we can. In just the same way as many (even on here I suspect)
work hard(er) to be able to send their kids to college / uni etc in
the hope they will find something that suits them.

:-(

All the best ..

T i m

 

Does she know her own postcode? If she at LEAST gets that and the house
number the police should be able to bring her sobbing home.

Honest to god, when I was 14 I knew 4 or 5 ways to get home from most
places to make sure I could always avoid the scrotes.
I still got the crap kicked out of me and my spare change stolen but I
had a fighting chance.

How does she manage to locate the lads she's sneaking out to cop off
with? Am I out of line yet?

 

It made me laugh but that's probably because I'm supposed to be an
engineer and the only people who take any notice of what I say are
clients when they're in the shit.

 

What happened to the other daughter?

Nice is over rated. My 2 are bolshy gits who can argue their corner.

Spiky is more fun. Well rounded people roll too easily.

 

neither did I. and I'm not but somehow I ended up being a granny.
--
Adie
(replace spam with nickname to reply)

UKRM FAQ: http://www.ukrm.net/faq/
keeper of the ukrm faq for my sins

YZF-R1 : ZX9R E1 : GPz 750 turbo

MRO#11 BOTAFOF#7 BOTAFOT#130 DIAABTCOD#17 MIB#24 YTC#16 BOB#15 ex-UKRMMA#22 BOMB#11

 

I don't see what's to be so proud of about not being a parent. Most of
the happiest times of my life have been as a direct result of having
kids, being a parent is great fun for 99% of the time.

--
Lozzo the velologist
Suzuki SV650S K5
Honda CBR600 FW trackbike
Yamaha SR250 Spazz-Trakka
Suzuki GSXR750 L
Suzuki TS50X
Suzuki TS50X

 

I'd have crushed your vas deferens for you.

I first asked for my tubes to be tied when I was 18. Even after 2 kids
it took them being in there for something else until they finally got
on with it. Of course now I'm brooody...

 

Aint that the truth.

Still, handy for building up brownie points. ;-)

All the best ..

T i m

 

I believe so.

Not popular then?

Just as well considering then.

4 years, two boyfriends.

Out of touch more like. ;-)

So, is this your main focus in life, someone knowing how to get home
(and FWIW she can if on the bus, train or walking locally). The fact
that she may be better at many things that you means I can take the
piss out of you for those then does it?

All the best ..

T i m