An Isaan Pond

[Mendip]

^ Yeah... but I saved a few Baht Lom!

TBH I've never suffered any corrosion from the 'black oily' metal once I've cleaned and primed it... and I'm very dubious about the the quality of galvanising here... one bad spot and the corrosion will set in.

[Shutree]

I've had five building projects in Thailand, the last of which was the disintegrated jetty that I just dismantled. The only experience I've gained is crossing off five builders from my list of contractors to use in the future.

It's a fair point. I am glad I built a tiny house first, no way I'd trust those people to build the larger plan. People ask me if I can recommend anyone, the answer is a straight 'No'.

[cyrille]

Seeing that quote made me want to read the whole post - but I don't want to risk seeing those (far too) 'figure hugging' boxer shorts again.

[Saint Willy]

Seeing that quote made me want to read the whole post - but I don't want to risk seeing those (far too) 'figure hugging' boxer shorts again.

you mean these ones? They are... special!

[Stumpy]

and I'm very dubious about the the quality of galvanising here

I was too Mendy. When we built our house I spent an extra few baht to have the roof trusses shipped from Aus. They were prefab'd. Here locally, I have asked where they order their galvanized metal. Interestingly most comes from Aus. But as we know, there are areas in Thailand....that...well...anything to save a few satang...

Seeing that quote made me want to read the whole post - but I don't want to risk seeing those (far too) 'figure hugging' boxer shorts again.

Yeah I gotta hand it to Mendy, He really has no shame when posting pics but I do admire his "real world" approach. Thank god TIT as that pic is straight up "Red Neck back woods trailer park" stuff.


I will say it was nice to finally see that gardener do something. Did he break a sweat?

[Stumpy]

[QUOTE=Mendip;4263341]

First things first and the metal 4 x 2 lengths required a good clean to get rid of the grease and grime before priming. I guess this stuff is similar to metholated spirit and removes all the shite.

Hey Mendy...isn't that same bottle your gardener stores the Ya dong ya drink in? I knew it could be used for a multitude of applications. Degreaser, Paint stripper and a side knock with an iced Leo.

[Mendip]

Seeing that quote made me want to read the whole post - but I don't want to risk seeing those (far too) 'figure hugging' boxer shorts again.

Sorry about that... I must admit that photo was a surprise to me as I never realised what I look like from behind while working in the garden. I see now why the wife wants me to put some shorts on when we have guests.

I find that the longer I spend in Isaan, the less I seem to care about my appearance. Let's hope the jetty is finished soon as God knows what I'll be wearing by August.

The daughter seemed to have a day off her online schooling today so I made use of her expensive education to take down some reliable measurements. I waited until the gardener was 'trimming' a hedge out front so as not to hurt his feelings, but it has to be said, his measurements were absolutely fukkin useless.



With more rain forecast it looks as though I'll be prefabricating the entire metal support before the concrete plinth is laid, so I need to get the dimensions just right.

And just to show that JP isn't the only person capable of putting some half decent plans together for a water feature...

[Headworx]

God knows what I'll be wearing by August.

*August, jetty construction is ongoing*..

[Stumpy]

^ Perfect....That Buckskin set up and his Jesus slippers. Mendy was right. UK and US folks shall never meet when it comes to yard work attire...

[OhOh]

Dogs thinking:

"This will end in tears, again."

[Saint Willy]

^^^

Green owed.

[helge]

Dogs thinking:

Daughter thinking:

Why didn't he take the Pontoon option ?

[Klondyke]

Wasn't an earthquake lately in Isaan? (seeing the water line...) Or was it sketched in Fukushima during an off-shore job?

[David48atTD]

Mate, you'll need to build one of these next!

[David48atTD]

I saw that ^ after viewing this ...

[beerlaodrinker]

[QUOTE=Mendip;4263341]

Yeah, my maths was slightly off there Shutree... put it down to semi-sunstroke after a day labouring in the scorching sun. But why ever I'd be talking about 9 centimetres to the girls I do not know. It's always imperial chat for the women.



... or to cold or too windy... or anything else that makes a good excuse for watching crap on TV all day. I've had five building projects in Thailand, the last of which was the disintegrated jetty that I just dismantled. The only experience I've gained is crossing off five builders from my list of contractors to use in the future.

Nope... I'm doing this alone.

As they say, you can't keep a good man down. Once I saw that finishing up the footings and shuttering off were out of the question due to flooding, I decided to get all the materials in to finish off the project when possible.

Every time these guys deliver anything, they always come in frontways down the road rather than reversing... then get stuck when trying to turn round.



I thought I'd ordered a half cube of sand and a half cube of stone... but I got a cube of each. At least it made the gardener get off his arse as it blocked his access road... he likes to take out his fancy van at night to visit the short-time bars and this would have cramped his style.



I also ordered three bags of cement but received four... either they're taking the piss of there's something seriously wrong with my Thai.

It was a pleasant, overcast afternoon so I thought I'd get cracking... back when I was still alive a pleasant, overcast afternoon could have meant a few hours fly fishing on Blagdon Lake... but now it means cleaning and priming steel beams for a jetty.

Anyway, I selected a nice shady spot for the work... this may look lovely from the pic but what you don't see is the legion of red weaver ants infesting the ground. I sometimes wonder if there is a single place in Thailand without annoyances.



First things first and the metal 4 x 2 lengths required a good clean to get rid of the grease and grime before priming. I guess this stuff is similar to metholated spirit and removes all the shite.



And then to get on the primer... or primeauuuurrrrr!!! as they like to call it round here. The metal 4 x 2 comes in six metre lengths, and from what I could deduce from the gardener's figures we needed at least three lengths (18m). This should be just about enough... I hope. Or way too much of course.



For painting work I've always been firmly in the 'less clothes the better' camp. Why get good clothing spattered in paint? These old boxer shorts first appeared in Joe 90's photo competition... but I reckon I can get another few months out of them yet.



With an eye on the ever building storm clouds I managed to get three coats on the metal by 5pm... not a bad job even if I say so meself.



I was under pressure to get finished before 5pm as Vigo is on antibiotics and I need to hand feed him every day when he turns up for food... and I'd just finished the painting and was feeding Vigo when the heavens opened. The water level had gone down maybe half an inch (1.27 cm) over the day... and then we had this.



There was no time to get the metal under shelter before the last coat of primeeeaaauurrrrr dried... I was well pissed off... but it's just typical.



And that is why I drink... and why 5pm is Ya Dong time. It's my reward to myself for getting through another day in Isaan... one day something will go right.



At least I have good company.

You and somtamslap would get on well i reckon mendy

[OhOh]

Mate, you'll need to build one of these next!

From one end of the spectrum to the other end.



Bsnub you know you want one.

[Mendip]

It's been a bit slow on the project front the last few days, and an August finish is now looking like a distinct possibility.

Just as the flood waters receded and I was ready to go... a disagreement with the lovely Mrs Mendip resulted in her stomping off to Phimai to stay with her friends for a few days. Much as this was a welcome relief for both of us, I suspect, it meant I had very little spare time with my daughter home-schooling and then the weekend to occupy her.

The daughter's school re-opened today, and 5:30am saw me up and preparing her fruit smoothie and by 6am I was doing her hair... such is the rounded person I am.

I returned from the school run around 8am, and following two dog walks (three dogs on each walk) and a bite to eat, I was ready to re-start on the jetty my 9am. To be honest I was pretty knackered before I even started today.

First up was to clear out all the flood residue and make up the shuttering... in 35 degree heat and 80% humidity. I would love to wait for 25 degrees but fear we won't get that until December.



I averted a near disaster today... I realised that my level mark for the proposed onshore concrete plinth corresponded to the level marks on the offshore legs which were 75mm below the top of the legs. I very nearly installed the shuttering to the level mark and not the top of the legs level. This would have resulted in a sloping jetty which would have pissed me off no end. Anyway... as it happened I had to go for a dip in the pond anyway, so used the time to retake the levels (to the top of the legs) with the gardener again on the other end of the levelling hose.

A slight digression here... before starting on the jetty this morning I decided to take advantage of my darling wife's absence and chop out a load of weaver ants nests from the mango trees... bollocks to her ant egg harvesting, I'm sick of getting bitten. If they were that important she should have stayed around. One nest disintegrated mid-throw over the wall, covering me in the b@stards which resulted in an early dip in the pond...

Anyway, once the shuttering was in, time to make up the rebar.

The first thing that was evident was that the work area was absolutely crawling in the b@stard weaver ants from the disintegrated nest. As if 35 degree heat and 80% humidity isn't enough to contend with.



The second thing was that the rebar was way too thick to bend and my bolt cutters wouldn't even touch it. I wanted 8mm rebar but the builder's merchants only had 12mm... and seeing as they were delivering the sand, stone, metal and cement anyway, as usual I said, 'fuk it, OK then'.



This is the problem with ad hoc projects... these small decisions come back to bite you.

I ended up having to cut the rebar into the desired lengths with a grinder and tomorrow I'll weld the lengths into a box-like frame to set in the concrete. Again, what I had thought would be a couple of hours work will now be a couple of mornings. But what can ya do...



And then all of a sudden it was 1:30pm... time for a spot of lunch, then clean meself up and off on the afternoon school run. I have to leave a bit early today to pick up my daughter's Birthday cakes as she's 10 tomorrow and the kids all take cakes into school on the big day. I ordered the cakes yesterday and there was complete communications breakdown so I'm a bit worried about what we'll get. I just know the writing will be spelt wrong, despite putting it all down on a bit of paper. And as for size, decoration etc... I've already told the daughter not to expect what we thought we ordered. We shall see.

Anyway, the status at the end of play on day 8... (?)



Fingers crossed for no rain for the next couple of days, which would be a major piss off.

Tomorrow will hopefully see me welding the rebar cage together... and the wife returns as well.

Just in time for the concrete pour on Wednesday!

That reminds me... I must dig those foundations deeper...

[Shutree]

I was ready to re-start on the jetty my 9am.

You are a braver man than I. These recent mornings I am finished outside before 0900. It is seriously hot here now.

[Mendip]

^ I did in fact go a bit dizzy at one point today and had to sit down, but what can ya do?

Cool working conditions are months away.

[strigils]

Mendip, a bit late now. I would have cut the piles flat in the pond and left the rebar poking out the top and then adjusted the metal pier by adding a connection column with plate down to the piers and welding the plates to the piers. Adding that bit of concrete is just making a weak point, it'll never be as strong as the original.

Still, coming along. Just as a well you left this job until the rains started rather than leave capturing Jaws until later

[lom]

That reminds me...I must dig those foundations deeper...

[Mendip]

^^ Yeah, that's a good point.

Adding the render to the top of the legs did worry me at the time as it's not thick enough to have much strength. The plan is to weld the metal support to the protruding rebar on each leg so that should take a lot of the weight. I may weld a small flat plate to the rebar on the top of each leg first... that may help more?

When I say 'I', I am in fact going to let the gardener do all the over water welding. He likes that kind of thing.

All said and done, I don't envisage the jetty being subjected to significant loads.

[strigils]

Its also a bit late to point out you could have created legs and plates on the bottom and anchor bolted them to the concrete you laboured on removing by the sala still with a fresh pour on the bank you can anchor in threads and bolt it down.....or .... not

[strigils]

I may weld a small flat plate to the rebar on the top of each leg first... that may help more?

It will.