Buy a Wood Bed Kit or Make one

[Baddflash]

This is the difference I'm sure everyone can decide which is best for them.

[Baddflash]

Originally Posted by HackJob65

The pic of the old bedwood has me wondering if anyone on here around the KC area has some aged bedwood they are removing. I am keeping all the original panina I can on my project which is a short bed step side but there was no original wood left when I got the truck. So I could probably make wood from any bed configuration fit mine.

I plan to do the same and will try to match the wood to what the original looked like. Not as good as a sample but,

[Texas1963]

Here's the kit that I installed that PO had purchased. White oak that I sanded and put a couple coats of Linseed oil on. The hardest part was cutting off all the original hardware. The original wood was totally rotted away.

[cortcomp]

Mar-K red oak kit, blocked 600 grit, stained minwax, tons of nason clear (three or 4 heavy coats per night, wait a day, block 1000, do it again and repeat and repeat.)

I'm very pleased. If i did it again, i'd roller the clear on the first few coats (no lie), let it wait a week, then block, then do as above over and over. THEN, i'd let the wood sit inside a few months, the do the final block, sand to 5k, and three level buff. There's been minor shrinkage in mine (i can tell, no one else can, it's really minor.) But if you want a mirror mirror finish, waiting for the shrinkage and doing more coats could get you there.

So for me, i'd rather put the time into the prep and finish than the rough cutting. I did round all the edges (including the holes for the mounting bolts, grooves, ends, etc.) and block the wood 600 grit, but that's all the "wood work" i did.

Check my build thread for making a jig for staining and clearing, it's really indispensable. Per a member's suggestion, i then filled the holes with oak dowel rods cut flush and brushed some clear over them for sealant.

[vince1]

That box wood is really nice!

My truck is so far gone that all it is getting is some old 1" rough Douglas fir I got from a local yard and a linseed oil finish.

What color blue/green is that?

[72step]

It is not that hard to do. I absolutely hate working with wood because it seems like something always goes wrong as far as warpage or cracking etc. I found some used veranda decking on my local CL as well as a craftsman router for around 100$. I then purchased the stainless strips from LMC and went to town. I am very happy with my end result. The board widths really don't matter except you'll have to drill new holes in the cross braces. I don't remember the widths on my boards but I lucked out and didnt' have to rip any of them so I ended up with all equal board widths.

The pic below is during mock up.

[WOLFMANmike]

Originally Posted by 72freak

If you have all the correct wood working tools, bits and so forth, and you have cheap place to get the wood......and you dont count your time as $$$$....then yes...you can come out ahead.

I did about 6 months of research before doing mine and in our area the price of the wood and the few bits/blades I needed was about the same cost as the best priced wood kit with shipping. There is a guy on EBAY that is about the cheapest I was able to find.

With this said...there are plenty of people who cut their own and say they save a lot of money. After my research was over, the only way it was close was if the wood was 1/2 price or FREE! (time included)

what is the Ebay kit ? ive looked but never found one yet

[cortcomp]

Originally Posted by vince1

That box wood is really nice!

My truck is so far gone that all it is getting is some old 1" rough Douglas fir I got from a local yard and a linseed oil finish.

What color blue/green is that?

Thanks! That color is factory "Light Green", code 503.

[OldChevy61]

Has anybody tried using pressure treated lumber for the bed wood. My plan is to take 2x material and plane off one side to 7/8 thickness. The heavy green color forms the treatment will be planed and leave a much lighter surface that can be cleared or stained and cleared. Should last for many years. I will try and do a couple small pieces and post some pics in a few days.

[jbear]

Originally Posted by OldChevy61

Has anybody tried using pressure treated lumber for the bed wood. My plan is to take 2x material and plane off one side to 7/8 thickness. The heavy green color forms the treatment will be planed and leave a much lighter surface that can be cleared or stained and cleared. Should last for many years. I will try and do a couple small pieces and post some pics in a few days.

Did you do this yet, or is it still a plan? I considered it, but I'm leaning toward Ipe/Brazilian walnut. I need something durable enough to hold up to normal pick-up truck use.

[jason999]

I read that pressure treated wood would be likely to contribute to rust. I went with POR-15 followed by Behr Latex Enamel, just like they did in the Mar-K test
http://www.mar-k.com/final_summary.aspx
I have stainless strips, so there is a nice contrast.

[jason999]

We cut this oak bed wood. Just make sure that you don't go too thick with the boards. It will make the bed sit higher and throw your body lines off.

Here's a picture of my mechanic doing the install and a photo of the finished product. I used Semi Gloss Carbon Black paint from Home Depot. It came out the perfect color. It's really black with just the slightest gray characteristic to it. I plan to use this bed for very light duties. I may get a rubber mat to use as needed, but I may just use the wood. It seems tough and I can easily touch it up if needed.

[Slow Build]

Originally Posted by OldChevy61

Has anybody tried using pressure treated lumber for the bed wood.

There are chemicals in pressure treated wood that are a danger. You really don't want to breath in that stuff. I think planning it would be a bad idea.

[Baddflash]

For those who want to make their wood look like original here's how I matched it up. First a coat of minwax classic grey followed immediately by a light coat of minwax ebony black. Boiled linseed oil will be applied once fit to the bed.

The small piece is the original '69 wood.

[jbear]

Looks just right. Is that over pine?

[Baddflash]

Yes that's pine.

[joedoh]

I made my own, not because I am super DIY guy but because with my heavily modified bed and widened tubs, an off the shelf bed wood kit would have been a waste. the boards were on sale, I got 2 6" and the rest 8" boards and ended up cutting the middle/center board to 7 1/4". I spent $130, they were the no-knot premium pine boards at home depot. I bought a can of thompsons opaque cedar water seal.

I used the mar k dims and it took not even 40 minutes to cut all the boards. no router, just a table saw, two cuts for the groove, one cut for the relief. then I spent about an hour fitting the boards to the tubs, would have gone faster but my tubs were angled at the board, not perpendicular, so I needed a 45 degree bevel to get around the tubs. a cardboard template made one, then I flipped and traced for the other side.

I sealed with thompsons, really scary because it went on flesh colored haha. but it turned out nice. then I waited a week and of course the boards expanded. so I took 3/4" off the center board so it went side 8 8 8 6 7 6 8 8 8 side. I modifed the strips and bolted them in. I secured it to the bed frame tubing instead of using the big washer bolts. I used suspended ceiling angle to cover the ends, nothing on the sides.

[Lokin4AReason]

some nice looking bed(s) here =0)