Exotic wood beds

[Gray Ghost]

First, I'll ID the woods....

Blazer1970....that's Oak with a dark stain
Mnunn454...Maple [the first one], Oak [the blue one]
Ricks1971...Mahogany
N2trux....Soft Maple [the first one], Quilted Big leaf Maple and Curly Mahogany combined.

I have a friend who is an exotic wood dealer here in Dallas. I was toying with several ideas and was going to offer wood bed kits in Ipe, but you can't get 1x8's and glue ups aren't easy with that wood over time [they split easily BTDT] I use it on high end decks quite often....built 7 this year alone.

Paduak will change color very quickly. Try Bloodwood instead....same basic color but a little more stable. The prices above for cocobolo and bubinga are way high from what I can tell.

I am about to do a stepside kit for a friend in Southern Yellow Pine. Once I get this one done I will probably start offering kits in various wood types. This will not be my only job but I do want to work at home in the woodshop more often. At first the kits will be unfinished only, later on who knows....depends on the interest.

The best woods for our truck beds are Domestic White Oak and Brazilian Ipe or Teak. These three woods last forever outside with proper care. Almost any other wood can be tamed for the bed though. Ipe is the best by far becuase of it's makeup. It has a very high silica content and is impervious to water....doesn't even float!

The key is sheltering your finished wood from UV rays. NOTHING is more destructive. I plan on keeping mine under a tonneau or other cover when not driving it [once it's finished] so the Texas sun doesn't bake it. For bare beds, use at least 7 coats of Spar Urethane Varnish [Minwax is good]...more if you are spraying it instead of brushing. Teak oil works well for Teak and other hardwoods but it fades awfully fast in the sun.

If there's anyone who would like to do the job yourself and just need some advice feel free to email anytime, I'd be happy to help you find the best deal on your wood no matter where you live. I have a bunch of friends all over the US who do all types of woodworking and they know the best places to buy wood.