Bed wood gap
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Junior User
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 59
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From: SOUTHERN UTAH
Bed wood gap
I installed my bed wood with the metal slide strips. There is a gap of about 1/4" on each side of the bed strips and the bed wood doesn't seem to want to close up on each side of the strips. Are the routed edges too wide? I ordered it from Bob's F-100. ? Do I need to get new wood? The ones I have seen after installation are tight to the metal strips with no gaps. Any suggestions? Thanks, Jack
Logistics Pro
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 4,489
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From: Valley Center, CA
When I installed mine, I started on the right with the wood pushed up snug to the edge of the bed. Then I layed the next board down. I placed the metal strip so that it touched the edge of the raise center. I continued this process all the way across. When I got to the other side the next-to-the-last board was placed after the far left board. When I palced the strips on the boards they fit right into the grooves just as the all the others had. So, if you have laid all your boards out evenly with the strips on them, are they in the grooves? If the boards are sliding underneth the outside edges and are spaced evenly then there should be no problem. This is the first that I have heard of anybody complaining about the fit of storebought wood. I would suggest that you try it again and make shure that you not bolt any wood down until they are all setting where you want them. Good luck, Jag 
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Junior User
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 59
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From: SOUTHERN UTAH
Bed wood
Thanks Jag I will look at that. Thats what I thought about the gap also Abuqe until I saw everyone elses and they were "tight" to the rise. seems like if they got wet, they would need some where to expand?
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 27,288
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From: NM
I made my own boards and left about 1/8 - 3/16" on each side, but more for "slop" to adjust to fit. That's about what my original boards had, tho. The guys with tight boards could get a surprise when it rains!
Cargo Master
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 2,561
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From: Earth
The bolts themselves will have a gap on each side between them and the boards, (as you would look up from underneath the bed). For the most part, the metal strips should fit in there fairly well and have just a tinge of a gap on each side. However, each board manufacturer might be doing thier boards a bit different. If you want, take some measurements and/or some pictures and we can do some comparing. Depending on how you look at it, it might be extreme to you and just right to someone else. 
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Fleet Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 27,288
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From: NM
It just occured to me, reading this thread, that my old boards were 50+ yrs old and could have shrunk... guess i should have thought of that before cutting! I wouldn't worry about the aesthetics of the gap at any rate, the eyes are drawn to the beautiful wood and the shiny metal strips. I haven't seen a bad looking new wood bed!
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Senior User
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 414
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From: Austin, TX
I cut my own wood but made them to have a slight gap where it seats up against the raised part of each bedwood plank. Wood swells when wet and it made sense to me. I also cut my rabbits on each board so the strips laid flat with the wood. I think it looks better. Won't protect the wood from scrapes but then it probably won't ever have anything in there to scrape the wood anyway. Pics in my gallery.
Tim
Tim
Postmaster
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 3,005
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From: Santa Clarita
I just did the wood on my bed, I have several pics in my gallery. There is suppose to be about 1/2" gap between each wood board. The carriage bolts go between them. The strips then go on top and should cover most of the routed portion of the wood. I started on the bed sides, then worked my way board by board until I ended in the middle. You gotta have some play, like 49 said the wood will twist. Wood will expand also.
Postmaster
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 3,730
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From: Waynesville, OH
There is a drawing of the bed wood that we put together from a lot of different information from various sources. Here is the link.
http://www.clubfte.com/users/earl/Re..._Material.html
The size of the rabbets and dados is included in the drawings.
http://www.clubfte.com/users/earl/Re..._Material.html
The size of the rabbets and dados is included in the drawings.
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 163
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From: Everett, Washington
Has anybody used standard 1x6 boards for their bed? I've heard they will work. I know the gap will be a little larger than optimal as the standard 1x6 is actually 5 1/2" verses the desired 5 3/4". Does anybody know if this creates any long term issues?
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 414
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From: Austin, TX
I don't see any reason why this wouldn't work. You would just have a little more "play" between the boards. I would narrow the rabbits just a bit though. I actually thought about it for a mock up.
The thickness is where you could run into trouble. Just don't attach the side and front finsih pieces based on standard lumber thickness if you plan on going back later with the correct dimensional wood.
Tim
The thickness is where you could run into trouble. Just don't attach the side and front finsih pieces based on standard lumber thickness if you plan on going back later with the correct dimensional wood.
Tim
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 163
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From: Everett, Washington
Good point Tim. At this point I have painted and am completed the installation of my original bed. It is has more than its share of rust and after blasting it, the flanges along the bottom of the side panels are badly pitted. As I said, I went ahead and added paint but plan to replace it with a new bed in the future. So at this point the thinner wood should not be an issue. I think I will go ahead and get the Lowe's or Home Depot wood and be done with it for now. Those boards run $22 each for1"x6"x8', so it is not a huge investment.