Nice line up. I like the green on the 2 ton.

You need to update the list of vehicles that goes at the bottom of your posts, you are selling yourself short!

 

Seems I am always selling. That's why the list changes. It's not a real business, it's just I'm cheap and when I see something I want, I sell something else to get it. I no longer have the gmc or the toyota landcruiser truck. I DO need to upgrade the list as I'm selling off the 'off brand' vehicles... And of course you can Arctic, but we will be duck sitting for my stepson and his girlfriend for two weeks while they are in Alaska, and there will be less room on the coop.

 

Yesterday I started the new bed wood for the '47. I'm using douglas fir 2x8s and 2x10s. I planed them to 1 5/16ths and did the reliefs on the back. I ordered new bed strips from Mar-K this afternoon. Now I wish I had used reclaimed/salvaged wood because it looks too new. I didn't have enough wood of the right dimensions in my salvage piles. The plan is to paint the deck like Ford did, but now I am thinking of taking 1/4" off the surface of these boards and using my vacuum press I can add 1/4" of old wood to each plank. This lamination will be a bit stronger, but mostly it will look old, but be structurally sound, just like the rest of the truck. It's all pretty easy with the equipment we use in our shop. The planks are the same width as the original wood and all the original holes in the crossmembers will be re-used. 2 outer planks are 9 1/2",all 8 of the middle ones are 7 1/2" wide. I can laminate 5 each night after work. The press is a pretty cool device and the glue bonds are amazing. Stay tuned. Isn't it crazy how some guys put 10 coats of spar varnish on beautiful hardwood and here I am needing my bed wood to look more crummy and beat up. That's what's great about this hobby!

 

Looks good! I used to be into model trains a lot and one thing we spent a lot of time on was "weathering" buildings and freight cars etc etc. Real life does such a good job on the full size stuff, we were always trying to duplicate it. One trick was to take a wire brush and scuff them up in the direction of the grain and then rub some dirt into it that was a similar color to what you wanted. Some guys got all fancy with different stains and all sorts of other stuff, but I never got that fancy.

Sam

 

Last summer we built 27 huge doors for a 'carriage house' from old weathered boards. The contractor and architect gave our name to another builder and we just completed 3 more. Milling the old wood is problematic around the egdes because it exposes the 'new' colored wood inside. On this latest project I mixed some very black coffee with wood ash and driveway dirt. Stirred in some metal filings from behind the grinder and after faking saw marks with a rasp and a wire brush, I carefully painted the mix on to the raw edges. So I guess we are all on the same page. I planed my bed wood down to 15/16ths and some nice barnboard (western larch) to 5/16ths. If I get a chance tonight I will do my laminating on the first half of the boards. Details at eleven........

 

It is nice to see the truck back together. The new bed boards sure did look shinier than the rest of the truck.

 

Gary I see it more along the lines of like ya worked the old bed to death and re-planked
it. So many times we have had to install new bang boards and or re line the inside of a
rock truck box. I always felt the new wood looked good. But after a week of 10 hour days
on the haul road ya could hardly tell it had just had new bang boards or planking
put on. We put wood over the steel rock box bed to keep like armor rock
from punching through it.
I guess what I am trying to say is a work truck looks just fine with the working end renewed
even if the cab and chassis is still it's old self. It just
makes her look like a work truck that is kept up with to keep her working.

 

Funny, Arctic... I know exactly what you mean. I spent 7 years in New England and the folks there take great pride in their antique 250 year old homes. But... every so often they have to re-shingle the gable end or the roof and for a while it looks funny with the new part. But... I already commited to adding the old wood to my planks. It was very agonizing trying to decide, but it would take years to look old and at 61, I am impatient. I will get some photos.

 

Well, the madness continues.... I laminated the two wide outer planks last night and will do the other 8 probably on Sundayas I'll be at a gas engine and tractor meet tomorrow. My local hardware store only had carriage bolts in galvanized, so I burned it off the heads with a torch. Now they will rust properly. I will be removing these 9 1/2" outer planks to groove them to receive the bed strips. I just had to bolt them up for a test. I am drilling no new holes in the bed, since I was able to make the boards exactly what was originally installed in Detroit. (well, the size anyhow). My wife came out to walk the dogs as I was finishing up tonight and as she was walking down the hill, I called out "I'm finally happy with it!"

 

Well, she is nearly 'done'. At least to me. I have my gm one wire alternator on and an ammeter hooked up inside. I completed the bed wood and mud flaps and rattle canned it sort of foggy-like with krylon 'Italian Olive' satin finish on the cab and some old bbq black for the fenders. Then I buffed out the wear areas with an old worn out scotchbrite with some marvel mystery oil worked into it. Lettered the doors with dull yellow made from caterpillar tractor yellow spray paint mixed with some ace hardware flat white paint. Then to try and straighten the wiggly yellow lines I outlined the whole mess with a black felt tipped marker. I was better with this as a younger man, but I think it looks ok for what it is. My plan was to take it to the Puget Sound Antique Tractor and Machinery Asso. Show at Lynden, Wa. starting on Wednesday, but it's gonna be really hot here (for us Puget sound area wimps) and I also wanted to bring my turbo-diesel scout, which will be a much better ride up the interstate, and no roof as well. I still haven't driven the 2 ton into town yet, which is 12 miles away, so it's a bit early for a ride on the big scary mainland (wimp again). I'm planning on that trip to town tomorrow, just to shake it down a bit, but right now I have to go wash my convertible This '47 has been a blast to fix up. ( way more fun to look at than drive)

 

Looking good! I've been working on my patina skills, I'd like to wind up with the same kind of look you've got there.

Sam

 

That looks sweet Gary. But Yes it looks like she would ride kinda hard.

 

I'm thinking about 2 tons of doug fir logs would soften the pot holes in the road. I actually measured the scout, thinking I might put in on there and head to the tractor show, but the back wheels would be hanging over. I need to simplify my life, not make it more crazy!

 

nice job! i would like too see a picture of your scout,always like them. funny we must have the same taste! i got a diesel turbo charged convertable 4x4 too.

 

Here you go! Bought it a year ago from the original owner. I remember when he brought it onto the island brand new. It now has 74,000 original miles. Built 2 weeks before the IH plant closed down in 1980. Factory installed Nissan SD33T. 3.3 liter inline six. Quite a few dents, but not rusty. I didn't get around to washing it today....And Bernette, what's your 4x4 turbo diesel convertible? Not a very common configuration.