Dan,
the fact you are in TN should mean that there is a woodworkin plant someweres near ya ...if you can locate one ...take your boards an see if you can get them to run em through there wide belt sander to remove .020 to .030 grand of there face ..you will be startin with fresh new lumber and will be happy with the results ..they will prob. charge ya a fee for sure ..but YOU WILL BE AHEAD OF THE GAME ...after that.
now you are dealin with OAK ..soo dip the ends of your bed boards in a the same thing you are gonna use for finishin the Face side ..to try an get some capilary action of the OAK ...to seal the ends real good !
after that use a GOOD sealer dependin on how you will use this bed .Show ?... Hauler ?
if you dont care abought the looks of the bed 6 months or a yr. down the road ...any over the shelf varnish or urethane will do ...you are gonna make a mess haulin anyway.
Now if ya gona show this truck you may want to spend some xtra .Pick your Stain.an get the best Urethane clear you can get your hands on ...several coats an a sandin between will be the thing to do ..you can bring the grain of that Oak to a SHOW STOPPER !~
You need to decide how far ya wanna go ..eventually if your Ride isnt a trailor queen ...the inevitable BLACK s&*t will show its ugly face it is the nature of the beast ...(OAK).an OUTDOORS do not mix ...humidity and your place of origin will make your efforts fall apart ..in 1 to 2 yrs ...you will have the mildew an BLACK...if ya store outside or drive daily ...these are the drawbacks of an Oak bed .
Tim
