Does anyone here know where strong nails can be bought here. I'm really getting tired of working with these nails that are like lead & with the hard woods here it's insane. When they bend, pulling them out is a real pita also. Yesterday I started using screws but that's not much better.

Strong double headed 8's and 16's would really be a Godsend! I'm forming for concrete & everything has to get stripped after the pours.

Thanks!

I use the softer woods which better for shuttering no problem driving nails into.

Hardwoods I drill first then use nail or screw.

Steel nails I get here same as UK if you asked me.

Concrete nails here the same too.

I find using hex-head self-drill screws on shuttering is much easier also you can use over and over again. 

 

Yah, most wood will need a pilot hole for either nails or screws.  The local suppliers tend to have a better variety than the Home places.

What they said re pilot holes

52 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

I find using hex-head self-drill screws on shuttering is much easier also you can use over and over again.

An excellent suggestion. Filed for next time we need shuttering 

Good double headed nails in pine is so fast and painless, another land though. I guess I'll get some hex heads since I was stripping too many  stainless phillps yesterday. 

Thanks 

11 minutes ago, Crossy said:

shuttering

I'm American, <deleted> is shuttering?

1 minute ago, wayned said:

I'm American, <deleted> is shuttering?

Formwork, keeps rather runny concrete in place whilst it sets

26 minutes ago, Crossy said:

Formwork, keeps rather runny concrete in place whilst it sets

Plastic bags keeps runny concrete in place!  Okay , 

 

I use the black Sheetrock/plasterboard screws either 1' or 1.5 inch depending on the thickness of the forms.

 

Shuttering in the US is those things that you close over the widows when there is a hurricane or storm.  The last time that I remember using them was in March 1962 on our house on the beach in Bethany Beach Delaware.  They didn't work very well as all that was left after the storm was the pipes sticking out of the sand.

9 minutes ago, wayned said:

Plastic bags keeps runny concrete in place!  Okay , 

 

I use the black Sheetrock/plasterboard screws either 1' or 1.5 inch depending on the thickness of the forms.

 

Shuttering in the US is those things that you close over the widows when there is a hurricane or storm.  The last time that I remember using them was in March 1962 on our house on the beach in Bethany Beach Delaware.  They didn't work very well as all that was left after the storm was the pipes sticking out of the sand.

Yeah those black sheet rock screws are great, I use them all as my default fastener. And the hex head screws are also fantastic. For metal work I weld the complicated parts, and then put the components together with self drilling hex screws. I also use them now for making pilot holes in metal. Faster than a drill bit.

8 minutes ago, canuckamuck said:

 I also use them now for making pilot holes in metal. Faster than a drill bit.

Great tip, thanks.

2 hours ago, wayned said:

Shuttering in the US is those things that you close over the widows when there is a hurricane or storm.

Brits call'em shutters. 

11 hours ago, wayned said:

They didn't work very well as all that was left after the storm was the pipes sticking out of the sand.

Which is why you need to use Shuttering to pour lots of runny concrete into. Jesh, some people.  

 

I always thought shuttering is what my car did when I didn't pay extra to get the new tires balanced.

idiotic reply from me.

 

 

I suspect you know about products you can apply to the surface that touches the concrete during the pour.

 

Only way to go in making the form stripping a piece of cake.

I like 240V and the metric system, but I'll draw the line at shuttering concrete with concrete shutters.

Over here I'll be forming concrete with concrete forms;-)

Anyways, I took the advice of pilot holes which has been slick for screws & nails. No doubt I'll need a cordless drill asap because this dragging an extension cord around sucks.

While on the subject of concrete, does anyone know where a bull float, heffer and handles can be found here. I looked pretty extensively with no luck. I did make a wooden homemade bull float but it only works on small pours.

Thanks!

53 minutes ago, r136dg said:

I like 240V and the metric system, but I'll draw the line at shuttering concrete with concrete shutters.

Over here I'll be forming concrete with concrete forms;-)

Anyways, I took the advice of pilot holes which has been slick for screws & nails. No doubt I'll need a cordless drill asap because this dragging an extension cord around sucks.

While on the subject of concrete, does anyone know where a bull float, heffer and handles can be found here. I looked pretty extensively with no luck. I did make a wooden homemade bull float but it only works on small pours.

Thanks!

This might help.

 

 

Now that's funny, and not to far off from many of my experiences at the hardware stores here;-)

1 hour ago, r136dg said:

Now that's funny, and not to far off from many of my experiences at the hardware stores here;-)

What are you building?

12 hours ago, grollies said:

What are you building?

Always something, but right now concrete's for some perimeter wall footings & monolithic slab for a shed. Than some sidewalk & eventually concrete driveway and carport. The bigger pours out front is where I'll need the bull float but will most likely be on a trip out of country before that & ship the tools back.

I know two British men in the trades who use  20 liter containers of ACT "Hydroform O as a release agent for shuttering. Andy the Builder and Isaan Pools own concrete bull floats with long metal handles they bought in Thailand.  Better home builders and swimming pool contractors in Buriram seem to source and use better tools in my personal observation.  Both expats in the photo speak English and Thai. 

8 hours ago, kamalabob2 said:

I know two British men in the trades who use  20 liter containers of ACT "Hydroform O as a release agent for shuttering. Andy the Builder and Isaan Pools own concrete bull floats with long metal handles they bought in Thailand.  Better home builders and swimming pool contractors in Buriram seem to source and use better tools in my personal observation.  Both expats in the photo speak English and Thai. 

 

Pm'd you regarding tools.

Thanks

You can check out ThaiTrowel  dot com   They offer all manner of concrete tools. Best to have a Thai speaker phone them. They will ship direct to Buriram, so perhaps to other locations in Thailand.