great point topmoo!

I never mentioned that all surfaces should be prepared AND coated. I assumed (as a career carpenter) that everybody would do it in that fashion. most motor heads are just that and focus on the harder parts of the truck. no offence intended! its probably true that the underside of the wood is more important than the top. its exposed to all the bad road stuff. anyway, thanks for pointing that out
qman

 

Anybody try a clear epoxy coat (the kind that's sold for garage floors)? BTW, I like all of the pictures. Mine doesn't look that good, but maybe I can do some "color sanding" to get it there...or maybe not. My stainless steel strips were very sharp and I took a file to the edges to blunt them a bit so they wouldn't cut through the finish as quickly.

 

Here is a shot of my bed shortly after I had the truck painted.



The wood is red oak. I have used my truck as a truck, hauling brush, mulch, kids, lawnmowers, etc. I tried to take care of it, using old carpets, foam padding and so on. I have not sanded/refinished the boards since 1999. The truck sits in the garage but does see rain as I have had to use the truck in the rain.The oak boards do not look too bad. There is some discoloring.

Now my question (especially for the carpenters/painters): I prefer to keep my truck stock. After I put my bed wood in I discovered that the beds originally were painted body color. So at some point I want to paint my boards Meadow Green. When I paint the boards, will I have to scuff up the finish to make the paint adhere or can I paint right over the boards as they are now? Or do I need fresh boards?

 

hey abe...
nice looking truck. brings me back to the days when I was wishing my ol' man would let me drive it on the road for the 1st time. oh, what a dream that was. that was around 1960 when I was 14 made my heart pound as much as the ladies.....but that's another story.

anyway, if it was my truck and I wanted it to be like original or better this is what I wood do.
take all the boards off
sand them well but not hard enuff to take
the old finish off but hit everything
then wipe it down with a dampened clean cloth JUST damp w/ thinner
if the bottom and edges hadn't been done before, prime them w/a good oil based primer. then sand those surfaces like the others... and wipe like the others.
then, 2 coats of a nice deck paint ...latex or oil. but, specifically a deck paint. and don't mix one coat latex and one oil....just don't

this will give you a nice finish that will need to be recoated depending on use. very lite use....maybe never

good luck w/ it....preserve a beautiful part of the past

qman

 

My boards are finished all around including the bottom and sides. Would I really have to remove the boards if I don't care about the bottoms being painted?

I was hoping to use the trucks body paint which they probably used on the assembly line. Or should I take a sample to the paint store and have it matched? for durability, whats better, latex or oil base?

thanks, abe
PS: I see you have a 57 Chevy Nomad? Great! I had a 57 Bel Air 2 door sedan when I was in college and always thought the Nomad were awesome. Can you PM me some pics?

 

anyone seal their oak with a 2 part epoxy before varnish? Supposedly that is the most durable finish for an open grain wood. The epoxy completely seals the wood, the varnish protects from UV. The wood doesn't absorb anything after epoxy, so the varnish doesn't have to stretch, crack, fail.

anyone?

This is what I am thinking of doing

WEST SYSTEM | Application Techniques - Varnish over epoxy

 

Can't see why you can't use Oak if that is your preference. As others have said, oak is a bit more open grain but that can be remedied with a good grain filler before you start with your varnish (or other top coat). I prefer Epifanes Spar varnish but you will need MINIMUM of 5 coats and likely 10 coats before you will get it looking like an automotive paint clear coat finish. I sanded my wood between coats with 600 grit wet/dry paper. This is on my Woodie wagon and convertible, but I plan to do the same with my bed which will be quarter sawn White Oak.
By the way the Ford woodies were made with either Ash or Maple from Henry's hardwood forests in Iron Mtn Michigan, and even those close grained woods deteriorate if not protected. The original owners manual for Woodie wagons recommended revarnish every 6 months! Bet that didn't happen too often.

 

oak is beautiful!!! and 1/4 sawn white oak is x10. go ahead and use it if that's what u want. BUT, expect filling in w/ black eventually. and yes, u can use grain filler before you do your 5 or 10 coats. I'm just sayin' why wood u create another step when u cud just buy a less expensive wood to begin with? we all have our ways and they all have merit, how nice to see all applications !! there are 10 ways to do everything....3 are indesputibly right....4 are right in some cases some of the time if the lighting is correct....and 3 wuddent be done even by idiots with blind folds and boxing gloves on.!!! IMHO

its fun, isn't it!
qman

 

hey abe....
I got carried away withy the other guys and for a moment forgot about u! easy to do at 67
anyway , no, I wuddent take them off if you've already addressed the edges and bottom. that will last a long time. I don't think the automotive paint that u did the truck with previously would be the way to go. when u go to the paint store they will explain to you how the truck paint duzzent" breathe" like dedicated deck paint will on wood that" moves". u certainly can match the color up and off u go!

I tried to attach a picture of my 57 nomad but cuddent figger it out.

qman

 

As my F250 will be used as a daily driver and work truck . I was thinking about , the composite wood used for decks and docks . Has anyone tried this ?

 

I'm new to this forum and to owning a '56. Can I buy the metal bed strips from lmc or some place like that and then buy my own wood? Is there a template for cutting them, or can I just buy 1" thick oak and rip and chop it to size leaving everything perfectly rectangular?

 

Thanks, that makes sense.... What number grit sandpaper should I use for scuffing up the boards?

 

any medium grade paper will do....maybe even a steel wool pad. they make different grades of that too....get medium of that also.

my 54 sits in my buddies shop getting worked on on the week ends and some nites....I'm so jealous! if I was 20 yrs younger I'd be out in the garage all hrs. working on my truck. will u p-ost some more pix of yours? I know the guys would love it.

qman

 

Yes you can get the strips - paint grade to polished stainless. Look at MidFifties too. Get a Classic Trucks magazine and look through the adds. There are lots of places to get the wood already milled. The strips sit in a shallow dado normally so that they don't stick up too high with the boards approximately 1/4' apart which allows space for the bolts and for the expansion of the wood.

 

You would e better off using scotch type pads over steel wool. The steel wool will leave small bits in The wood that will rust where the pads won't just a thought