Have You Built Your Own Bed Wood

[dingo_dan_22]

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?

[Gray Ghost]

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.

[nvrforgotten52]

i did 3/4" ply wood in my work truck... ha ha ha

[special-K]

Yes,one white oak,one cherry.

[67gmcss]

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.

[355]

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

[dwaite72lnghrn]

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.

['68OrangeSunshine]

Originally Posted by dwaite72lnghrn

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.

Dwaite, I like your idea. Does the wood sit up higher than the bed strips?

[Gray Ghost]

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.

[JAKES 68GMC]

Originally Posted by '68OrangeSunshine

Dwaite, I like your idea. Does the wood sit up higher than the bed strips?

I like the idea, too, dwaite. You could probably trim the boards where the bed bolts to the frame to make the bed sit level, if you were that picky. (which I would be. )

[TP from Cntl PA]

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.

[Sammy]

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.

[special-K]

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.

[Sequoyah]

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

[MAR-Ktech]

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

[special-K]

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.

[dingo_dan_22]

Thanks for all the replies!

Any pictures of the finished product?

[D M. Manning]

[68shortstep]

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.

[Sammy]

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.

[dingo_dan_22]

ttt