wood bed floor treatment

[kevinanderson]

Any suggestions on what to treat the wooden grainbox floor on my 48 dodge? The truck has always sat inside except the last 6 years. It was driven outside and shut off. The box floor is solid but looking dry. I thought about sopping linseed oil on it, but then someone suggested deck treatment, but i think the wood is too dry. any suggestions?

[Tony_Urwin]

The local wood experts I talked to advised against any kind of varnish, even marine varnish, because varnish eventually lifts when the moisture gets underneath it.

I went to Home Depot and got a deck stain that was supposedly guaranteed for 6 years. They have a ten year deck stain, as well, but it is an opaque stain, and wouldn't show the grain of the wood. My 6 year stain has a lot of solids in it, but still shows the grain. It's only a few weeks old, so I can't judge how well it will last.

[grey beard]

Kevin,

Depends somewhat on what you will do with this truck down the road. Will it continue to sit out, will it be used for hauling? Will it be a show truck? If you are just looking to preserve the wood and make it last a lot longer, but don't care too much for appearances, mop two or three coats of crankcase drain oil onto it out in the hot sun. You'll be surprised how it soaks in.

I lived for twenty years in Appalachia. Many farm buildings were constructed of rough sawn lumber. The "stain" of choice in the community was drain oil. Before you laugh, consider this: It keeps ALL kinds of insects out forever, it protects the wood from moisture, it soaks in like the very devil, and of course, you can't beat the cost. I built an addition to my barn, new doors and all, with rough cut lumber, then painted it with drain oil. You could actually HEAR the stuff sucking into the pores of the wood as it penetrated. On cross bucked doors with the nails clinched inside, it even came through two inches of wood around the nails.

Here's the giggler - just like at the paint store, you can pick your stain color. Want daaaark walnut, use diesel drain oil. Want light brown, use drain oil from the wife's car. Want something in between, use the stuff from your pickup or something else you are neglecting and know you ned to change soon. JMHO

Works for me!

[kevinanderson]

Ya, I thought about waste oil, but I dont want it to track on shoes. I figured linseed oil would be cleaner. It will go back inside and just be cleaned up for light duty and perhaps pull the sides off and haul my 48 plymouth on it thru parades. I remember this truck years ago and always wondered what happened to it. It was in great shpae and still used to haul corn. I asked the owner the other day where it went and he said: "out in the grove, you want it?"

And u know how the rest of the story goes. And u know how fast a decent original goes down hill when left to the elements.

[Thunder II]

Grey Beard, thats funny. I'll have to remember that. I know that used motor oil make an excelent preservative for fence post too. As far as the bed. If it will be used as a truck, linseed oil is probably your best bet. Showpiece, hidden in a garage and only brought out for special occasions, go the varnish route, or tung (sp?) oil.....

[PatS....]

If you plan to use it to haul stuff...do nothing...just leave it. They were never meant to have a finish and unless you do all 4 sides of each plank, it will peel. Oil will collect dirt and get all over your hands and clothing if you use it to haul and have to get in and out.

From an old trucker

[Guest Dave Claussen]

The advantage to tung oil is it soaks in and in the future you can re-apply it if you want. It won't peel like varnish. The down side is it is not necessarily an exterior (or outside) finish. But if you are not going to be driving it a lot or leaving it parked outside all the time, it would be a good choice. When I use it for woodworking projects, I put on at least 5 or 6 coats, letting it soak in for about a half an hour and then wipe off any excess, then recoat after a few hours. I used it on a fireplace mantel made from black walnut and it really makes the grain stand out. Just read the label directions on the specific brand you get. Each one may have different application instructions and you should follow them as closely as possible to get the best results. Just my 2 1/2 cents worth. Dave

[kevinanderson]

Thanx for the help guys-kevin