Pine Wood Bed Floor Pictures / Question

[1971ChevyTruck]

What is the best finish for pine wood floor. Any pics of pine wood floors?

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by 1971ChevyTruck

What is the best finish for pine wood floor. Any pics of pine wood floors?

I'm not sure what the best finish would be but I always thought I would try clear Lacquer. I would mix the first coat a little thin so it would soak in good. I'm not a wood finisher so I may be all wet with this. Anyway this will get you back to page one...

LockDoc

[MVHandy]

A good polyurethane, rub out between coats and make sure you get all of the ends really good as well as all 4 sides of the boards or it will absorb moisture and bubble off.

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by MVHandy

A good polyurethane, rub out between coats and make sure you get all of the ends really good as well as all 4 sides of the boards or it will absorb moisture and bubble off.

I don't think you can do all 4 sides because the wood has to "Breath".

LockDoc

[gkesseru]

From a woodworker:
1. You need to do the bottom same as the top or else the bottom will absorb more moisture than the top, expand and warp.
2. Choice of finish depends on planned usage. Will it be 100% garaged and never in the rain and sun? Then polyurethane will be fine. If not, then poly will peel within a year, maybe sooner, because the sun's ultraviolet will break down the molecules.
3. If it will be in the weather only rarely but in the sun a lot, then spar varnish will hold up better. It has ultraviolet blockers.
4. If it will be an outdoor truck, then don't use pine. The factory did use southern yellow pine sometime in the past, but that is not easy to find now.
5. For outdoor use, white oak will work fine because it is not a porous wood, but do not use red oak for any truck that will get rained on because red oak is totally porous and will eventually rot.

[msgross]

I plan on using a "marine" type product.... if it works on a boat, it will work on a truck.

[Fitz]

Roger That!!!

[knsmodels]

you want to coat all sides....leaving one side unfinished on wood is a bad idea....wood does not need to breath....

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by knsmodels

...wood does not need to breath....

Ssshhh....you're hurting the wood's feelings!

gkesseru - What's your take on thinning marine spar varnish down for the first coat to get it go soak into the wood a little deeper? Light sand between multiple coats and final sand with like 1500 or 2000 grit?

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by knsmodels

you want to coat all sides....leaving one side unfinished on wood is a bad idea....wood does not need to breath....

Meaning no disrespect but I think you need to do some more reading on this subject. Even I was wrong about the Lacquer...

http://www.dfcwoodworks.com/productcare.php At the bottom of the page.

Lacquer or Varnish: We do NOT recommend using Lacquers or Varnishes as they seal the wood completely and tend to bubble and peel within a very short amount of time (wood has to be able to breath , if the finish wont breath with the wood it will lift off the wood). If you want your product shinny use a good quality stain and sand lightly between each coat.
--------------

http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/finlines/knaeb95b.pdf

High quality stains contain wood preservatives and water repellents. Semitransparent stains penetrate the wood without forming a film, allowing much of the wood grain to show through the finish. Latex-base semitransparent stains are film-forming finishes and will not perform like
true penetrating stains. Oil-base semitransparent stains allow the
wood to “breathe,” so the finish doesn’t blister or peel even if the
moisture content of the wood is high. The pigment in a semitransparent
penetrating stain greatly increases the durability of the finish by absorbing much of the UV radiation that would otherwise degrade the wood. The properties of the pigment, resin, preservative, and water repellent determine the durability of exterior stains.

LockDoc

[gkesseru]

Dan: My choice for first coat is marine Teak Oil. It is meant to penetrate even teak, which is an oily wood. You can put this on with brush or rag, wait 15-30 minutes and wipe off excess. Do it again until it won't take any more. Dry for 24 hours, touch sand and top coat. Or else just recoat with Teak oil whenever it looks like it needs some TLC. I use wet/dry sandpaper to put on 2d coat, etc. It forces the sawdust into the pores, better sealing them and making the surface slicker.

['68 C-20]

Yes Oil. Teak or Boiled Linseed Oil, and plan on repeating the treatment from time to time. It will last longer if you can manage to limit the exposure to the sun. DO NOT LEAVE YOUR OILY RAGS IN THE TRASH CAN OR IN A CONFINED AREA. THEY ARE KNOWN TO SPONTANEOUSLY COMBUST! (That means catch fire all by themselves) Not good!

[Tkmadone]

What about a good deck stain/ sealer type of product? Don't those have UV inhibitors and other good stuff?

[lyrikz]

Originally Posted by 1971ChevyTruck

What is the best finish for pine wood floor. Any pics of pine wood floors?

I JUST did this on my truck. I used minwax mahogoney red stain. Then i went over that with Mcloskey Urethane spar finish. The Mcloskey is the stuff they use on those show wood boats. Its marine grade.. After seeing my bed, i wouldnt recommend anything else.

Pics are in my build thread.

['68 C-20]

The spar finish will probably last as long as anything else. The only problem as I see it is when it does start to come apart due to moisture, expansion etc, (your truck bed is a plank, not structural laminate like Boat Plywood), it will be a lot harder to refinish. Maybe not, I have very little experience with marine products, but the oils will never bubble, crack, lift, or require the old finish to be removed to apply the re-fresh coat.

Just my thoughts, as the voices in my head dictate....

[COACHMEASON]

Pics of the oil treated beds anyone?

[knsmodels]

Originally Posted by LockDoc

Meaning no disrespect but I think you need to do some more reading on this subject. Even I was wrong about the Lacquer...

none taken.....they are referring to if you seal it completely the finish will trap all air and moisture in the wood and the sun baking on it will make this want to come out thus bubbling the finish....I was more referring to if you only finish one side or leave one side unfinished it will make the wood warp or twist.....whatever finish you go with has to be on all sides but should be something that breathes if sun exposure is in its future....

[TripleZ]

I have a question for all of you. I am going to use Mesquite for the bed in my 67 SB. I might not be able to get the boards long enough (77 1/8) I am not sure how I can put two boards together if I can not get them long enough, and make it look good. If I had to put two boards together end to end would a quality glue hold up, should I have the boards cut on the ends, a dovetail or something else.

[gkesseru]

You cannot glue wood end-to-end. Only way I would do it would be to tongue and groove a middle board end-to end AND glue longer strips along each side to hold it together.

[TripleZ]

Originally Posted by gkesseru

You cannot glue wood end-to-end. Only way I would do it would be to tongue and groove a middle board end-to end AND glue longer strips along each side to hold it together.

Thanks Gk, what is your opinion of the two different grains at the joint. the Mesquite will have quite a difference in the grain at the joint. I have a few small pieces right now and the wood has the dark grain with some yellow in it as well. I suppose I can pick out the boards with the grain and color if I need to go the tongue and groove route. Maybe I am thinking way too much about the look. I like the single strips I see in most trucks.

[glider_6969]

Originally Posted by 1971ChevyTruck

What is the best finish for pine wood floor. Any pics of pine wood floors?

This truck belongs to a friend of mine, it's pine. All he did was put a light colour stain and multiple clear coats, (the picture picked up some of the dust)

[gkesseru]

TripleZ: OK to T&G at the joint, but try to get similar grain if possible. Wood swells and shrinks with humidity across the grain and not along the grain. If you match grain, then both boards will swell at the same rate.What does that mean? Summer to winter length will not change at all, but width will change as much as 3/8 inch per foot. That is why a thick plastic coat (poly, varnish, clear car paint) will eventually peel off, starting at the edges. The wood no longer fits inside the plastic container.
Also try not to have knots at/near the joints.