long step wood bed ??

[jcueckert13]

i have a 70 gmc long step that origionaly had a wood floor but about 5 years ago a sheet of diamond plate was welded in over the bed. i am wondering how hard it would be to make your own planks for the bed? i know i will need new bolts and bed strips but the wood seems to be the bigger cost.

[Cheesewagon]

I think the info your needing is on GMC Pauls web site. But I don't know how to post the link for you. If your handy with wood working tools you can do it yourself. A good table saw, and a nice Dado blade would do a good job. If you need help on that info please feel free to PM me. I can walk you through really easy. Latter, Tom.

[jef5150]

http://www.gmcpauls.com/47-72%20BedWood%20Info.htm jeff

[jcueckert13]

i appriciate the help. looking at the decription it should be easy to do with a router

[Cheesewagon]

Thanks Jeff for posting the link. Yes a Router would do the job very well. A Router Table set up right would make fast work of it. What kind of wood are you thinking of using? White Oak would be pricey but would hold up like steel to the elements. Latter, Tom.

[jcueckert13]

i am not sure what wood i am going with yet. i will probably try to find somthing that is not to pricey but strong. i might go with oak. it will be about a week before i have a chance to get into home depot to see what they have

[Cheesewagon]

Do have any wood shops near you? If you could buy it in rough cut, say 4/4 or 1" thick you could run it through a planner. Just take it down to 3/4" thickness. The wood you'll find at wood shops is much nicer than Home Depot will ever have. I wish you lived closer, I'd give you a hand with it. I have a wood working business with all the machines to do the work. Tom

[jcueckert13]

one of my dads friends has a wood shop and i might talk to him. i am thinking just to add strength using 2x6s, and 2x10s for the bed and noching out where the support beams go across the wood

[Pilgrim]

Ash makes a good bed. SO does yellow pine and fir.

[jcueckert13]

right now how it looks is not as important and having it function. i am i the process of getting the truck ready to be my daily driver when i go off to school in the fall. i need a truck for school because i am becoming a toyota technician and the school i am going to requires that i have my own tools and because the program is a work study program i have to haul the tools between the school and the dealership every 2 monts for the next 2 years. this truck was my grandfathers so after i fiinish school and have the engine in my dodge rebuilt the truck will be getting a frame up resto. heres some pis of the truck as is