Bed Wood

[aphaynes]

Anyone know if these measurements are accurate for 4-5-6 Fleetside/Wideside trucks?

http://www.classicheartbeat.com/bed_wood.htm

Has anyone made there own bed wood? If so, what wood did you go with?

[FetchMeAPepsi]

That's the measurements I used for mine. It's still sitting in the garage un-installed but I've heard several times that it's dead on factory correct and a tight fit.

[aphaynes]

Originally Posted by FetchMeAPepsi

That's the measurements I used for mine. It's still sitting in the garage un-installed but I've heard several times that it's dead on factory correct and a tight fit.

Cool. What type wood did you use?

[David R Leifheit]

Originally Posted by aphaynes

Anyone know if these measurements are accurate for 4-5-6 Fleetside/Wideside trucks?

http://www.classicheartbeat.com/bed_wood.htm

Has anyone made there own bed wood? If so, what wood did you go with?

When I did mine years ago I used 1x6 and 1x8 fir. But I worked at a lumber yard and was able to select clear (knot free) pieces. I had thought about Oak, or Black Walnut (4x the price of Oak) but the budget said Fir.
I covered them with several coats of finish before putting them on the truck. From the underside they still look really good, from the top the years of use show. Last time I looked they were still intact (I have stuff in the bed, and it has been accumulating since I parked the truck).

[aphaynes]

Originally Posted by David R Leifheit

When I did mine years ago I used 1x6 and 1x8 fir. But I worked at a lumber yard and was able to select clear (knot free) pieces. I had thought about Oak, or Black Walnut (4x the price of Oak) but the budget said Fir.
I covered them with several coats of finish before putting them on the truck. From the underside they still look really good, from the top the years of use show. Last time I looked they were still intact (I have stuff in the bed, and it has been accumulating since I parked the truck).

What finish did you go with? Stain, linseed oil, ...?

[David R Leifheit]

Originally Posted by aphaynes

What finish did you go with? Stain, linseed oil, ...?

Wish I could remember. I did it in the mid 80s.
I definitely painted it on, so a stain or urethane of some kind.

For a while I treated everything with Bar top finish (very resistant to water, vodka, rum, etc...) because it really worked to repel water. Put it on some of my furniture when I was a bachelor, 3 or 4 coats and you could spill anything on it.

[FetchMeAPepsi]

I went with quarter sawn white oak on advice from a cabinetmaker friend of mine. Super strong stuff. For the finish I really want the grain to show but for longevity and original look nothing beats por 15 and black outdoor paint. There's an open air test here

http://www.mar-k.com/wood_finish_testing_ii.aspx

[aphaynes]

Originally Posted by FetchMeAPepsi

I went with quarter sawn white oak on advice from a cabinetmaker friend of mine. Super strong stuff. For the finish I really want the grain to show but for longevity and original look nothing beats por 15 and black outdoor paint. There's an open air test here

http://www.mar-k.com/wood_finish_testing_ii.aspx

Great test! I would prefer to see the grain of the wood, but since mine is parked in the driveway and will be a daily driver, I may have to go with the POR-15 method as well. It is holding up nicely on my cab floor since I applied it several months ago.

[Ed Snyder]

When I restored the pickup several years ago which Clyde in SC now owns (the one in my avatar), I took a different path with the bed wood. I didn't want the planks with steel strips in between, so I replaced them with 3/4" AC exterior plywood. Then I had professionals cover the bed floor and up the sides of the bed with spray-in bedliner material. I also had the truck, including the bottom of the plywood, undercoated.

I saw lots of people at car shows walk past pickups with nice varnished planks for bed floors stop to check out my bed floor, ask questions about it, and want to feel it. I didn't do it to attract attention, I just wanted a smooth, durable floor so I could still haul stuff and not worry about scratching the floor.

[aphaynes]

Originally Posted by Ed Snyder

When I restored the pickup several years ago which Clyde in SC now owns (the one in my avatar), I took a different path with the bed wood. I didn't want the planks with steel strips in between, so I replaced them with 3/4" AC exterior plywood. Then I had professionals cover the bed floor and up the sides of the bed with spray-in bedliner material. I also had the truck, including the bottom of the plywood, undercoated.

I saw lots of people at car shows walk past pickups with nice varnished planks for bed floors stop to check out my bed floor, ask questions about it, and want to feel it. I didn't do it to attract attention, I just wanted a smooth, durable floor so I could still haul stuff and not worry about scratching the floor.

Funny you said that. As of a couple of days ago, I have been thinking about the aspects of still being able to haul stuff, but not wanting to damage a nice new wood bed. I am actually contemplating cutting out the steel floor that's in there, fixing everything under it that needs fixing, then putting it back in; but back in in a way that allows me to more easily remove it in the future. Then I could coat the steel anyway I wanted. It is definitely durable and as a daily driver, no matter how much fixing I do on it, I still plan to use it as a truck.