Questions for the DIY wood bed guys!!!!

[randomhero472]

I've got a couple questions for you guys out there that have done your own wood beds.. I went to lowes today and looked @ pine and oak, i actully like the pine better as far as the color and grain, so heres my questions: what type of stain did you guys use, i looked at stain for indoors and also some stains for decks-outdoors: which would be better, also looked at some outdoor varnish/clear, some of which has SPF 25 ratings, is this somthing i should look into, anything that will help me out would be fantastic, any finishing techniques, tips-tricks would be greatly appreciated!

[Down south truckin]

you really need to find some air dried wood from a sawmill or hardwood supply company I've done a few and seen some of my friends that used kiln dried wood and they look great for a couple years but after that they start cracking, good luck with your project, DST

[MAR-Ktech]

Pine really doesn't take a stain very well. We suggest you do some testing on small scrap boards before you do the bed boards. Be sure it will turn out like you wanted, especially if you use pine.

We have done testing on various finishes to see what lasts in the Oklahoma weather. http://www.mar-k.com/wood_finish_testing_ii.html The pine boards painted with POR 15 and black gloss enamel still look great after nearly two years continuous exposure to the weather. All other finishes tested have some degree of failure during the same time period.

Whatever you use, be sure to coat all surfaces, top, bottom, ends, inside drilled holes. Use something to seal and "prime" the wood first to get great adhesion, then coat it with your topcoat to provide good UV and moisture protection.

Mar-Ktech

[cdowns]

i too suggest geting wood from a specialty wood supplier as the homedepot lowes wood isnt a real good choice. for my woodworking projects i also allow a minimum of a year of storage to allow the wood to stabilize for a better finished product even better is old wood if you can find it

[randomhero472]

im not going for a top show quality bed here, also should have said.. the truck will be stored indoors.. this thing will be of a toy than my DD. I'll check around here for any mill's-specialty shops.. keep the info coming

[slomotion]

Do a search here. There's been a couple of threads lately.
If you do decide to use pine, give it a coat of sealer after all the sanding, etc and then stain it if you like. The sealer will allow the stain to penetrate evenly and prevent the blotches that pine is known for.

Depending on the color of your truck, these are nice looking woods when finished;
Oak and Ash - light, Cherry - medium, Mahogany - dark.

If you go to a specialty store and find a wood you like, moisten a small corner of it to see what color it will be finished.

Good Luck!

[PanelDeland]

Also go look at Marine grade varnish and sealers.Everyone I have talked to says they will stand up better than any home use product.They are more expensive but still cheaper than redoing the bedwood again.

[ToddSS]

It's not that expensive to do it right. I got my rails powdercoated so they look new and I put in white ash and did it right and it was only around $300 for everything. May as well do something that is going to last.

That lumber at the home Depot or whatever warps on the way home from the store, after you dig through all the warped and cracked stuff on the shelf in the store!