Is there anyway to keep a wood bed looking good?

[JGross]

I use my 65 as a daily driver so the bed wood spends a lot of time exposed to the elements. I put new wood in about 2 years ago and after the first 6 months it had already started to fade. Now after 2 years of mild use it just looks bad. Anyone have any luck keeping their bed looking good for an extended period?

Thanks

[padresag]

what wood and what finish did you use?
ron

[NEWFISHER]

Tear it back apart, sand each board and use an Automotive clear coat ( 6 coats ) hardened and it will look great and be somewhat durable. Only as durable as the clearcoat on your car. I have seen a couple done this way and they look amazing, hold up well with the UV protection and last a lot longer than the Marine varnishes.

[bj383ss]

I agree with fisher. There is not a woodworking finish that is going to last outside in the elements. They all fail at some point.

Bret

[JGross]

Originally Posted by padresag

what wood and what finish did you use?
ron

Oak and a marine varnesh

[jayoldschool]

The online tests (Mar K, or GMC Pauls, can't remember which) have shown that wood with clear finish will fail quickly on a bed that is outside. The best finish was wood that was painted with exterior paint. For that reason, I chose to make my boards from synthetic wood. No finish needed, they will last forever.

[padresag]

Originally Posted by JGross

Oak and a marine varnesh

I take it that you used red oak and it has lost it's red hue. this happens to red oak. most woods do fade. some will actually immediately darken when exposed to light and the best example of that is teak(after being freshly cut) and then over a period of time will eventually go tan.
ron

[TJ's Chevy]

63 C-10 uses a Horse stall mat when he hauls stuff in his truck.

[donthekawguy]

I have a cut down sheet of plywood in my bed. I just did the wood last summer so we'll see how it holds up. You could also hit it with a sander in between the strips and put on a couple coats of new clear every spring. When I did mine I was going to cut a slot in the dado that would help with water draining but I got so excited about getting it done I forgot. lol

[D-man313]

motor oil

[oem4me]

Wood moves. Any coating too stiff to move with the wood will fail quickly. When neglected, ALL coatings are doomed to break down under the elements. Some go quickly, while some may last a bit longer.
The smart guy would consider the ease by which he can refresh his finish on a regular basis, avoiding failure altogether, and prolonging it's life indefinitely. Enter boat varnish. After proper initial prep and application, an occasional light sanding and quick refresher coat will keep your deck looking brilliant for as long as you care to maintain it that way.
There is no such thing as a once and done clear exterior finish, so you might as well make it easy to maintain.
To illustrate, go throw your coffee table into your pool and see how it does. Believe me, the classic boat guys know what's up.

[BigDan3131]

One option would be to find someone who does Wood Graining, cut pieces of steel to the size and shape of your boards and have them wood grained in the colors you want and clear them.

[darkhorse970]

Originally Posted by jayoldschool

... I chose to make my boards from synthetic wood. No finish needed, they will last forever.

What company made this material? It really looks good!

[cg285]

do what the factory did. southern yellow pine with lampblack and linseed oil

[1963c-10]

Originally Posted by T.J. MCCAULEY

63 C-10 uses a Horse stall mat when he hauls stuff in his truck.

Yep, got it at tractor supply for around $50. They are 6' x 4' and 3/4" thick. Carried my big block on its cradle with no issue at all. Didn't slide around and was easy to slide over the rubber to get it to the back of the truck.

[oem4me]

Originally Posted by cg285

do what the factory did. southern yellow pine with lampblack and linseed oil

I don't know what previous generations used, but our beds were black PAINT.

[cg285]

Originally Posted by oem4me

I don't know what previous generations used, but our beds were black PAINT.

lampblack, linseed oil and a binder make black paint

[kieth]

Mar-K has a study they have been doing for 6+ years. The results were that painting the pine black was the only way for the finish to hold up. All clear coats went bad in 2 years. If you want it to live, paint it black.....Kieth

If you want it pretty, keep it covered up and do not use your truck.....

[NEWFISHER]

Several other options here: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=402718

I took mine apart after it faded out, started to cup rtc. And individually linex'ed ( 2 part spray on plastic bedliner) each board, and reassembled with the stainless strips and bolts. You can see the wood grain through most of it as the weather had really gotten to the boards before I sprayed them. The product can be dyed before sprayed or top coat painted just after sprayed for a long lasting color option.

[padresag]

Originally Posted by oem4me

I don't know what previous generations used, but our beds were black PAINT.

it was more than likely pine tar.
you were bang on with your previous reply.
ron

[padresag]

Originally Posted by oem4me

I don't know what previous generations used, but our beds were black PAINT.

it was more than likely pine tar
you were bang on with your previous reply.
ron

[jayoldschool]

Originally Posted by darkhorse970

What company made this material? It really looks good!

It's TREX facia board material, not deck material. It comes in 10' lengths needed to do a long bed, and in the exact thickness (and widths) as the original boards. I did all the cuts on a radial arm saw. Boards fell into place when installing like they came from GM.

This won't be the choice for someone that is looking for that clear, glossy grain that cleared oak will give you, but for a truck that will see weather, I think it will pay off. The variation in colour on the boards that you see is water spotting. These boards sat outside, stacked, at my local hardware store for a few years before I made them an offer they couldn't refuse.

[kieth]

bare pine, fitting before black dye, por15 and then a uv protected black exterior paint.

http://kieth.smugmug.com/Trucks/66-GMC/i-pkrLzpm


fitting before final install (has dust on it)

http://kieth.smugmug.com/Trucks/66-GMC/i-pkrLzpm


in progress.....final assembly:

http://kieth.smugmug.com/Trucks/66-GMC/i-tLxvc8z


Black and polished SS hardware:

http://kieth.smugmug.com/Trucks/66-GMC/i-7gSSnFJ

outside:

http://kieth.smugmug.com/Trucks/66-GMC/i-DZW9XDm


ps this #2 pine bed only cost $55.00 for the wood, we then cut it down and cut it to Mar-K prints, worked just fine but the por 15 was a little thicker so we had to go back and cut a little more out of each groove so it would have some adjustment room......

[sodly]

Kieth, did you brush on the paint(s) or spray? Looks nice.

[kieth]

Originally Posted by sodly

Kieth, did you brush on the paint(s) or spray? Looks nice.

Thanks,

We brushed it on and sanded between coats. It still looks good but since I use it all the time we installed livestock trailer mats over the floor to keep the floor from getting scratched up..........and I also installed a tonneau cover to keep the weather out.

http://kieth.smugmug.com/Trucks/66-GMC/i-vfHng9N