Bed Wood
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 823
Likes: 4
From: Calais, Vermont
Bed Wood
Can anyone comment on the white oak bed lumber from Mac's Antique Auto Parts? It is starting to look like buying the wood ready to finish and install makes more sense than buying rough white oak 4/4 X 6 and doing all the milling myself.
Senior User
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 131
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From: Grande Cache Alberta
make your own
Sorry I cant help you about the wood at macs. But when i done my truck I used knotty pine. The only reason was because I worked at a softwood sawmill and got a great deal on it. But in the future I was looking at the home depot section and came across oak planks that were about three quarter inch by 6 and a half.but if you want to save time mabie it h all the measuring, routing,sanding,tablesawing. But on the other hand you may be like me and chance doing it yourself and showing off your great woodwork skillstake care
sean m conroy
Fleet Owner
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 25,358
Likes: 5,375
From: Central PA
you mean Lowe's sells Southern Yellow Pine (not pressure treated?) What do you mean by Lowe's sell the strips?
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 3,222
Likes: 6
From: Houston
If you can find some antique yellow pine it would be much better than the yellow pine that is available these days. The YP you buy today is a much faster growing tree resulting in a much softer and less dense wood. Antique pine can be found when there is demo of any 80 (or so) year old buildings, but you would have to have it milled or mill it yourself. Or you can use Ipe which is a South American wood that is commonly used on 18 wheeler flat beds. You can find it at a hardwood supplier (or talk to a large truck parts supplier and find out who sells to them). It is very heavy and dense, lasts a long time in the weather, but you have to wear a paper mask when working it. The dust is not good for your lungs. As far as Oak, either white oak or red oak, it is very hard but also very porous. You will be amazed at how fast it will rot unless you coat it often (and coat it with a UV resistant sealer). Like anything else, if you maintain it properly any wood will last much longer. If you don't plan on maintaining it, use Ipe.
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Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 16,155
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From: Burbank, WA
I would think the availability of different woods at the big box lumber stores would vary greatly by region. Being in the Northwest, I've never seen Southern yellow pine, but I can get northern white pine all day long. Same thing with oak. Not so much white, but plenty of Western Red. Our pressure treated wood is Douglas Fir.
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,224
Likes: 19
From: scotia. NY 12302
i do a fair amount of wood finishing and refinishing. oak doesn't really hold up well for outside. marine spar varnish in enough coats will protect it. if it isn't maintained or gets scratched, water with any iron in it will make those nasty black stains. as a side note: black stains can be removed if the wood is stripped of finish and then treated with an oxalic acid based wood bleach. then you just have to neutralize the acid with baking soda and start finishing over again. dick r
FTE Legend
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 53,938
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From: NY and VA
I think originally yellow pine was used. Oak frome Lowes is expensive. I made my own from white oak which holds up better than red. Check with local lumber yards for materials. See if local high school wood shop or vocational school needs a project. Strips and bolt kits are avail from our sponsors.
Lead Driver
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 6,104
Likes: 138
From: Orcas Island Wa.
Southern yellow pine is what was used originally. It has some other names like pitch pine, and even loblolly in some parts of the country. I have original bed wood in my 59 and it's near perfect. I'm with topmoo about getting old wood for it. I deal in old beams and salvaged wood on a daily basis for my woodworking operation. Here in the Pacific NW it's mostly fir, but someone in your area must deal with milling old beams into lumber. Those swamp loggers bring it up every day if you happen to live anywhere near the bayou.