Does anyone have any suggestions on the best way to cut out a bed floor to replace it. I have located a company that sells the floor...but I have to get my old one out. I have air tools, an air chisel, cut off tools...... what is the best way to do this?
Tony

 

well, if you can get your hands on one, a plasma would be ideal. If not, a torch with the right tip would be fastest, and a cuttoff wheel on a die grinder would be cleanest. When you do it, watch for tthe gas tank, vents ect.

 

Oh the bed is off the truck....and its a 76 with gas tank in cab...so no worries there. I'll prob use a cutting wheel....


As far as getting rust off the frame, i've got a sandblaster...what about anything else......needle scaler??

 

Plasma cutter, air powered nibbler if it can do 18 ga, sawzall.

 

How close to the sidewalls does the cut need to be?

 

its along a seam.....if u loook in the bed of a ford f250, there is a seam between the floor and the sidewall..that is there im cutting to get the floor out

 

Sorry, don't have an F250 to look at right now. I was going to suggest a metal blade on a circular saw. $6 at Home Depot and it will let you control the depth of the cut so you don't get into the gas tank. If it is really close to the sidewalls though, the shoe of the saw would prevent you from getting within about 1.5 inches.

 

the problem with the abrasive saw in the circular is 1) it tears the saws bearings up big time, all the shavings get in there 2)you need to wear a breather, the dust is REALLY bad for you.

 

I'm interested in this topic as well... I bought a pneumatic cut-off tool but heard the die grinders would be more versatile, but couldn't find an accessory to hold the abrasive wheel on the die grinder... are we mixing terms or how does the larger wheel attach to the diegrinder?

 

this is what Im refering to, only mine has a sheild around the backside of it. Are you referring to a handheld grinder?

 

I would use something that doesn't rotate, as cutting long distances with an abrasive wheel is exhausting, and if the tool catches, you can seriously hurt yourself.

Something like a sawzall is better, because the worse that happens if the blade sticks, is that the shoe goes whap-whap-whap on the bed floor. Sawzalls make easy work of bed floors, it's thin enough.

a 10-16 TPI bi-metal blade is what you want.

 

What was the companies name that you found that sold the bed floors?

 

good post runningman

chrono4 yours does look like a die grinder because of the mandrel... have to look at mine again... went to sears, homedepot, harborfreight and lowes and the die grinders all came with small accessories but not the big wheel. So I ended up buying the cut-off wheel for $10 on sale.

since you sound as if you're taking the whole bed out, frederick's recommendation to use a sawzall probably is the easiest if you've got one. I'll try his advice on mine, even though I'm doing smaller sections. a short, stiff high-tooth number blade will probably hold straight enough... hmmm get out a pair of knee pads and start cutting
as soon as I can.

I'll leave the cutoff for the cab and doors where I can control it better. I'm interested in preppypyros request please for the vendor... bed panels i looked at are very pricey.

 

IMHO a combination of tools....4" grinder with a cut-off wheel, sawzall with a metal cutting blade, etc..... a Laser level works great for establishing a straight line.... but is not always practical

 

Cut off wheels ON A 45 DEGREE ANGLE to reduce opening for butt welds.