Finishing oak bed wood floor??? HELP!!

[Botietruck]

I am getting ready to start sanding & finishing the bed wood and wondering what kind of product holds up the best on a red oak wood bed flloor. Any ideas?

[stllookn]

How are you going to use the truck...show and shine or work?

[pjmoreland]

http://www.mar-k.com/wood_finish_testing_ii.html

[Radman]

You can't go wrong with bruce horkneys advice. You prep the wood with 800 grit and then use Marine Grade Spar varnish. The wood must be perfectly level. You do the bottom then the top. Wait a week and then wet sand with 800 grit and then apply another coat. I did mine 8 times!!! Final coat was wet sanded with 800 then 1000 and then buffed out like doing a paint job if you want the shiny look. My ash is a light color and i shoud have stained it first to bring out more wood detail.
DO NOT USE A Varathane ON IT!!!!
Wood is organic and swells and shrinks depending on the heat and humidity. Varathane is a plastic and it will not react the same as the wood on your truck and you will end up doing it again in a few yrs time. Go to their site and phone them to get them to fax or send you a copy of their instructions. You can either do it right the first time and it will take some time, or do it over again later. Pics of mine are at www.classictruckworld.tenmagazines.com then go to gallerys. pick 68 in the yr column and then mine is the BCHN-68 gallery

[cdowns]

it's not so hard to get a good finish on the wood /i too would go with the spar varnish// just remember whatever you use on wood it's not a "set it and forget it" type of thing those million dollar yachts with beautifull woodwork finishes with spar varnish require CONSTANT upkeep sometimes twice a year recoating and waxing a minimum 2X a month to keep the finish like new// if you neglect it till it's got stains a flaking then it's not just a simple recoat it's stripping bleaching restaining and varnishing// how much maintance depends alot on usage and sunlight moisture exposure

[Botietruck]

It will be more show & shine.

Thanks for the information! I totally forgot about Bruce Horkey's site. I'll look at it.

[Musclerodz]

Dpending on the type of finish you want, I would go one of two ways. I would either use West Systems epoxy which was developed in the wood marine business, or I would use an oil base finish and apply twice a year. Marine varnish just does not hold up well over time.

Mike

[Seke69]

I use a 440 Spar/Marine Spar for outdoor wood projects all the time (it's probably what I'll use when I get around to my bed). It works well, you'll probably need to do some cleaning/buffing every now and then - but you'd be doing that anyway, right? I mean it's not like the rest of the truck is going to clean itself, is it?

Anyway, It's about $30 a quart and has a little bit of an amber-ish-green tint to it (make a TEST STRIP before you commit to the whole deal).

[Radman]

Sorry to differ with you guys who figure epoxy or varathane is the way to go with our trucks. Epoxy or varathane type plastic finishes do not expand or contract the same as the wood, this is why it cracks or flakes in a couple of yrs and you have to refinish it. And if you ever have to strip it out it is one mother of a mess. The varnishes breath, expand and contract with the wood depending on where you live. Here in canada, it goes down to -30 farenheight and as hot as 100 in the summer. our humidty levels vary from 0 to over 80%. my wood is still looking like new after 4 yrs!!!
Once the wood is done all the upkeep that is required is a washing it the same as you do your truck, dry it the same as you do your truck. And twice a yr i use a paste floor wax job on it. You take a small ball of it put it in a cheese cloth, rub it on the wood. Wait 10 minutes then buff it off. I can bet you spend more time waxing your truck than taking care of the wood. Epoxy and varathane finishes are a lot faster to do (weekend) but a good varnish finish takes aprox a month to do. That is why the epoxy based finishes are so popular.

Boats on salt water require a LOT more maintance than our trucks will ever see.

This is all just imo but i guess it comes down to how much time you want to spend on it at first. I guess i'm old school and want to do it once and right the first time.