Prepping the bed fill-sand-prime, repeat,repeat,repeat,repeat,repeat......
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Cargo Master
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 3,337
Likes: 165
From: Harpswell Maine
Prepping the bed fill-sand-prime, repeat,repeat,repeat,repeat,repeat......
I had almost forgotten how much fun/patience it takes to prep sheet metal for final paint. I am currently doing the bed (read that as finish both sides). It is understandable why many take the project to the bodyshop at this point. For me the fun part is the modifications, fabrication and mechanical work. Unforunately in time I think that the final bodywork and paint is over 50% of the job, which means I have to do it myself! Are others of you out there having as much fun as I am?
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 16,873
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From: SE Wisc. (the Rust Belt)
I just finished all the metal patching on the front fenders on my '48/51 F-4. I got them into epoxy primer tonight, just finished cleaning out the gun. Now the real fun starts, filling, sanding, priming, blocking, priming, blocking, priming, blocking, etc.......
Freshman User
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 39
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From: South Central Iowa
I have had my sheet metal media blasted and now have everything in primer. I plan on working on the chassis next. But as long as we are on the subject, how much filler do you use before you just pitch the sides and get new ones. The box sides on my truck are rust free but have seen considerable rough usage. It looks like the entire surface will have to have a skim coat of filler. (on the inside as well as the outside.) Is this acceptable?
Postmaster
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 3,005
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From: Santa Clarita
I did my bed the hard way. I used aircraft stripper to strip the old paint off. Then I used body filler with tons of block sanding. A couple spots had old epoxy on it which I grinded off. Word to wise, the bed metal is very thin (16-18 ga.) The grinder will heat the metal quick, warping it or my case bubbling the paint on the outside. I could get my bed straight for anything so I opted for bed coating and used Durapaint bedliner. Came out nice and cost less than if I painted it.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,511
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From: peyton, colorado
I replaced the two rear stake pockets on my 48, and patched the fronts. The rear crossmember, and anything it attached to were junk, so I made a new one from 2x4 box tubing. I finally have the outer bed sides ready for some spot bodo, then high build primer. Lots of sanding and wire wheel, plus the hammer/dolly. I'm going to have to use rust converter on the lower parts of the inner bed sides, if I continued grinding the outside would poke through. The bed front(remember the thread "shinking in bed") came out good, will need some high build and blocking. After this, is the tailgate, and designing some new cool latches.
Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 8,813
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From: Littleton, New Hampshire
This is that time in the project when you wish you would have given more thought to buying a reproduction bed. Most of the original ones were actually used for hauling stuff and as a result have their share of bumps and bruises. Fortunately, my truck came with no bed so the decision was easy... 
Vern
Vern
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2004
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If you enjoy hours & hours of bodywork, go for it. If you have to pay someone for those hours, just buy new. I did, they're straight & came thick & zinc coated instead of "blued" like the older repo's.
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Fleet Mechanic
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Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2001
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From: SE Wisc. (the Rust Belt)
Getting an new bed is the way to go if your box is in rough shape. Unfortunately, us guys with F-2s and 3s can't find reproduction boxe with the raised side panels so we have to do with what we have. I rebuilt the entire box on my F-2 but it hasn't held up to well. Fortunately, I was able to find someone local who brought a F-2 back from New Mexico and only wanted the cab. I bought the rest of the truck, including the solid box, for $200. I hope to get the boxes swapped sometime in the near future.
Bottom line, I wouldn't patch a box if I didn't have to.
Bottom line, I wouldn't patch a box if I didn't have to.
Senior User
Joined: Aug 2005
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yes sand prime sand i did my drivers side door for two days until i got it right,alot of block sanding then when you think you got it something shows up.starting this week my days off will consist of floor pans rocker panel and cab corner work cut grind weld measure twice cut once.
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Cargo Master
Joined: Apr 2005
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From: Harpswell Maine
Originally Posted by olered53
yes sand prime sand i did my drivers side door for two days until i got it right,alot of block sanding then when you think you got it something shows up.starting this week my days off will consist of floor pans rocker panel and cab corner work cut grind weld measure twice cut once.
Thread Starter
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Cargo Master
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 3,337
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From: Harpswell Maine
Originally Posted by Christopher2
I was looking at your gallery, if you want to fix that picture here it is.
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 369
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From: Rochester, NY, USA
Ah yes, bed sides.
I can barely lift my arm this morning due to 4 hours of hammer and dolly work on my bed sides this weekend. Not at all fun.
Just a word of advice. If you get your finger between the dolly and the sheet metal and then blast the other side with the hammer, it hurts really bad.
I can barely lift my arm this morning due to 4 hours of hammer and dolly work on my bed sides this weekend. Not at all fun.
Just a word of advice. If you get your finger between the dolly and the sheet metal and then blast the other side with the hammer, it hurts really bad.