Where Would Wood Be?

Panama's version of the Home Depot is called The Do It Center, but they don't sell wood.  Ferreteria's (hardware stores) are on every corner, and some sell limited amounts of wood and some sell none.  We've stopped at small roadside stands to admire the wood creations of local craftsman, but where do they get the wood?  Clyde even tried to buy wood from some of these artisans but they only want to sell the finished product, and not the raw wood.  So where would the wood be kept in Panama?

One day while shopping in La Chorrera, a man in a hardware store told Clyde where he could buy teak wood, and off we went in search of this wood shop.  Finally we found a place to buy all types of wood, including teak.  Clyde was in heaven since they had plenty of wood and it was close to the home.  He had purchased quite a bit of wood, enough to make a small desk for the guest room and he started creating a night stand for the same room.

Small Laptop Computer Desk

One night last week we stumbled onto a new restaurant called Paco's Mexican Restaurant also in La Chorrera.  As we chatted with the owners  David and Stephanie, Clyde and David started talking about their wood working projects.  He mentioned to David where he had purchased his teak and David told him about another place which was much cheaper, had a better grade of wood and was even closer to home.

Clyde visited the new lumber store today and came home quite excited.  He had purchased a teak log and had them cut it up for him.  The squared off log measured about 11" x 11" by 8.5 feet long.

The Teak Log being loaded onto the Band Saw

They loaded the log onto a forklift and brought it into the shop
where they proceded to cut it up with a huge band saw.  Clyde had hoped that they could plane it also, but the wood was too hard for their wood planer.

The First cut being Started

He proudly came home with 12 pieces of wood 3/4 thick 11" wide and eight and a half feet  long.  Of course this log was not perfect and there will be some loss due to imperfections.  For all of this he paid $140.00 including tax for this teak wood.  He plans on making a large computer desk for two, and a china cabinet for the dining room.

Like a kid with a new toy, Clyde is a happy camper tonight since he solved the mystery of where would the wood be.  The wood is in this little shop in the middle of no where on the outskirts of town.  So whenever I wonder where is my weary husband, he's working away wasting no time creating wifely wishes from wood.  The neighborhood women wave while walking by in wonderment, and wish that their worthless men would wake up and widdle some wood with the gringo....along the gringo trail.

The Finished Product Stacked For Drying