Click on image for the lowdown. 
====
| | |
3 members (Gdads51, 2 invisible),
60
guests, and
1
robot. | | Key: Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod | | | Forums66 Topics128,115 Posts1,056,636 Members48,450 | | Most Online14,466
Apr 26th, 2026 | | AD Chevy Trucks  Over 6,000 pictures Brad Allen has an awesome collection of Chevrolet factory pictures that he has set up from film strips. Check them out!
Lots of work on Brad's part ... pure enjoyment (and references) for you!
| | THANKS!
For helping keep this great
old truck web site
on the Internet for over 30 years! and not clogged down
with Ads!  Again, thanks!
| | | | Joined: Nov 2001 Posts: 182 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Nov 2001 Posts: 182 | There are SOOO many posts on finishing bed wood! I've got new oak boards that I want to finish....but NOT for cosmetic apperance. My 52 is not a show truck and will be used to haul anything. Can anyone suggest an exellent sealer? I want to paint the boards black...any type of paint consideartions? (other than oil based/vs latex,etc.)
I will be able to "touch-up" this finish when needed.
THANKS ALOT!! | | | | | Joined: Jan 2002 Posts: 2,842 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jan 2002 Posts: 2,842 | Glad I'm not the only one worried about overdoing my truck to the point that I can't take it to the dump without scratching it here or there. After I have my truck painted this summer, I'm going to find some african or rainforest hardwood that can withstand everyday elements without having to worry about putting tons of protective coatings. I did this on my '53 but cant remember the name of the wood I used.
Craig My '50 Chevy 3100 5 window, '62-235cu, 3:55 rear My truck ....... Respect The Rust If I'm not working on my truck, '65 m00stang or VW camper, I'm fishing with the wife or smoking Salmon.
| | | | | Joined: Jun 2000 Posts: 454 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Jun 2000 Posts: 454 | Here's a method that was sent to me from a member of the oletrucks discussion list. I posted it on the bedwood section of my Advance Design Web Site . Get a pint of Pine Tar, usually from farm supply outfits, mix with enough 'turps' (turpentine) to thin out and then add to at least a gallon of Boiled Linseed Oil. Do this when all is warm as in sitting out in the sun for a few hours. Mix and stir well and coat the 'be jabbers' out of the boards. For a different fragrance toss in a bit of diesel or 'kero' (kerosene). Do not let dry out. Keep flooding the wood with the mixture and at night cover well. The Boiled Oil will start to skin over if left exposed to air so I made a 'tub of old boards lined with plastic to hold the mess. After about a week take the boards out drain the excess back into the tub and when all are done save the 'goo' for other like minded jobs. Hint, after saving the 'goo' float a layer of kero or diesel on top to prevent the linseed from drying out.
Jeff Nelson
"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." - Benjamin Franklin
"Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest." - Mark Twain
| | | | | Joined: Dec 2001 Posts: 1,745 Member | | Member Joined: Dec 2001 Posts: 1,745 | I don't think painted oak will stand up better than oak with a clear finish. In fact, some of the Spar finishes will outperform all paints.
If you have your mind set on black you could paint the boards and then apply many coats of the Spar urethane over it. Keeping it up would be as simple as an occasional cleaning, sanding and fresh coat of more clear.
But then again, that is the way it would be with clear oak as well. So if you like the looks of clear oak you might as well keep it.
54 3100 with 235
62 flatbed dump C60 with 261
| | | | | Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 687 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 687 | Russ: I agree with Tony M any clear finish will scratch, Marine Varnish is (my thought) the toughest, but any time you need to touch up, it takes sanding. An old trick we used on the farm was first coat black oil paint and linseed, takes a few days to dry then second coat of black oil paint. If scratched the primer coat didn't let it show as bad. popcorn | | | | | Joined: Jul 2001 Posts: 3,887 Cruising in the Passing Lane | | Cruising in the Passing Lane Joined: Jul 2001 Posts: 3,887 | IMO, the best 1st step is to flood the wood - off the truck - w/ PENETROL [by Flood, I think]. soak ALL 6 SIDES well, then do a 1st coat of black w/ about 10 - 20% PENETROL added, then 2nd coat straight black - and I use marine enamel.
Try it, Yu'll Like it!
Bill | | | | | Joined: Feb 2000 Posts: 39 Member | | Member Joined: Feb 2000 Posts: 39 | cmayna's post concerning tropical woods reminded me of a hardwood I read about a year or so ago. It is called "Ipe" (Tabebuia spp.)and can be found, as well as additional info, on the net at www.austinwholesaledecking.com/ipe.htm (as well as several other sites). I plan to check into the cost of it when I'm ready for bedwood. Like several others, I plan to use my truck as a truck and want something in the bed which will stand up to some use and not be a real pain to take care of. This stuff sounds promising, but may be formidably expensive! :rolleyes:
Michael Zaic
Dahlonega, GA
52 GMC 150
48 GMC 300
| | | | | Joined: Jan 2002 Posts: 2,842 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jan 2002 Posts: 2,842 | Michael Z,
There are places that sell fallen harvested hardwoods of the rain forest, etc. Doing this you are not buying portions of a tree that was cut down but instead one that had fallen of natural causes (hopefully).
I think this would be so much cooler vs having the standard Oak that everyone has......But I do remember the last time I did this, I spent a lot of hours at my table saw, rippin the correct widths and channels for the Stainless Steel strips. With such hard woods the blades dont stay sharp very long.
Craig My '50 Chevy 3100 5 window, '62-235cu, 3:55 rear My truck ....... Respect The Rust If I'm not working on my truck, '65 m00stang or VW camper, I'm fishing with the wife or smoking Salmon.
| | | | | Joined: Jul 2001 Posts: 3,887 Cruising in the Passing Lane | | Cruising in the Passing Lane Joined: Jul 2001 Posts: 3,887 | about 'hard-woods' - I stumbled on a Eucalyptus plank when I was setting up an elevator conveyor - it was given to me cause it had fine shatter cracks the whole length [from being poorly felled, I think]. turned out to be almost perfect size so in it went as "rub boards" about 20' long w/ heavy stainless paddles draggin apples up it, water runnin down it, no finish on it at all. looks a bit like redwood. well it\'s been on there for 18 years now and shows no wear, and just slightly duller color when dry. little sign of the shatter cracks - think they were polished out by the stainless paddles, and the wax of a few million pounds of apples! lotsa Eucalyptus growin in Calif, isn't there? why import hardwood from anywhere?  Bill | | | | | Joined: Dec 2001 Posts: 1,745 Member | | Member Joined: Dec 2001 Posts: 1,745 | I am not sure but I think they planted the Eucaliptus thinking it would be great wood for the railroad ties when they were building the railroad. But, they found that to grow it large enough the tree would be very crooked and not good for lumber. I think this is why larger boards are very rare and it is mostly seen in small trim pieces. In our area I have refinished a lot of it in nicer older homes. It is also called gum wood. I think it was plentiful here at the time because of all the planting done for the railroad.
54 3100 with 235
62 flatbed dump C60 with 261
| | | | | Joined: Jan 2000 Posts: 1,586 Extreme Gabster | | Extreme Gabster Joined: Jan 2000 Posts: 1,586 | To avoid a mess just buy the CWF(clear wood finish)available anywhere, The stuff is designed for decks.Do all sides well before assembly, you can mop on a coat every year, right over the bed strips and bolts.If you want dark boards stain them first.Its not a easy scratched finsh tratment but soaks into the wood.Oak is a superior bed wood material, reasonably priced and grown right here in the USA and will last 25 years if treated once a year. | | | | | Joined: Nov 2001 Posts: 182 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Nov 2001 Posts: 182 | THANKS! These tips are some of the best I've read out of all my searching. You guys know what I'm after. I will look into each idea...thanks alot. Around here,it's mostly the SUN that wrecks the finish on anything. I just don't like the looks of an oak bedwood finish (clear or lightly stained)with a clear coat after a couple years lookin' all yellow and pealing and what a job to refinish!!  | | | | | Joined: Feb 2000 Posts: 39 Member | | Member Joined: Feb 2000 Posts: 39 | cymana, I totally agree on not supporting destruction of the tropical environments to support any type of industry. One interesting aspect of the Ipe (or Pau Lope) is that according to several sources, it appears that the harvesting of the Ipe timber is carefully managed to protect the surrounding forests and provide for a sustained population of the species. One site even claims that the harvesting methods are approved of by the National Audubon Society and the Smithsonian Institute ( www.paulopedecking.com/The-Environment.html). Whether these claims are valid or not is something which I would want to check into further before making any type of purchase. I've got a feeling that getting the truth on many of the practices in the tropics could be a real challenge!
Michael Zaic
Dahlonega, GA
52 GMC 150
48 GMC 300
| | | | | Joined: Nov 2002 Posts: 23 Junior Member | | Junior Member Joined: Nov 2002 Posts: 23 | Michael Z,
Was at work today and couldn't respond. I was very interested in your choice of wood Ipe. But the properties the wood has comes with a price. You may want to consider redoing your springs if you chose it there is a reason it's called ironwood, and it isn't the color it's the weight of it due to it's denseness. With close to 50 year old truck, it might be like trying to run the 40 yard dash with the neighbors plow on your back with 1 good leg.
Willy 57 | | | | | Joined: Feb 2000 Posts: 39 Member | | Member Joined: Feb 2000 Posts: 39 | Hmmmmmm, now that thought had not occurred to me just yet. Think it might smooth out the ride of the old 3/4 ton springs? Good ole' southern yellow pine with some linseed oil and lamp black is looking better (and cheaper) all the time! Thanks for the thought.
Michael Zaic
Dahlonega, GA
52 GMC 150
48 GMC 300
| | | | | Joined: Feb 2003 Posts: 25 Member | | Member Joined: Feb 2003 Posts: 25 | I am a hard core carpenter, and I believe in beautiful woodwork of all types. What I am not following is why someone would use expensive beautiful oak and paint it. I understand the purpose of using oak on a show truck or even a sunday driver, but not an everyday truck with painted bed boards. This is just my 2 cents worth, but I would definately use pine in this case. You are worried about the work involved in refinnishing, but pine is cheap enough to just replace and paint in a few years. It is tough enough to handle any job (it is used for all wood floor trailers) that you can throw at it, and is plentiful enough to throw away when worn, busted, or old. | | | | | Joined: Oct 2001 Posts: 3,458 Extreme Gabster | | Extreme Gabster Joined: Oct 2001 Posts: 3,458 | Hmm, pine is just as expensive as oak around here (we have oak forests), but the original bed boards were pine anyway.
Paint & Body Shop moderator
A lone amateur built the Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic. | | | | | Joined: Nov 2000 Posts: 427 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Nov 2000 Posts: 427 | Russ: Good for you to paint the bedboards which is how they came from the factory to begin with. I used black rustoleum on mine and they are holding up great. The best part about painted bed boards is that you can easily touch them up any time if you happen to gouge them hauling a load of blocks or something scratchy. The grain and uneven finish make brush marks part of the deal.
Remember! Your truck is for your enjoyment. | | |
|
|
