Ask a Shiter

[TimothyClaypole]

After an incident welding my garden sieve in the kitchen and thinking in advance of having a garage are there floor tiles that are resistant to molten metal suitable for garages?

[gm]

I just bought a can of this paint stripper on ebay, the seller describes it as being "the same as nitromors used to be before they ruined it" - I'll be stripping a set of alloys at the weekend so will report back, hopefully with some decent results

 

 

 

View item:

Paint Stripper HD 1 litre Restorations Car Bodywork Metal Remover Wood Furniture

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/300935595864?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

seems to work, took a good few hours and several coats but about 3/4 of the can got all four wheels stripped

[D Spares & Tyres]

Why is it that I bought a BMW Z3 2.8 last year and felt an utter tit driving it,  but driving old shite makes me smile?

[dome]

Has anyone ever done valve grinding? Got a new head for the merc (old one was porous) and was thinking of doing that to the valves before it goes on. 24 of the feckers so I should be OK at it by the end but I may need a few pointers at the start...

[Station]

Yes, it is very easy and very satisfying. You can't really make a mess of it. The wooden stick with a sucker on the end was a bit weird, and I always wondered what this primitive kit was used for before I actually did it. It'll make sense when you start doing it.

Use course paste until it feels smooth and then fine paste until it feels smooth(er). Doesn't work on burnt valves but if you're putting new ones in or used ones, it's great.

I did 16 on a kseries I rebuilt years ago. One of the valves was slightly bent so it bent it back and it worked fine.

[twosmoke300]

Do yourself a favour and get an engine place to recut them . Does a better job and keeps the ideal narrow sealing area . Money well spent esp when there are 24 of them

[HH-R]

I've thrown the towel in with the world's most unreliable car a couple of weeks ago and got rid, sent the paperwork off to my friends* at the DVLA - will they refund the tax from the day I put on the form or the date they process it? If they take any longer it's going to be April and I'll lose another fuggin month if it's the date they process it.

 

EDIT: checked today and it's showing as untaxed from the date I wrote, good news!

[D Spares & Tyres]

You are allowed to drive it up until midnight on the last day of the month, so as long as you send paperwork off the next day you will still get your money back

[Station]

Can someone explain how Annual Leave works?

 

I finish work at the end of the week for a new job.

I have 25 or so days allotted as a permanent full time worker at the start of the year. We also get four or five 'duvet days' which are accrued (I am told over the year).

I took three DD's over three months, and booked off April bank holiday week (following the weekend) in Janaury (coincidentally the week before I start new job).

 

I was told in conversation with the main boss that as I had taken three days DD that were not assigned and have 1 week AL booked we would call it quits on the rest of the AL (ie losing 18 days of annual leave). I didn't say anything as it wasn't part of the reason for the conversation (and it wasn't official), but surely this is bollocks?

[The Moog]

It should be accrued pro rata to end of employment. So if leaving in 1st quarter you will get 6 days holiday plus 1 duvet day roughly. 

 

Depends when the duvet days are earnt, also some are dependent on full completion of year. Again all in your contract/staff handbook.  HR should provide you with a statement if you ask.

 

Check your contract as some wont pay you for any holiday once you leave therefore it must be taken before you leave (which in turn means theoretically you cant work for your new employer). 

 

So if you finish end of March then you are due 7 days (ish)-  4 days for bank holiday week plus 3 DD sounds about right. 

[oldcars]

Never had to top up the oil on the Kia Shuma between services but need some now and don't know which to get 

 

Whats best? All i have is 20/50 for the reliant which i know is no good.

[red5]

Which engine? Shuma or Shuma II ? edited - all the same specs.

 

1.5/1.6/1.8 10w40 or 10w50 SG for 'our' climate.

 

20w-50 is an option however (-10c or above...)

[oldcars]

Which engine? Shuma or Shuma II ? edited - all the same specs.

 

1.5/1.6/1.8 10w40 or 10w50 SG for 'our' climate.

 

20w-50 is an option however (-10c or above...)

Its a mk1 Shuma, thanks for the info will get some. Had it years and my mate does mot and service so never needed to top up oil. bit embarasing 

[Luckythirteen]

Has anyone heard of the law that you can't do more than 11 hours in a day if your day's work involves any driving? That's what this document seems to say https://www.gov.uk/drivers-hours/gb-domestic-rules

 

I might have to show it to my boss.

Hours rules only apply to vehicles with tachos, and those domestic rules are pretty much obsolete anyway iirc.

15 hours on, 11 hours off is standard for normal hours rules now anyway. Don't forget your working time regs though, I think those still apply.

 

Sitting checking piles of charts on a Sunday evening is a hell of a way to earn £20 I tells ya...

[Andrew353w]

Can someone explain how Annual Leave works?

 

I finish work at the end of the week for a new job.

I have 25 or so days allotted as a permanent full time worker at the start of the year. We also get four or five 'duvet days' which are accrued (I am told over the year).

I took three DD's over three months, and booked off April bank holiday week (following the weekend) in Janaury (coincidentally the week before I start new job).

 

I was told in conversation with the main boss that as I had taken three days DD that were not assigned and have 1 week AL booked we would call it quits on the rest of the AL (ie losing 18 days of annual leave). I didn't say anything as it wasn't part of the reason for the conversation (and it wasn't official), but surely this is bollocks?

I'm a union representative at my place of work, so would offer the following, if it helps...

 

Although your job gives you 25 days leave a year (=5 weeks) you it accrue on a pro-rata rate as the year progresses; for example, your employer's leave year started on 1st Jan and you resigned at the end of March you'd be entitled to a quarter of your annual entitlement (6.25 days) 

 

Taking leave for the week after Easter off would only count as 4 days leave, as Easter Monday is a Bank Holiday. A question which you didn't address was whether you're taking leave in lieu of notice of if you're working your notice and taking leave, as this alters your situation, as would the amount of notice your employer requires you to work.

 

"Duvet days" are a nightmare, legally speaking, as it's questionable if they're leave or some other non-working day. The best way to think of them is as leave days that can be taken without giving advance notice (some employers call these "domestic emergencies") so that you really have 28 days leave per year. 

 

Happy to help via PM if needed.

[Richard]

Did working time regulations ever apply? I thought the rule was opt out or sign on.

 

They wanted me to go to Shetland and back today, which means setting off at 2am and getting home at 11pm. I declined.

[Luckythirteen]

The 48 hour working week was the thing that needed to be opted out from. The rest of it gets ignored. But if you want a stick to beat the boss with...

I'm amazed you could do Shetland in a day. I'd have thought you were out overnight if you'd got off the mainland. More than say, Bute or Skye perhaps.

Seen shifts like that at harvest times, but farmers are a special kind of mental.

[tooSavvy]

Did working time regulations ever apply? I thought the rule was opt out or sign on.

 

They wanted me to go to Shetland and back today, which means setting off at 2am and getting home at 11pm. I declined.

 

Worst for me (without a hotel thrown in) was Wallsend/Aberdeen/Wallsend...11HRS driving... and doing a call-out Job in the middle  .

 

Well knackered by bed time.....

 

 

TS

[Richard]

Shetland and back in a day involves flying, which I'm not prepared to do again, airports are for other people.

 

I did Skye and back in a day last week, with two jobs to do. I used a whole tank of fuel and got home at midnight, but only because my wife came out with more fuel. When the countdown says 40 miles it means 10.

[dome]

Do yourself a favour and get an engine place to recut them . Does a better job and keeps the ideal narrow sealing area . Money well spent esp when there are 24 of them

 

Ended up going down this route. As much as I fancy having a crack at it myself this isn't an engine I want to have apart again. Pick up my refurbed head tomorrow morning and the rebuild will commence forthwith

[Negative Creep]

At the risk of being completely thick, can someone explain the reason for these road signs?

http://|http://thumbsnap.com/8fdXztMU

Does it mean the road straight ahead is now a cycle route or that the pavement going left ceases to be a cycle lane as the one in the road begins?

[Pillock]

The signs mean there are bikes around. It does appear that the shared use path on the pavement stops being for bikes and they have to continue on the left fork of the road, however I'd expect to see a dropped kerb or something.

[Richard]

I got asked that in two driving tests and one motorbike test and I still don't know.

[KruJoe]

Another classic insurance question: Which ones are happy to take on a grey import?

(I know of Footman James... any more?)

[skattrd]

Another classic insurance question: Which ones are happy to take on a grey import?

(I know of Footman James... any more?)

Peter James do as well

[KruJoe]

Thanks Chris.

I just gave them a call but they don't consider my Pleasure Wagon to be a proper classic.

Humph.

[willswitchengage]

Why is my starter shorting my electrics? Engine cranked a few times then cut out the starter relay fuse. Shorted out a few further without cranking. Neither starter or engine are seized. Then hotwired to bypass the relay/fuse but again just shorted out.

 

I assume my starter motor's electrical gubbins is broken in someway?

 

Car is a Kawasaki ER5.

[bub2006]

No wires touching Frame? Tried twatting it with a hammer? Starter I mean,not the bike. Mind you that's an option for later.

[Pillock]

Doesn't the fuse protect the low current side? So it can't be the starter, must be the relay

[Slappy]

What's the general order of precedence when it comes to replacement wipers? Was fortunate to find some OEM ones last time for £cheap, but they seem to have all gone and are not being made any more.

 

All I know is Bosch = shit. What about Valeo?