Help with stepside wood bed floor

[bobs409]

I am finally getting around to putting the wood type floor back into my 69 stepside but have a few questions as I've never seen the original.

1) I'm thinking of using pressure treated 5/4 decking boards instead of pine or oak that the catalogs sell. Has anyone here milled their own boards? I have a router and wood working tools. Is there any place I can get the specs or good pics showing dimensions & shapes?

2) I see angle strips and angle covers listed in Classic parts catalog. How do the angle strips install? Do they bolt to the box side? Also, how do the covers install? L shape up? Bolted to bed side? Pics?


Thanks for any help,


Bob

[gkesseru]

I've used 5/4 (which is really 1 inch after planing). The space between the top of flange on the front bed panel and the bottom of the side angle strips is meant for a 3/4 (1 inch before planing) board. To use 4/5 do either of the following:
1. Cut a 1/4 inch deep step on the 2 outer boards so that the top of these boards can sit 1/4 inch higher rather than be flush with the bottom of the angle strip.
2. Or, cut a 1/4 inch step at the front and back of the boards so they can sit 1/4 lower on the front bed panel flange and on the rear crossmember. Your real problem is that to use the stock board widths, you will need to find boards that are 7 1/4 inches wide.

[hayhauler71]

http://www.gmcpauls.com/47-72_BedWood_Info.htm here you go

[bobs409]

Awesome! I couldn't ask for more.

[Mudder]

I had mine made from oak and the guy charged me about 80 bucks for everything. They worked out great.

[bobs409]

You got a good deal for that price. Oak isn't cheap.

I am thinking pressure treated and going with a dark blue stain. (blue truck in my avatar) I haven't seen that done before.

[gkesseru]

Benjamin Moore Paint stores now carry a line of wood dyes in all colors.

[68shortstep]

From an ex-professional deck builder: Be sure whoever mills them for you looks at the ends of the boards & does it "bark side up" on the tree growth rings that you'll see on the ends of the boards as they'll be laid down & installed in the bed floor.

You'll start to get some cupping & eventually some splitting, otherwise, after a few times of being wet & drying out.

Plane them down just a touch to get any lumber mill stamps off & even out the thickness & also the wood color before you stain it blue. Seems like the mills always manage to get the stamp on the side that should show. And they do vary a little bit in thickness from the mills.

I'd let them dry out a few days (maybe even weeks) out in the sun before you try to stain them. That stuff is usually really WET after being treated. The drier they are, the better the stain will take & hold.

[Mudder]

Good advice. Dad taught me about the grain and how it should be laid long time ago when doing outside steps and picnic tables.