A fishing dock in Thailand

[hillbilly]

Some may call it a raft, some may call it a jetty or a dock. I am calling it my next home!

The roof trusses are now going up.

[jizzybloke]

Hammock and beer is all you'll need in there, looks great!

[hillbilly]

Getting closer. Here you can see the support/square beams are gone.



The green metal sheet roofing has arrived.



Some final touch ups.

[jizzybloke]

You could slide down those steps on one of those sheets of roofing, looks like fun at least i'd try and most likely break my neck!

[hillbilly]

My advice? Don't try this at home.



And yet more material is needed.

[hillbilly]

Here are the screws for the roof.



We begin with the roof.



The first panel goes on. Try to guess the next problem...

[Propagator]

No holes for the screws?

[Loombucket]

I am loving this one HB. Another of your great stories unfolding. My guess is hole drilling problem, as well, but from what I've seen before, it could be anything.

[jizzybloke]

I'd say they're too long and will have to be cut off once the roof is installed?

[Sakeopete]

Nice of you to make a dock so it is easy for the Thai's to net all the fish at night.

An excellent point and one that had been discussed with the village. In reality the local people do not want nor do they allow mass netting of fish.

Its not your village you need to worry about its the midnight raids from other village folk. I have a beautiful pond teaming with fish but had to fill it with barbed wire and bamboo to keep the bastards from netting it every night. Now I can't fish it but neither can they

[Happyman]

the screws are self/ drilling tapping with a power drill !!!

Used 2500 on a roof last year !!!

[baldrick]

When welding galvanised it gives off a dangerous fumes and a respirator should be worn.

I have never seen it done anywhere yet - east or west - maybe in a factory they might.
I can't see the fumes making a difference to the intelligence of your average boilermaker

Here are the screws for the roof.

bit long aren't they ?

[dirtydog]

Have to pre drill the steel to get the screws in, also probably too long so need to drill out the back of the steel or shorten the screws or buy shorter ones if they are available, I think.

[friscofrankie]

Teh screws pictured appear to be self-drilling self tapping screws
if they are too long & the small drill like tip gets cut off they're useless
buy new screws

[kk boy]

Panels too long ??

[artist]

bet they try to hammer in the scews with a lump of metal/pipe

[hillbilly]

We will get to the screws, but first let's get back to putting on the roof. Initially, I wanted a thatched roof instead of a metal roof. However, because of the possible fire hazard my idea was squashed.



Little by little we are getting there. Please notice my high-speed beer (err) water cooler. My ice only costs 1 baht per small bag. It ain't very clean, but then neither am I.

[hillbilly]

Then i saw this. Now WTF is going on?

Sometimes, well most of the time a university education don't teach shit.



Ohh, now I understand. At least 7 years of higher education wasn't wasted.

Even a coconut head can see that the workers were merely tacking steel in order to make a brace in order to finish the roof.

[hillbilly]

Now for the peak of the roof.



All work and no play makes Somchai a dull boy. So we have to go fishing. Fishing rods? Forget it. Let's try the old style Thai fish nets.

[hillbilly]

Remember K. Law? Even though he has the dreaded titled of a BIL. He don't give a shit. The only problem is he smokes the green ones and i smoke the red ones.

Him and I get along like 2 peas in a pod.

Here he is fixing up the old style Thai fish net.

[Smithson]

Any luck with the fish?

[hillbilly]

Any luck with the fish?

We will see. Here the fish trap has been carefully placed.

[Thetyim]

The first panel goes on. Try to guess the next problem...

Well......do we get an answer or not ?

[hillbilly]

Now that the roof is done it is time to add some more bamboo ballast. I was told that the bamboo was used on the ends of the dock to keep the swaying motion down.

Was also told that this bamboo should last about 10 years.



The bamboo is first slipped along side the dock then by using a rope winch and sheer muscle, it is forced under the other bamboo logs.




Another view of how this bamboo is added.

[hillbilly]

Some workers can rest anywhere.



Now what good is a fishing dock without a boat? Let's go get one. One of the elderly uncles donated his old metal Thai style fishing boat.

I sunk it the 2nd time I was in it. Luckily, I was right next to shore.