Truck Box Floor Repair Thread

[ggdad1951]

19 hours ago, Angel4951 said:

All your beds look great .does anyone know the exact wood size that wood work( haha I said wood).? Im a just wing it at the hardware store

if in doubt you can always measure between the bolt holes on the spanner metal bits and round down to the nearest 1/4" for width.

[ggdad1951]

On 11/15/2016 at 5:08 PM, rb1949 said:

Clever upgrades. Some of these beds look better than the truck.

I DO recommend the brass insert/stud option for the tailgate hinge on the DPETCA site....SMOOTH openings!

[55 Fargo]

Well yes some the materials offered today are show quality ss compared to the assmembly line.

Now if your truck is a "parade/show queen" might be a reason to really dress her up,

If your truck is a work truck, might want to go for durability.

I used marine grade fir plywood, which is okay, but would not do it again.

I would use a hardwood board, and can get them milled locally.

I am not sure if I would use plain strips or go stainless fancy though....

[Jeff Balazs]

It is more or less the same amount of work to do it either way. I say do whatever makes you happy. As someone who earns his living (such as it is) as a woodworker I would have to say white oak would be my first choice. It is going to hold up even when the finish fails....as all finishes do. Any way you want to look at it there is a good amount of work and expense involved with doing this job. Do it right and it should last a long time and look good.

To economize I used some left over rustic walnut for my bed boards. Had to edge glue to get the width I needed. I used some old water base varnish I had laying around to finish. Looked good for a year or so but recently it has started to flake off. That is too bad but I may just leave it alone as the worn look doesn't really bother me.. I haul quite often with mine and have a piece of exterior grade plywood that I lay down if needed.

Jeff

[Los_Control]

I plan to go with a flatbed and stake sides. Have to agree with Jeff on the white oak.

The first go around though, will be just pine. I have plenty of it used and in good shape. (Use to be a deck)

One side does not look great, but the other side is just like new, except it has a little grey patina. And as a carpenter for years, have worked with same wood many times.

Will use my random orbital sander just enought to knock the dirt off and bring back a little bit of colour. I want to keep the patina aged look.

Then hit all sides with sikkens oil, with cetrol D. natural colour, and it will in my eyes look like a very old original flatbed, ready for work.

I have worked in New Mexico as a carpenter for years, sikkens is the only product I found that would hold up to the burning desert sun.

And I prefer the natural. If you put it on brand new yellow pine, it looks yellow and not real attractive, you give it 3 years, and it darkens into a beautiful golden brown.

You will notice in one year it getting darker and looking better, but 3 years and you have a finish that you wont be able to duplicate. By using used lumber and just cleaning it, I will bypass the waiting step.

And since it is a oil, just wash it good and brush on more when needed. If you drag something heavy and scratch/gouge it, sand it out to remove the splinters and put some oil on it.

Anyways that is my 2 cents on the finish I will be using. And if any wish to purchase some and try it, remember cetrol D They sell sikkens without it and it is no better then the rest and need replaced in 2 years. Pay the extra and get the can that says with cetrol D.

[Jeff Balazs]

I forgot about that stuff. That Sikkens (sp?) does do well outdoors and is easy to apply. Great idea. Would be really nice on some fumed white oak.

[55 Fargo]

Here is my elcheapo job almost 5 years later,

[wallytoo]

i just used sikkens cetol natural on the new barn. bright orange on the shiplap pine.

for the flatbed of my '48 dump body, i applied used motor oil to the hemlock. i add a coat every fall, which reminds me i need to get it done soon...gives it a nice dark grey finish, and costs nothing.

Edited November 17, 2016 by wallytoo

[ggdad1951]

as stated in the other thread I used white oak painted, rough cut painted black for the factory fresh look.  Bed strips from Midwest Military to have the correct shape/size.

[Young Ed]

9 minutes ago, ggdad1951 said:

as stated in the other thread I used white oak painted, rough cut painted black for the factory fresh look.  Bed strips from Midwest Military to have the correct shape/size.

I know where I'm going when my truck needs a bed floor!

[Dennis46PU]

5 hours ago, Young Ed said:

I know where I'm going when my truck needs a bed floor!

Yes I like that, rough cut and painted black.  Things slide less on rough cut.  I haul furniture on the weekends and this would be perfect for me.  What did you use for black paint?

[desoto1939]

word of caution: If you are planning to have your truck judged at an AACA event the hight polished white oak with the high gloss stain will be an automatic deduction of points and might disqualify you from winning.  AACA has determined that the original beds for the old trucks were rough cut white pine and they would have been painted a black color.  Any truck that has been a previous winner has been grandfatherd and will not have any deductions.

So the  point is that do what you want but be prepared if you go to have it judged.  Most people want the high gloss white oak affect with the polished stainless strips.

 

Rich Hartung

desoto1939@aol.com

[Brent B3B]

1 hour ago, desoto1939 said:

word of caution: If you are planning to have your truck judged at an AACA event the hight polished white oak with the high gloss stain will be an automatic deduction of points and might disqualify you from winning.  AACA has determined that the original beds for the old trucks were rough cut white pine and they would have been painted a black color.  Any truck that has been a previous winner has been grandfatherd and will not have any deductions.

So the  point is that do what you want but be prepared if you go to have it judged.  Most people want the high gloss white oak affect with the polished stainless strips.

 

Rich Hartung

desoto1939@aol.com

Yeah, but if you take it to the BBQ in Lodi CA, the judges there will give you extra points for having shown up and could care less what the AACA thinks 

just saying...... 

[55 Fargo]

1 hour ago, desoto1939 said:

word of caution: If you are planning to have your truck judged at an AACA event the hight polished white oak with the high gloss stain will be an automatic deduction of points and might disqualify you from winning.  AACA has determined that the original beds for the old trucks were rough cut white pine and they would have been painted a black color.  Any truck that has been a previous winner has been grandfatherd and will not have any deductions.

So the  point is that do what you want but be prepared if you go to have it judged.  Most people want the high gloss white oak affect with the polished stainless strips.

 

Rich Hartung

desoto1939@aol.com

Sounds like an old "stuffy" event, but I get it. Not my bag, but whoever enjoys this fill yer boots...

[wallytoo]

here is my new barn/garage, with the sikkens cetol natural color.  i don't know, would not be my first choice for a truck bed color...

 

[55 Fargo]

Love it, so much character and charm

[Los_Control]

I think it looks great. Not sure from photo, looks like rough sawn knotty pine. Is several different products that look like this but come in 4' x 8' sheets.

The lumber would not be my choice for a bed. But I do like the color and with age will get darker.

Maybe warmer is a better description. But it takes time and patience to get the right look / color.

Cant simply mix it up in a can and apply it.

Edited November 18, 2016 by Los_Control

[wallytoo]

it is rough sawn eastern white pine, 10" wide boards.

the idea was to mimic the style of barn commonly built with greek revival houses from 1860. i think i got it.

[Young Ed]

5 hours ago, desoto1939 said:

word of caution: If you are planning to have your truck judged at an AACA event the hight polished white oak with the high gloss stain will be an automatic deduction of points and might disqualify you from winning.  AACA has determined that the original beds for the old trucks were rough cut white pine and they would have been painted a black color.  Any truck that has been a previous winner has been grandfatherd and will not have any deductions.

So the  point is that do what you want but be prepared if you go to have it judged.  Most people want the high gloss white oak affect with the polished stainless strips.

 

Rich Hartung

desoto1939@aol.com

I can imagine most trucks were originally black floors but I have a hard time believing all trucks across the board used the same wood. 

[wallytoo]

they weren't. dodge used southern yellow pine, not white pine.

[Dennis46PU]

 

23 minutes ago, Young Ed said:

I can imagine most trucks were originally black floors but I have a hard time believing all trucks across the board used the same wood. 

I can go along with Ed on that.  For example did Dodge trucks built in Michigan use the same wood that Dodge trucks built on the west coast?  There was a lot of logging in the Sierras, Oregon and Washington at the time.  I find it hard to believe they would ship southern yellow leaf pine to the west coast when they had plenty of pine out there already.

[55 Fargo]

30 minutes ago, Dennis46PU said:

 

I can go along with Ed on that.  For example did Dodge trucks built in Michigan use the same wood that Dodge trucks built on the west coast?  There was a lot of logging in the Sierras, Oregon and Washington at the time.  I find it hard to believe they would ship southern yellow leaf pine to the west coast when they had plenty of pine out there already.

From a business perspective it would seem to make sense. But in reality, whomever supplied materials at the best contracted prices, probably won.

Wonder who supplied the wood in Windsor Ontario, was it from Ontario lumber mills or BC lumber mills, or was it shipped over from the USA...

[Jeff Balazs]

18 hours ago, Young Ed said:

I can imagine most trucks were originally black floors but I have a hard time believing all trucks across the board used the same wood. 

I can't imagine a black painted bed in this climate. You could fry an egg on it almost any afternoon of the year. It certainly wouldn't be my first choice.

[Young Ed]

3 minutes ago, Jeff Balazs said:

I can't imagine a black painted bed in this climate. You could fry an egg on it almost any afternoon of the year. It certainly wouldn't be my first choice.

I'm sure that's what you got when the trucks were new. The pilot house series is worse as the entire bed was black unless someone paid extra. My job rated series the bed sides were body color standard with only black fenders

[Jeff Balazs]

1 hour ago, Young Ed said:

I'm sure that's what you got when the trucks were new. The pilot house series is worse as the entire bed was black unless someone paid extra. My job rated series the bed sides were body color standard with only black fenders

Yes Ed.....I know. And it is as good a reason to deviate from original.color scheme as I can think of. You noticed I am sure that I didn't go with a stock paint color either. I love a nice black paint job...as long as someone else is driving it. .....