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#1 |
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Saskatchewan
Posts: 119
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Have You Built Your Own Bed Wood
I would like to redo my wood in my 71' lwb. I'm going to follow the plans from gmc pauls website. I was wondering if anyone else has done this too. If so...
What type of wood did you use? What type of finish did you use (linseed oil, tung oil)? does it last and protect Did you use varnish or polyurathane coating? (does it flake) Where'd you get the plans and did you follow them exactly? I'd like to still have a useable box and am just going to reuse the metal strips. I know alot of bolts will probably end up getting snapped off. Can you find new bolts at a hardware store or can you buy them from a vendor?
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71' Chevrolet -> 350c.i. w/ 600 Edelbrock Carb, Headers, P/S, 3/5 Drop |
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#2 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Terrell, TX
Posts: 1,967
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Re: Have You Built Your Own Bed Wood
I did two of them so far. Both White Oak and both hand rubbed oil to pop the grain and Marine Poly for topcoats.
You should be able to get bolts for the rails at most online vendors. All outdoor poly applications are subject to deterioration. No matter how many coats [I apply 7 coats each time], you will have flaking and chipping over time unless you cover the bed. I have seen them last three years in the hot Texas sun if they are done right.
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Kelly '05 GMC Sierra SLE Z71 Bone stock except for new bed rail caps. Last edited by Gray Ghost; 02-16-2007 at 08:05 PM. |
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#3 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Morro Bay C.A
Posts: 179
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Re: Have You Built Your Own Bed Wood
i did 3/4" ply wood in my work truck... ha ha ha
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'69 C10 SWB 350 edelbrock int/carb .420 .442 cam 700r4 70 lwb c10 work truck 250 I6 with two inch lift springs and a two inch bodylift and 33/12.5s |
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#4 |
Special Order
![]() ![]() Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Mt Airy, MD
Posts: 85,858
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Re: Have You Built Your Own Bed Wood
Yes,one white oak,one cherry.
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"BUILDING A BETTER WAY TO SERVE THE USA"......67/72......"The New Breed" GMC '67 C1500 Wideside Super Custom SWB: 327/M22/3.42 posi.........."The '67" (project) GMC '72 K2500 Wideside Sierra Custom Camper: 350/TH350/4.10 Power-Lok..."The '72" (rolling) Tim "Don't call me a redneck. I'm a rough cut country gentleman" R.I.P. ~ East Side Low Life ~ El Jay ~ 72BLUZ ~ Fasteddie69 ~ Ron586 ~ 67ChevyRedneck ~ Grumpy Old Man ~ |
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#5 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: somerset,kentucky,usa
Posts: 154
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Re: Have You Built Your Own Bed Wood
I went with oak and a ton of polyurethane. Bought all of my strips and hardware from Tim Christian (a vendor on the site). Had a buddy who works at a local wood flooring place follow GMC Paul's diagrams and everything fit great. Going on two years now and no problems. I still don't know how to post pics so I can't help on showing the results.
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#6 |
Registered User
Join Date: May 2005
Location: South Mississippi
Posts: 81
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Re: Have You Built Your Own Bed Wood
I used Poplar, had alot cut after Katrina, it does not rot, takes a stain very well and then used Thompson H2O seal. Used the same pattern from GMC Pauls and took it to a millwright and he planed and dadoed the grooves. Worked very well. Steve--------- Millwright charged $30.00, wood was free
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1969 C10 Long Step,355,700r4w/lockup, HEI,Weiand,750 Performer,1.6 rockers,Camel Humps,Comp 262Extreme,Hedman,2 1/2"pipes, tele/tilt,SunRoof,ps,Disc pb,ac,Cragar,eaton,Corvette style roll pan, Bowtie louvered tail gate,lowered 2/2. |
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#7 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: central pa
Posts: 1,525
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Re: Have You Built Your Own Bed Wood
I used pressure treated 2x6 and 2x8 wood being its a work truck. The bed sits 3/4" higher than stock but it hasn't rotted in 16 years.
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72 longhorn c30 502BB/th400/fact air/4.11rear/ custom camper 72 bug(the better half's) under reconstruction 2009 HHR aqua blue 71 GMC k20 350/sm465 2009 Chevy hd3500 6.6 Victory Red crew cab dually Dave & Jeanne |
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#8 |
Senior Member
![]() Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Tucson, AZ USA
Posts: 7,285
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Re: Have You Built Your Own Bed Wood
Dwaite, I like your idea. Does the wood sit up higher than the bed strips?
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Every 25 years I like to rebuild that 292, whether it needs it or not. |
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#9 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Terrell, TX
Posts: 1,967
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Re: Have You Built Your Own Bed Wood
If you use treated pine or treated douglas fir, make sure you use the newer process Micro ACQ or you could be in for some wild cupping and twisting of the wood when it dries out.
You can get 5/4 decking boards as well, they are 1" thick when dry.
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Kelly '05 GMC Sierra SLE Z71 Bone stock except for new bed rail caps. Last edited by Gray Ghost; 02-17-2007 at 10:09 AM. |
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#10 |
Aluminum slot wheels rule...
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Maine
Posts: 6,212
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Re: Have You Built Your Own Bed Wood
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#11 |
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Central PA....In the Berg of Nisbet
Posts: 790
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Re: Have You Built Your Own Bed Wood
We used poplar in the floors we made. I did one on my C-20 when it still had the box on it, and we did our '69 C-10 farm truck short step with it too. We always thought the metal bed strips were stupid for a work truck, so we carrige bolted our wood down. Without the stips the load would stay where you put it. Coated them with Kero/oil mix acouple times after putting them in, and they haven't rotted yet.
My brother bought a oak kit for his C-10 that he is resto'ing, and its nice for a show truck, but IMO its a waste if you ever needed to haul anything. We put ours in rough cut, but it we ran it through the planer, and used a real stain and polyurethane(SP?) it would have been fine for a truck that may still be needed to haul something every so often.
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'72 K-20 EFI'ed 250 Inline/4spd stake body, Farm Truck '71 C-20 Cummins Diesel Powered, In storage thanks to $5.00 diesel! '69 3500 GMC 305V-6/4spd, Still under reconstruction.......... Inlines Rule! 6 soldiers standing is better than 8 laying down!!!!!!!! |
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#12 |
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Bonne Terre, Mo
Posts: 3,005
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Re: Have You Built Your Own Bed Wood
I thought of using some walnut wood that someone had. But after installing a deck using deck boards & treated lumber a year ago I noticed at least a 1/4 inch of shrinkage and some splitting. And they were kiln dried?? But looked pretty green inside. Depends on what your final apperance and what kind of usage you are planning on.
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'69 Chevy Long Fleet & '71 GMC Short Step & Project "ODD BALL" "You can wash a pig, soak it in most expensive perfume. In the end it is still just a pig." ODD BALL build thread http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=478629" |
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#13 |
Special Order
![]() ![]() Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Mt Airy, MD
Posts: 85,858
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Re: Have You Built Your Own Bed Wood
I use an oil finish and not poly.I`d only use poly on a show vehicle.Poly is like paint.It`s a hard shell surface and once it`s scratched it lets water start workin`it`s way under the finish.With oil,it doesn`t matter about a scratch becase the oil is like a stain.It soaks deep into the material.Deeper than a scratch,usually.And,you can put more on anytime w/o sanding it first.No peeling from bad prep.I mix turpenine and linseed oil,about 50/50.
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"BUILDING A BETTER WAY TO SERVE THE USA"......67/72......"The New Breed" GMC '67 C1500 Wideside Super Custom SWB: 327/M22/3.42 posi.........."The '67" (project) GMC '72 K2500 Wideside Sierra Custom Camper: 350/TH350/4.10 Power-Lok..."The '72" (rolling) Tim "Don't call me a redneck. I'm a rough cut country gentleman" R.I.P. ~ East Side Low Life ~ El Jay ~ 72BLUZ ~ Fasteddie69 ~ Ron586 ~ 67ChevyRedneck ~ Grumpy Old Man ~ Last edited by special-K; 02-17-2007 at 11:22 AM. |
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#14 |
so easy a caveman can do it...
![]() Join Date: May 2006
Location: Albuquerque, NM
Posts: 419
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Re: Have You Built Your Own Bed Wood
I haven't yet, but will do so in the future. I'm going to use 1/4 sawn white oak because it's a very durable and stable wood. I don't know about the finish yet...I'll just wait to see what's on the market at that time. I'll mill everything myself
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#15 |
Truck Parts Mfg.
![]() Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Oklahoma City, OK
Posts: 697
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Re: Have You Built Your Own Bed Wood
We have tested quite a few finishes to see what lasts when exposed to the weather. http://www.mar-k.com/wood_finish_testing_ii.html The finishes have been out in the Oklahoma weather 24/7 since summer 2005. The only finish tested that has not failed in some degree is the pine boards with POR 15 primer and topcoated with glossy black enamel. Some of the boards coated with penetrating epoxy and then with a polyurethane have also fared well and would be suited for a transparent finish to show the wood grain.
In previous tests boards that were coated with only polyurethane lasted just a few months at best in the weather. Mar-Ktech
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#16 |
Special Order
![]() ![]() Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Mt Airy, MD
Posts: 85,858
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Re: Have You Built Your Own Bed Wood
Thanks for that helpful info.My next bed will be on a Medium Olive truck with Dark Olive top and olive interior.I plan to saturate with a wood preserving treatment.Then,reduce Dark Olive to a stain consistancy.I`ve made color stain like this before,but not on a truck bed.We`ll see what turns out.
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"BUILDING A BETTER WAY TO SERVE THE USA"......67/72......"The New Breed" GMC '67 C1500 Wideside Super Custom SWB: 327/M22/3.42 posi.........."The '67" (project) GMC '72 K2500 Wideside Sierra Custom Camper: 350/TH350/4.10 Power-Lok..."The '72" (rolling) Tim "Don't call me a redneck. I'm a rough cut country gentleman" R.I.P. ~ East Side Low Life ~ El Jay ~ 72BLUZ ~ Fasteddie69 ~ Ron586 ~ 67ChevyRedneck ~ Grumpy Old Man ~ |
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#17 |
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Saskatchewan
Posts: 119
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Re: Have You Built Your Own Bed Wood
Thanks for all the replies!
Any pictures of the finished product?
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71' Chevrolet -> 350c.i. w/ 600 Edelbrock Carb, Headers, P/S, 3/5 Drop |
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#18 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Chapman, Kansas
Posts: 49
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Re: Have You Built Your Own Bed Wood
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#19 |
Looks good at 20-ft .....
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Mtn Home, AR
Posts: 707
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Re: Have You Built Your Own Bed Wood
If you're making your own bed floor, especially out of treated wood, here's some experienced-based fact:
I've built a bunch of wood decks (former contractor) using 5/4 treated, and checking/splitting/warping/twisting/cracking -- just about everything bad that wood exposed to the weather can do -- is almost totally eliminated if you follow this one simple rule; ALWAYS put the board's "bark side up" to the weather - look at the growth-rings of the tree in the board-end, and install the board with the bowl/cup semi-circle of the tree-rings down, instead of up. Water will roll off the natural curve of the wood, rather than laying on top of the board, and causing it to cup (& later rot, split, etc). Most people will look at a board & put "the best side up" (the pretty side) when installing their boards. That's the very worst thing to do. Look at a deck sometime just after a rain shower, and see which boards are holding water on top of them, then go to where you can see the board end. The ones holding water will ALWAYS be upside-down (installed wrong). Later, those will be the boards in the deck that will have to be re-stained first, and/or replaced first due to rot or splitting, or twisting, or cupping enough to tear the nails or screws right out of themselves. |
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#20 |
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Bonne Terre, Mo
Posts: 3,005
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Re: Have You Built Your Own Bed Wood
The pine panels I got from MAR-K I used a stain mixture first then I used some Marine ultra boat deck on top. That stuff was like honey. It said not to cut it with anything & to use 5-6 coats. My floor is not installed yet it is put up for safety until I get started on the bed again other wise I could shoot a pic. I plan on keeping my truck mostly garaged with little to no general hauling though.
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'69 Chevy Long Fleet & '71 GMC Short Step & Project "ODD BALL" "You can wash a pig, soak it in most expensive perfume. In the end it is still just a pig." ODD BALL build thread http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=478629" |
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#21 |
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Saskatchewan
Posts: 119
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Re: Have You Built Your Own Bed Wood
ttt
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71' Chevrolet -> 350c.i. w/ 600 Edelbrock Carb, Headers, P/S, 3/5 Drop |
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