Thread: DIY ...inexpensive, strong grape arbor.

I know a thread needs good pics, I'm still trying to figure that out. Like to see a thread of "do it yourself" projects. Things you built, not the least bit interested in what Somchai built, there is plenty of that already on TD. I earned my living working in the trades, when I came here 15 years ago I hired a local contractor to build a couple rooms on this shack. It was a disaster from day one. When it came time to pour the floors I told him I wanted it smooth because I was going to tile. He told me ..we don't do smooth. By then I had had enough, I told him to fuck off, I will pour my own floors. Since that day I do everything myself. Every yard of cement I mix myself, every cut, weld, and wheel barrow of dirt I do myself. I do not hire Somchai. This inexpensive grape arbor is 300 baht of wood, ten bolts, four screws, cement, and polyurethane. The vertical poles are notched, makes it very strong. Three coats of poly discourage the termites. If you do a good job on the poly it is the same a laminating, it is sealed inside plastic. With a little practice it is easy to notch the poles, the notches are important for strength. I don't know how long it will last, I'll find out. There must be some other people on here that build things. I know Ant has a nice tool shed he could show. I have always done my own work, I can not take pride in something another man built. Thats like the neighbor comes over to bone your wife and then you want to brag about how handsome your son is. I have several things big and small I would post, don't much care about the critics. I'm good with tools but not this fucking computer, I don't know how to move this pic, or make it big.

double click on the small pic when adding and a new box opens and you can select the size you want.

Thanks.

I thought this thread would have a bit more added to it.

This is a storeroom attached to the garage. It is an appendage that appeared when the garage was added to the workshop. I only used it to store the air compressor in it, which made it quite useful as the room contained the compressor noise very well. The problem was that the room became a place for the gardener to store his odds and ends in and it became a huge mess that I could find anything in. If I could find it, it would be under something, or behind something and couldn't get at it. So I spent a good part of yesterday constructing these shelves. The battens are 2 x 4s from Dohome and the supports are 18mm ply, most of it off cuts from other projects. The shelves are from one full sheet of 18mm ply. The 2 x 4s are held in place with four 6x75mm concrete screws. I gave the backs and bottoms of the 2x4s a double coat of water based lacquer. I haven't decided what to coat the shelves with yet, will probably go with a water based polyurethane.

This morning I decided to add another shelf above the air compressor. Also knocked the corners off the two shelf corners nearest to the door to prevent future ouchies.

nice work.

Good looking shelves Barty. One of my favorite things is to take a pile of left over lumber and start building shelves. Have you ever used TOA poly, man that stuff lasts forever and the termites won't touch it.

Originally Posted by Barty

This morning I decided to add another shelf above the air compressor. Also knocked the corners off the two shelf corners nearest to the door to prevent future ouchies.

Wood is becoming expensive these days.
I guess a real Woodpecker always finds a new project.

I decided to add a shelf above the door while I was at it. I thought I would have had it done last night but the in-laws dropped by, so I had to put it off to today.



Still haven't finished up yet, but as it is Sunday I don't want to be making to much noise and upsetting the neighbours.

Originally Posted by tunk

Have you ever used TOA poly

I have used use TOA 5000, 5500 and 8000 from time to time. Lately I have been using RTB water based polyurethane that I have been ordering through Lazada.

Originally Posted by HermantheGerman

Wood is becoming expensive these days.

Surprisingly, wood prices here in Thailand don't seem to have moved much, I am paying the same for 18mm plywood as I was last year, about 900 -1,100 Baht a sheet. A supplier of Russian pine Line messaged a few weeks ago saying their prices are going up, but as far as I can tell most other suppliers are more or less the same.

This is probably the wrong place to ask, but does anyone know where to buy Tapcon style concrete screws in Thailand?





For most of the jobs I do I prefer this style. When working by myself, they are much easier to use than the wedged anchor style that I find in Home Pro and similar stores.

Conscrew in a well assorted hardware store. Lazada also have them.

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/8-...204454499.html

Originally Posted by lom

Conscrew in a well assorted hardware store. Lazada also have them.

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/8-...204454499.html

Thanks! The Lazada link has screws that are a bit too small, but the links to other suppliers on the same page gets me more or less what I want.

My grape vines are doing great, growing like crazy, but will they produce grapes I have no idea.

Thats a good looking grape arbor Buck. The only reason I used the poles is because I have never seen treated lumber here.

Originally Posted by tunk

Thats a good looking grape arbor Buck. The only reason I used the poles is because I have never seen treated lumber here.

SAK WoodWorks has treated Lumber. But be warned, it's pretty expensive. Also, they treat to order, so you will have to wait a few weeks to get anything from them.

SAK WoodWorks | ไม้สนนำเข้าขายส่ง | ไม้สนอัดน้ำยา CCA

Originally Posted by tunk

I know Ant has a nice tool shed he could show

Thanks?

Had anyway, sold that place and left it there.

That was a contentious build and upset a lot of people for some reason. Nowadays it's my pool some are fixated on. Dunno why people get het up over such things but there you go.





Edit: just had a gander at that thread and all the pics have disappeared for some reason. Oh well.

Originally Posted by Barty

This is probably the wrong place to ask, but does anyone know where to buy Tapcon style concrete screws in Thailand?





For most of the jobs I do I prefer this style. When working by myself, they are much easier to use than the wedged anchor style that I find in Home Pro and similar stores.

I brought over a ton of the Tapcon screws from the US. They are the ticket and super easy to use. The Link Lom shows looks OK too, just never tried them.

Originally Posted by JPPR2

I brought over a ton of the Tapcon screws from the US. They are the ticket and super easy to use. The Link Lom shows looks OK too, just never tried them.

I brought the Thunderbolt screws on eBay a year or two ago. At the time it was about 25 Brit pounds for the screws and around 3 or 4 pounds to ship them to Thailand. I checked last week and they are now 31.89 plus 25.36 for shipping (about 2,500 Baht for 100 1/4" x 3" screws). I still have a small selection of Tapcons but it looks like I will be trying some of the Lazada ones in the future.

Originally Posted by Barty

I still have a small selection of Tapcons but it looks like I will be trying some of the Lazada ones in the future.

Lets us know how they work out when you do. I still have quite a few Tapcons left but always good to know there is another source.

Originally Posted by tunk

Thats a good looking grape arbor Buck. The only reason I used the poles is because I have never seen treated lumber here.

I haven't seen it either, but I have not really looked .
I got to think , given the speed wood deteriorates here, they must have something similar. Now that you mentioned , next time I am at Global House, I will take a look.

Global House is my favorite place to shop, but I have never seen treated lumber there. They do have some beautiful laminated 6x6 posts that I want to use some day, they are expensive but very nice. I just don't know how long they would last in this tropical weather.

some info i got when buying my grape, years ago:
watering = mornings & evenings
cowshit = 2x month
fertilizer = 15-15-15 -> 1x month
pruning = 6th to 7th month, 2 to 3 weeks before that: no water
10 - 15 days later (after pruning) -> give 15-15-15
3 weeks later -> 13-13-21 (flower development)
40 days later -> 0-0-50 (fruit development)
70 - 90 days later -> 8-24-24 (fruit development)

did not tried myself to the end as my grape died a dry death while we were away on a trip....