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I replaced the bed wood on my long bed '56 about 15 years ago. I bought the oak kit with stanless skid strips and bolts from Bruce Horkey. I finished it with several coats of marine varnish, but the bed is now rotten again and needs replacing.
Since I have the stainless hardware, I'm tempted to try and locate bed wood through one of the many F-100 parts suppiers, but finding the 8-foot wood in a kit is a challenge.
I'm considering making the bed wood myself with my old shopsmith. I am also considering trying to use some king of grade of plywood.
The truck does get sed as a truck still. I regularly haul soil, tools and junk with it.
What are you guys doing about this? I do not need a beautiful floor- just a durable one.
I used white oak on my 54 in 1971.Couple of coats of Cuprinol on both sides of the wood. Abused the bed hauling fill for the garage. Always sat outside, started to rot out about 5 years ago.
A router will help making the rabbits for the strips. A sheet of plywood thrown in will protect the bedwood. Just take it out once in a while to let the bedwood "breathe" Today's plywood - even the treated stuff- doesn't seem to hold up that well. Any lumber mills in your area that might have white oak? It holds up better than red and is used a lot in dock building and exterior steps.
As noted, today's plywoods are garbage. They will delaminate quickly if used for regular outside work and are exposed to moisture. Even the pressure treated stuff is no good, and I wouldn't want those chemicals released into my truck's bed anyway.
White oak is a great choice if protected, as is redwood, cedar, and cypress in decreasing price order. But if you want functional vs. decorative, I would avoid Redwood and Cedar There are specialty "reclaimed wood" places near me that have this material, but it is far from cheap. For the money, white oak protected properly would be your best bet, imho.
In 1999 I used red oak for my bed
I put 4 coats of polyurethane on the boards, tops, bottoms, and sides. I used the truck as a truck but did park it in the garage but did use it in the rain sometimes. Some of the boards were turning black and two of them developed big checks or splits.
When I repainted the truck in 2016 I sanded the urethane off the good boards. I bought 2 pressure treated 1×6 yellow pine boards to replace the bad boards and painted all boards with oil based paint match the Meadow Green paint.
I know you use your truck as a work truck. The yellow pine boards are cheap. And the correct size.You'll just have to router a groove for the bed strips. And then if need be you can repaint the boards.
Sounds like the best way is to cut and router my own new boards. Guess I'll see what the availability of white oak is around here in the SF Bay area.
Thanks guys. The disassembly will be a good project nw that I'm locked down at home.
I used a hardwood called Paduak, has properties of teak at a fraction of the price. The grooves for the trim can be cut with a table saw, I found that easier than a router. A wood store will be able to plane and cut it to size. It’s very dense, so insect and water repellent naturally. Since you are using your truck for work both sides should be coated with finish.
These guys make aluminum bed kits, i.e., aluminum "boards" that are imprinted with wood grain patterns. Mid-Fifty sells them also, if I remember correctly. Looks like a good product; HOWEVER, I have not seen this in person, nor installed it in a truck.
Whatever wood you select, it might be more protected with paint than with any type of clear. Clear finishes do not provide as much UV protection. Plus, a paint finish might be easier to repair when needed. If you're determined to stain and clear finish the wood, select a darker color stain.
How about just painting the wood like it would’ve been originally? Paint will protect it a lot better than varnish. Use the white oak with a oil based gloss enamel matched to your trucks paint color. Since you use it as a working truck.
Whatever wood you select, it might be more protected with paint than with any type of clear. Clear finishes do not provide as much UV protection. Plus, a paint finish might be easier to repair when needed. If you're determined to stain and clear finish the wood, select a darker color stain.
Originally Posted by 52Flthed
How about just painting the wood like it would’ve been originally? Paint will protect it a lot better than varnish. Use the white oak with a oil based gloss enamel matched to your trucks paint color. Since you use it as a working truck.
Home depot by me has poplar boards iam gunna use.truck will be parked in garage so won't really see much rain. Also won't really be hauling anything in the back...so I think the poplar will be good in my case...
Iam gunna do my bed in this color and gloss.going to paint my bed strips black also.
