Bed Wood
FTE Legend
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 54,100
Likes: 2,445
From: NY and VA
Are you restoring this truck? I think originally the bed wood was painted to match the body.
The white oak I used when I did my 54 in 1971 started to rot about 5 yrs ago, Just Cuprinoled both sides once, abused the bed and has always been outside.
The white oak I used when I did my 54 in 1971 started to rot about 5 yrs ago, Just Cuprinoled both sides once, abused the bed and has always been outside.
Thread Starter
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 823
Likes: 4
From: Calais, Vermont
GLR: I am restoring the truck. And I have learned that the bed wood was painted the same as the body. After much consideration, I have decided not to paint the wood. My thought is that very, very few people are going to appreciate the fact that the wood was painted when the truck rolled off the assembly line. I am toying with the idea of using the body paint sort of like a stain, wiping it off so the grain shows and then putting a clear finish over it. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that Ford used the most commonly available appropriate regional wood species at whichever assembly plant the truck was built in. My truck came out of Long Beach, CA. I know that the original wood was white oak.
New User
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
From: Eastern Montana
My '50 F-1 that grandpa bought new had a steel liner on top of the wood clear back in the 60s. It is possible that grandpa put it in , but I am pretty sure dad told me it came that way. Anybody know if this could be true?
Lead Driver
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,096
Likes: 656
From: Brentwood, TN
I just saw a technique for staining oak used on a home improvement show. They were looking for an ebony/zebra wood effect so they took some steel wool and let it sit outside in a bucket with a little bit of water in the bottom...a rusty pad with rusty water was the goal. Once the rust had developed in the steel wool/water they added vinegar. They took this mixture an wiped the oak boards liberally and voila they had a very nice looking ebony stain. I guess the combination of the oxide, the acid, and the tannins in the wood all came together to produce a very nice black stain in the oak. There have been discussions in the past about how to make oak look like ebony...hope someone finds this useful.
Lead Driver
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,096
Likes: 656
From: Brentwood, TN
Sealing the wood is relatively easy...maintaining that seal is what can be difficult. There are the tried and true products like the marine spar varnishes and there are some newer polyurethanes out there. A buddy used a product from POR15 that is made for wood. I have used clear coat on wood as well, HOK UC35 to be exact. When I have my bed finished I intend to cover the floor of the bed with a rubber mat to keep the sun off it. For us here in SoCal the sunlight is the biggest killer of finishes.
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 271
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From: Marshall, TX
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Lead Driver
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 6,104
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From: Orcas Island Wa.
An old yankee expression goes something like this..." A fence post made of granite lasts one year longer than one made of locust". See if a local mill has some, or go the ipe route. I'm gonna paint my original bed wood when I finally paint the truck. Not because I'm a restoration purist, but it's practical and I like to be different. Besides I have spent the last 40 years building cabinets and furniture from fancy wood and frankly, I'm sick of looking at it. It reminds me of work........
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 823
Likes: 4
From: Calais, Vermont
Before I started in restoring my old truck, it was my daily driver from the mid seventies to the mid nineties. The old oak bed was shot, so used plywood ripped the right width to use with the metal strips. I'd hit it with linseed oil diluted with turpentine it a couple of times a year. When I took the bed apart to begin the restoration, that plywood still had a lot of useful life left in it.
FTE Legend
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 54,100
Likes: 2,445
From: NY and VA
Going along with staining, a friend of mine made a lot of outdoor furniture. He liked to use a mixture of turpentine and boiled linseed oil. I don't see why mixing a little bit of oil paint in wouldn't work.
Yes, GB, that locust is tough. I know a guy in NY that builds decks out of locust. Looks good and lasts.
Yes, GB, that locust is tough. I know a guy in NY that builds decks out of locust. Looks good and lasts.
Believe Nothing
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 7,519
Likes: 403
From: W. Central FL.
I looked at a home made flat bed made of composite decking on an F-1 last year. Other than I don't like flat beds on the smaller F series, it looked just OK, The seller said the bed had been exposed for several years. Had the rest of the truck been to my liking I would have installed a steel bed with wood decking.