Teak to order?

Anyone know or is involved where I can get some well made teak fittings made to order in Bangkok? I need lids to eight large Chinese pots about a meter across and 1,5 long, oval. They need to hinge in the middle so can be left half open or completely closed during typhoons. Doing a trip soon but would like to know before I leave so I don't have to spend too much time scouting. Preferably Burmese marine quality teak or equivalent as its for outdoors and a wet environment, used or recycled no problem as long as its in good weather proof condition and has been cleaned up and most importantly not treated or varnished as its to cover precious pet fish, last thing I want is to kill these fish with leaching poison during rain.

Now comes the thanks in advance bit. Well you never know. :tongue6:

Ok here's a sweetener????

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3475/3293964431_809a665058_o.jpg

[x in pattaya]

I'd suggest you post your "query" on the housing forum at ThaiVisa.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Real-Esta ... 9d87b6b53c (http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Real-Estate-housing-house-land-o-f59.html&s=251d9d5d59003b24d97b6f9d87b6b53c)

The people here put an entirely different meaning to D.I.Y. than you might find useful.

...or maybe since it involves pet fish, the pets & plants forum

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Plants-Pe ... d-f81.html (http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Plants-Pets-and-Vets-Thailand-f81.html)

Well so many people who post here live and work there I thought there must be at least one lumber jack........anyway I always prefer doing business with men who love men.

Found a saw mill in Bangkok full of hot men with their shirts off. Thought of ordering planks. I need wood and desperately, the poor fish are being battered by the sun wind and rain.

Thanks for the link I will try them too.

[x in pattaya]

I thought there must be at least one lumber jack

Found a saw mill in Bangkok full of hot men with their shirts off.

Well, if you could post some photos of these shirtless men, the interest in woodwork here would probably increase exponentially.

Fattman carp are quite hardy, these are delicate little things, they need shelter and shade not suffocation. Too much sunshine and the water turns green and stinks and the poor little fish rot up into a foul soup, too little sunshine and they turn pale and anaemic. There are small gaps between the planks. Half folds backwards all an inch or so above the water so air can come and go as freely as it pleases underneath. The fishes can swim into the sunlight when ever they feel like it except in a hurricane when I will close the other half so it doesn't fill with leaves.

I have it all planned just need a good looking Thai carpenter to work to specification?

This is the place you need:

http://americanairlines.wcities.com/en/ ... ecord.html (http://americanairlines.wcities.com/en/record/239,366717/185/record.html)

You will find shops there that will make anything for you.

As far as teak goes you need to be careful as most of the new teak around is quickly harvested and not properly treated (smothered in water for years) and will crack easily and quickly, especially in dry environments. The British devastated Thailand's teak forests over a half century ago and immature trees are now rushed to market. You're likely to end up with custom made lids that crack within a year. Old teak is available. However, say, a furniture shop specializing in antique furniture (manufactured prior to WWII) that has a supply of old teak on hand for repair of it's antique furniture probably doesn't have the size and the facilities to craft a custom oval shaped lid. Anyway, make sure your using OLD teak, maybe like that from the pylons of old Chiang Mai houses that are disassembled for their wood.

Thanks for all the advice. Ponbkk yep getting the right wood is important. I would prefer Burmese "marine quality" wood (like they use for yacht decking) it costs a fortune and is not sustainably harvested, unfortunately it is also the best for a lifetime of outdoor use, the Thais import quite a lot of it. Young wood harvested from trees of forty years or younger is also unsuitable. The cover would be slatted so cracking although not desirable...anyway maybe thin slats wouldn't crack?

Actually quite by chance few years ago I was plant shopping somewhere outside Bangkok and came across a long long road dotted with huge recycled teak ware houses. Some nice stuff spent a good time browsing through them till I thought my driver was going to drop dead of boredom. Thanks for the tip should I decide to buy the wood myself I now know what to look for. The Pylons would need to be milled into planks though, hmmm.

Yep Fattman Im still in Hong Kong I would import. Filters and things are not necessary as each pot meter tall meter wide 1.5 long houses only two little fish, once a week they get a vacuum and a top up of water.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3412/3274095838_d7aaf5b462.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3121/2807254851_bc6e79900d.jpg

Well here I am again just setting off for Bangkok and the boys in red come out to play. Hope Im not left stuck at the airport.

Actualy anyone know outside of Chatuchup best place to get fishy products like medicated fish food, medigold etc. I have flower bulbs on order so I will be at the market but thought maybe there was another large fishy area? Just since they built the mall a huge chunk of Bangkoks most famous of famous world renown markets is suddenly relative to its former self at least quite tiny. Stupid idea that mall, it's a tacky show of disgraceful greed. I wonder who's idea that was?

I am visiting a saw-mill or two for my wood. I wonder if there is a secrete to getting good price? How does one flatter to get excellent deal and immediate desire to sell at cost . Im dreading the price of teak. I just know people are going to look at me queerly when I tell them how much my fish covers cost. Last thing I want is to appear excessive in these hard times. Er do I ask about the grand mother? Who is the most important member of the family? I love them already especially the sons.

I do in fact have an enormous amount of sincere respect and love for the Thai of course.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3046/2680486393_bfd293af18.jpg

Of course this very gay Thai subject of exterior design doesn't appeal to everyone but I thought I would give an update on my trip from which I returned yesterday.

I almost pissed in my trousers when I thought we were under siege. While relaxing with a well earned lime-soda on my balcony someone unexpectedly let off fire-works to rival the Beijing-Olympics. This right in front of my hotel in the middle of the river. Following this a weedy brass band played the national anthem. Besides that scare I hardly noticed the political turmoil at all.

Of course there were the erotically uniformed armed soldiers posted at every bridge and the beguilingly pretty twisting and rising soft plumes of deep purple blue and black smoke from the burning buses on the horizon. Otherwise all seemed well and I was able to go about my business as usual.

And what a joy it is dealing with the Thais.

After a brief search I found a teak furniture manufacturer in Nonthaburi (where I also spent some of the extended Sonkraan and found a very good new massage place) who's eighty year old founder took me under their wing. I was whisked off to Ayutthaya the next day in style in his Mercedes limousine where I was given free run of their industrial sized wood-mill and thirty holiday staff.

I was quite overwhelmed by this generosity.
It took the best part of the day to reset all the machinery, some as big as small houses and select the quality wood I was after, the durable Mayanmar kiln dried dark teak heartwood.

I spent a delightfully mad evening and night partying in Ayutthaya being doused in water and getting leg-less on whiskey. Eventually falling asleep on floor mats in the cooling breezes coming in off the river through a beautiful old teak house. Lying close along side was my loyal and charming young driver the party animal from Isan, we slept like bombs. When I awoke I was washed from head to toe in cool water from a calamang followed by tea and steamy dumplings set on a low table on the veranda :cheers:

We set to work the second morning working through the day fine adjusting machinery, splitting, profiling, planing, sanding and polishing the rough wood. Eventually wood began to slither out of the other end of the machines and through the countless careful hands, the beautiful mirrored golden fine grained oily teak I was able to take home. All in all 200 planks cut to size shipped to reach me before I got home. :salute:

[krobbie]

Good grief Cedric, I thought you wanted a couple of planks to cover a couple of pots. Seems like you're doing the floor of your house. 200 planks.

Well it sounds like you had a great time getting them. Obviously they will be made up in HK to your specifications.

Looks like the search was worth the effort and a good story to boot.

Cheers
krobbie

Thanks Krobbie I love a mission on hols. Yep it will be made up in Hong Kong, that's the next mission. Cost wise it will probably be more than the price of the wood but I should be able to also get a table or two out it and a couple of chairs as well.

I also scored big time on some fantastic planting materials, American, Thai, Australian and Hawaiian water-lilies and hybrids, bulbs and hibiscus.

Im like Charlie in the Chocolate Factory when in Thailand. I even managed to do some shopping at Zen for a couple of pairs of Italian shoes.

I feel I sorely neglected my friends and loves of my life with all the shopping missions so made promises to be back in June to some rather glum little faces.

[krobbie]

Don't feel too bad at spending on yourself for a change. It seems to me that "we" are the last on the list when it comes to buying overseas ... or at least it is in my case.

My dad is now sorted with belts, wallet, shirts etc. My sister has enough bags to start a shop and my neighbour has every colour of pashmina known.

Me ...? It is now Winter and I am wearing the same unfashionable crap I wore last year. Strangely I'm not that bothered. I would rather save for another trip back to LOS than throw it away in New Zealand on needless fluff to make myself feel good.

I also like to have a overall plan of things to do whenever I am planning a return to Thailand. I still haven't been to the races. They are held every two weeks and I am sure it would be quite fun. One Sunday a month The Royal Bangkok Sports Club holds a meeting and the next fortnight, also a Sunday, the Royal Turf Club of Thailand holds one.

I just remembered ... two trips ago I got a whole lot of suits and trousers and a couple of shirts made at REX the Tailor in Sathorn. So I lied when I said I hadn't spent any money on me.

Cheers Cedric. Let us know when you have things made with the wood. Pictures please.

krobbie