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When I did my truck in 99 I bought oak locally cut to size and had a furniture maker friend do the router work and drill and taper the big holes for the big bolts with the big washers. Then I did the urethane thing several coats, top, bottoms and ends and sides. I used the truck, protected the bed when hauling stuff and parked it in the garage.
In 2016 I got new bedsides and got the truck repainted. At this point some of the boards were split and many were black from moisture. So I bought 3 pressure treated yellow pine 1×6's to replace the split ones. Northern Yellow Pine was what Ford used originally. The Lowe's 1×6×8 boards were exactly the right width and thickness. They just needed cut to length and routed.
I sanded all the urethane off the old boards, while the new PT boards were drying. Then painted them all, top, sides,and ends, with oil base paint mixed to match my Meadow Green body paint.
So a guy could buy PT 1×6's at lowes or Home Depot a lot cheaper than oak.
Heres my bed with a mix of oak and yellow pine boards, painted body color.
I got lucky on my bed wood. My dad had cut down a large hickory tree on our property and he had a friend mill it into rough sawn lumber. It had been sitting in a shed for a few years and was good and dry. Brought several pieces home with me and planed them smooth. I used pure tung oil on them till they wouldn't hold any more. turned out real nice.
I got lucky on my bed wood. My dad had cut down a large hickory tree on our property and he had a friend mill it into rough sawn lumber. It had been sitting in a shed for a few years and was good and dry. Brought several pieces home with me and planed them smooth. I used pure tung oil on them till they wouldn't hold any more. turned out real nice.
I have to agree, hickory is a pretty wood in the bed. You have to be careful with the router as the corners like to splinter, but it really shows itself with a light stain. Nice job on that bed.
I made my bed using rough 3/4" red oak stock from a cabinet shop. Of course none of this makes you any difference. LOL I did find this excellent resource from Mar-K-Manufacturing in Oklahoma. You can find many good tips looking through this information. It will give you the dimensions you are looking for. Good luck
