Bed Wood

[GMCNUT]

if you want the toughest wood, you can buy whats locally known as "ironwood" or "Ipe" (pronounced ee-pay) which is rock hard Brazilian Walnut. You cannot get screws or nails in it - has to be pre-drilled. Google it - super for decking and other weather-resistant uses.

[aphaynes]

Originally Posted by GMCNUT

if you want the toughest wood, you can buy whats locally known as "ironwood" or "Ipe" (pronounced ee-pay) which is rock hard Brazilian Walnut. You cannot get screws or nails in it - has to be pre-drilled. Google it - super for decking and other weather-resistant uses.

Hmmm...never heard of that one. I'll check it out.

[Clarke]

I don't remember the measurements, except I remember the boards are longer than 8', so I had to buy 10' boards. I think they were one inch over 8'? I measured the orig boards and duplicated the dado/shallow rabbit. I used white oak and I put Thompson water seal on mine every year. It's four years old and it's not uncommon for it to sit outside.

I painted the inside of the bed and the metal rails with bedliner paint, and installed stainless hardware.

I still use it as a truck... I can easily patch paint the bedliner paint and it doesn't look like it was patched. I carry a tarp behind the seat to help protect the wood.

If I attached the picture correctly, there should be a picture attached that I took last month for insurance.

[FetchMeAPepsi]

Originally Posted by Clarke

I don't remember the measurements, except I remember the boards are longer than 8', so I had to buy 10' boards. I think they were one inch over 8'? I measured the orig boards and duplicated the dado/shallow rabbit. I used white oak and I put Thompson water seal on mine every year. It's four years old and it's not uncommon for it to sit outside.

I painted the inside of the bed and the metal rails with bedliner paint, and installed stainless hardware.

I still use it as a truck... I can easily patch paint the bedliner paint and it doesn't look like it was patched. I carry a tarp behind the seat to help protect the wood.

If I attached the picture correctly, there should be a picture attached that I took last month for insurance.

I like the painted inside there Clarke. I might do that with Cecilia once I get her bed back to good.

Oh, and Aphaynes here's some stuff I found that I might use to treat my oak boards. I don't know that I'd bother with some exotic boards because you know they used pine from the factory and it lasted about 40 years in a working environment.

http://www.amazon.com/System-Starter...A1ZQ4RBIUH3AMZ


It cures clear and is for marine use. Tough stuff, supposedly.

[aphaynes]

Originally Posted by Clarke

I don't remember the measurements, except I remember the boards are longer than 8', so I had to buy 10' boards. I think they were one inch over 8'? I measured the orig boards and duplicated the dado/shallow rabbit. I used white oak and I put Thompson water seal on mine every year. It's four years old and it's not uncommon for it to sit outside.

I painted the inside of the bed and the metal rails with bedliner paint, and installed stainless hardware.

I still use it as a truck... I can easily patch paint the bedliner paint and it doesn't look like it was patched. I carry a tarp behind the seat to help protect the wood.

If I attached the picture correctly, there should be a picture attached that I took last month for insurance.

Looks great! Yes, when I saw the length was 97 inches instead of 96 (8ft); I am thinking "really???"

Thanks for all of the details!

[aphaynes]

Originally Posted by FetchMeAPepsi

I like the painted inside there Clarke. I might do that with Cecilia once I get her bed back to good.

Oh, and Aphaynes here's some stuff I found that I might use to treat my oak boards. I don't know that I'd bother with some exotic boards because you know they used pine from the factory and it lasted about 40 years in a working environment.

http://www.amazon.com/System-Starter...A1ZQ4RBIUH3AMZ


It cures clear and is for marine use. Tough stuff, supposedly.

How far down the 'ol to-do list is your bed work gonna be Fetch?

[FetchMeAPepsi]

Originally Posted by aphaynes

How far down the 'ol to-do list is your bed work gonna be Fetch?

Dot dot dot......

I don't work well below 60 degrees, I freeze up like molasses so it'll be a while yet. Here's my wish-to-do list:

• Finish my fence building
• Fix whatever's popped up to make her not start. Embarrassed me at Lowes this weekend
• Pull bed off again now that I don't need it every weekend
• Finish rebuilding the Rockwell T221 Transfer Case
• Change fluids and seals on front and rear differential
• Paint everything with Por 15 under there to keep it safe from the rust monster
• Paint the bumper and put some bedliner in foot areas to look more modern.
• Put the bed on some kinda stands so I can weld up holes, beat out dents, and...paint? Maybe.
• Remove old wood and the rusted through strips, replace both.
• Put my fenders back on so she doesn't look like a little girl with her skirt tucked in her drawers in the back.

Once the back is done I'll work move to the cab, then to the engine I think. That's the plan anyway, subject to change without notice

[aphaynes]

Originally Posted by FetchMeAPepsi

Dot dot dot......

I don't work well below 60 degrees, I freeze up like molasses so it'll be a while yet. Here's my wish-to-do list:

• Finish my fence building
• Fix whatever's popped up to make her not start. Embarrassed me at Lowes this weekend
• Pull bed off again now that I don't need it every weekend
• Finish rebuilding the Rockwell T221 Transfer Case
• Change fluids and seals on front and rear differential
• Paint everything with Por 15 under there to keep it safe from the rust monster
• Paint the bumper and put some bedliner in foot areas to look more modern.
• Put the bed on some kinda stands so I can weld up holes, beat out dents, and...paint? Maybe.
• Remove old wood and the rusted through strips, replace both.
• Put my fenders back on so she doesn't look like a little girl with her skirt tucked in her drawers in the back.

Once the back is done I'll work move to the cab, then to the engine I think. That's the plan anyway, subject to change without notice

That's quite the list. I should probably make me a list rather than randomly jumping from one thing to next. That has kept me from getting the signal canceler installed you graciously provided. I did finish my bumper. You can see that on my build thread. Speaking of molasses, you should see what i used that for on my build thread as well.