New bed
Posting Guru
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 2,282
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From: Oregon
I agree you should frame it out using steel. I look at 100% wood flatbeds the same way I look at PVC headache racks, and I curse Home Depot for their existence... 
Since you didn't use pressure treated, you should pick up a can of deck stain & sealer and roll the whole thing with it. Otherwise that wood's going to go straight to hell when the rainy season hits. It'll also darken it up, keep it from getting shredded when you put anything on there, and make it look 1000x better.
Worst case if you don't want to lift the bumper to match, use a piece of 1x8 or 1x10 bolted on the back to fill the gap.
Since you didn't use pressure treated, you should pick up a can of deck stain & sealer and roll the whole thing with it. Otherwise that wood's going to go straight to hell when the rainy season hits. It'll also darken it up, keep it from getting shredded when you put anything on there, and make it look 1000x better.
Worst case if you don't want to lift the bumper to match, use a piece of 1x8 or 1x10 bolted on the back to fill the gap.
Senior User
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 187
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From: Pontotoc, MS
That looks good, I agree with the census here though. I used treated wood and framed the edges and cross supports with angle iron. The diamond plate aluminum I used I bought at my scrap yard. Word of wisdom though, that aluminum is HARD to cut. If you don't have a plasma cutter, the only thing you can use is a carbide tipped framing blade on a skill saw. Plan on using about four or five of them though....
I would have rather used steel and painted it. I think that would have been easier.
I still haven't gotten my headache rack built or my fuel fill tubes relocated right.
I would have rather used steel and painted it. I think that would have been easier.
I still haven't gotten my headache rack built or my fuel fill tubes relocated right.
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From: Pontotoc, MS
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Posting Guru
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,665
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From: Terre Haute, IN
It'll get something cause i want stacks...
I agree you should frame it out using steel. I look at 100% wood flatbeds the same way I look at PVC headache racks, and I curse Home Depot for their existence...
Harsh toke Dude...
Since you didn't use pressure treated, you should pick up a can of deck stain & sealer and roll the whole thing with it. Otherwise the that wood's going to go straight to hell when the rainy season hits. It'll also darken it up, keep it from getting shredded when you put anything on there, and make it look 1000x better.
The 4x4's are treated, but the rest will get deck sealer in the near future.
Worst case if you don't want to lift the bumper to match, use a piece of 1x8 or 1x10 bolted on the back to fill the gap.
See above. That bumper is going to go away...
Harsh toke Dude...
Since you didn't use pressure treated, you should pick up a can of deck stain & sealer and roll the whole thing with it. Otherwise the that wood's going to go straight to hell when the rainy season hits. It'll also darken it up, keep it from getting shredded when you put anything on there, and make it look 1000x better.
The 4x4's are treated, but the rest will get deck sealer in the near future.
Worst case if you don't want to lift the bumper to match, use a piece of 1x8 or 1x10 bolted on the back to fill the gap.
See above. That bumper is going to go away...
I was looking at hitches and all the ones i saw V5 rated had 1/4" steel sides... And the plate that was in the bed is 1/4"...
Ihateminimumwage (me too
), would you feel better if i trimmed the sides and back with 3"x3"x1/8" angle iron?I need something to put stake pockets on anyway...
The original plan was a steel frame with 3/4" plywood decking, but i did this because of money limits... The hybrid bed may still get built someday...
Junior User
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 96
Likes: 0
From: Central British Columbia
Maybe you're planning to put fenders on there, and box sides? I did that with my Toyota years ago. got some fenders cheap (I think they were for utility trailers). Got 4 of them and doubled them up/welded together 2 on each side for required width. Then just cut a square cutout on y our wood bed, cram the fenders up in there and lag screw them in. It felt kind of mickeymouse when I was doing it but it's been tough and ran that way a long time with no trouble. Not sure if the Ford would need the suspension travel that my yota did, though. I also used P/T wood and framed up box sides so I could put on my stock canopy and boat rack.
I like trucks like this....
I like trucks like this....
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Posting Guru
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,665
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From: Terre Haute, IN
Thanks man. I might hang some conveyor belting on the 4x4 behind the tires, but i doubt i'll do any cutting on the bed for fenders.
Definatley needs sides and a headboard though...
Definatley needs sides and a headboard though...
Posting Guru
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 2,322
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From: Dairy, OR
Either you had really really cheap blades or you didn't use any form of lubrication/coolant. We cut aluminum everyday at work, including pre anodized 6060 T6 aircraft aluminum on a chop saw with an $80 carbide tipped blade. I send that blade out about twice a year to be sharpened and we cut a LOT of material on it. The best lubricant/coolant to use is good ol wd40, just a shot of it right on the teeth every so often will keep the aluminum from welding itself to the carbide tips and cause the blade to go dull. We use a table saw in the same fashion for cutting bigger sheets.
Senior User
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 187
Likes: 0
From: Pontotoc, MS
Yeah Warr....I had REALLY cheap blades.....no lube.....
We had no clue what we were doing....
I tried sawsall blades of all types but no lube. I wondered if the poly in the aluminum makes a difference?
It's funny, I work on the other side of metal so I know what type of aluminum and other non ferrous metals are but no clue how to work with them.
Thanks for the tip man....Still have a lot of cutting to do on this thing....
We had no clue what we were doing....
I tried sawsall blades of all types but no lube. I wondered if the poly in the aluminum makes a difference?
It's funny, I work on the other side of metal so I know what type of aluminum and other non ferrous metals are but no clue how to work with them.
Thanks for the tip man....Still have a lot of cutting to do on this thing....
Posting Guru
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 2,282
Likes: 4
From: Oregon
Frame that thing out and install stake pockets 
. No real point in a flatbed without options to add sides or have tie down points available when need be...
Sounds like you've laid out your plans for it, and it should be a good solid flatbed when it's done.
I'll never take back my stance on Home Depot, and the abominations it provides people the supplies to create...
. No real point in a flatbed without options to add sides or have tie down points available when need be...Sounds like you've laid out your plans for it, and it should be a good solid flatbed when it's done.
I'll never take back my stance on Home Depot, and the abominations it provides people the supplies to create...
Posting Guru
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,272
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It looks way yonder better than all that rust,its a good starting point ,you can always add and modify later,however I do wish it were pressure treated wood,like already stated some good stain/sealer is a must. Put it in a pump up spray bottle and soak the snot out of it........