The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop rebuilding my bed

I am going to try to rebuild the bed of my 49 3100 this summer. Basically to make the truck usefull again. The wood is all gone and the tail end (tailgate) is sagging on one side. Now I am not repaiting the bed. I will probably have to get new bed strips but what I am looking for is this.

What do I need other then the wood?
Hardware kit
Bed mounting kit
Bed strips
What am I missing?

Can this be done by a single person?
What are some of the pitfalls that I should avoid /watch out for?

Any and all suggestion appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Other than possibly replacing your tailgate, you've got the right idea. Just check out the package deals offered by the usual vendors. You can do it as a one-person job but it is a heck of a lot easier with two when it comes to tightening the bolts.

I am going to replace the wood and strips in my '36 GMC also, any recommendations on a vendor? All of them are priced in the about the same range, but has anyone had good or bad experience? Thanks

Brian,
I totally agree with 56picup. With the amount of materials and suppliers available today, you should have no problem. I did one of my trucks about 15 years ago back when supplier weren't so plentiful. Ripped my own hardwood planks, etc. Now days all you need is time.

Finally to my only suggestion is when you have the bed all opened and apart, now is the time to consider cleaning, painting your frame, tighten up the muffler pipes, scrape and clean up the driveline/rear end. So much easier standing on top looking down as compared to laying on your back chiseling away years of dirt, etc.

How to finish the new bed wood and make it last assuming the truck is stored outside all the time is a big issue. I have not heard of a real long lasting finish. Maybe someone can suggest something.

I'm in the process of restoring a '45. I've been getting all my bed parts from http://www.mar-k.com/. Good stuff and free shipping!

If the strips are good you can save a bundle using harvester international carrage bolts. they are zink plated and about 1/10th the price. Also you can make your own bed wood using a router. Wood+router+stain+sealer is cheaper than a bed wood kit and you get a router with it.What ever you do have fun.

Check out chevytrucks.org for wood dimentions.

Has anyone every tried using Preasure treated lumber for bed wood? Just wondering out loud.

Thanks

A sealer that is cheap and easy to use, and has been used for a long time to preserve wood is a mixture of turpentine and linseed oil. It does require a yearly application to stay effective. If left to dry overnight, it can be buffed to a nice natural shean.

Regards,
Larry

I can't think of a worse thing to use than pressure treated wood..It is extremely prone to checking and cracking and shrinking. If I was going to invest all that time and effort into a project, I would use materials that would look nicer..

I just did mine and used red oak with a marine spar varnish made by Behr. Put five coats on looks fancy...and the wood only cost me $125...bolt kit $40, marine spar $32, repainted my bed rails though, spray paint $15. Cheap compared to a kit I think...took some time to apply and sand the boards as I put 5 coats on them. Only problem I came into was one board had a slight warp and this made it difficult placing the bed rail in, so be sure your boards are extremely straight. You must also make sure your box is square otherwise trimming boards after placing 5 coats on is not nice!! 2 People is a must when tightening bolts for the bed rails, otherwise frustration sets in very QUICCK!! And yes I redid my exhaust and painted the frame while the box was off...

I was looking around on VanSickle's web site, and saw a "fence and barn black" paint that seemed to have a high linseed oil content. Maybe an easy way to get the factory look on the bed wood?

VanSickle page - the black is the third item down.

Brian - the answer to your question of whether this can be done by a single person is that it depends on your current martial status. If you are now single, it is unlikely that you can do these types of jobs without some female convincing you to marry her, at which point you will not be single. She will be infatuated with your patience, perserverance, and your love of perserving old trucks. On the other hand, most married men with the old car habit run the high risk of being kicked out of their marriage due to a wife's perception that the truck holds a place of higher esteem than the wife. Just be careful mixing wife and truck. good luck ! - gobsow

gobsow, I have read a lot of advice here. Yours may be the best yet, lol..

Gobsow I agree I am married and 53 4 me is right I too have heard a lot of advice here but this is the top of the list so far. Well that and wash your hands well, before using the mens room, after working with the battery (ouch!).

Well yes PT wood isn't a good choice. With that said can anyone give me some guide line to the grading of Lumber? Such as would #1 be good enough or do you need to ask for Clear?

Please understand that this in NOT a show truck it will be USED as a TRUCK and it will be put to work.

With that being said I want to do the work my self and save as much money as possible ( if possible).

Thanks

I went for a complete new Mar-K (www.Mar-k.com) bed and I am very happy. I paid $2800 CDN ($1700 US) for the complete bed including a tailgate. This was a deluxe bed (stainless hardware, oak wood, etc).

I am very happy with the Mar-K bed and it assembled great, but yes two people for bolt tightening and alignment sure helps.

[img]http://us.f1.yahoofs.com/users/7d380940/bc/May+2003+Progress/Img_1031.jpg?bcj2M1.A_AqA1Yzm[/img]

Thanks northergmc but I don't have the budget for $1700.00. I am hoping to get a usable bed for under $300.00 am I Crazy or can it be done?

Thanks

I did my bed cheap...I used the rough red oak and ran it through a planer then used a table saw to cut the grooves for the bed rails and then the 5 coats of marine spar...I coaxed my girlfriend in to holding the bolts for the bed rails ...cost me a steak supper....great tradeoff for me!! My bed was less than $400CDN finished!!

One person - just put a 2x4 on top to hold the bolts once the strip is aligned.

I don't know if this helps at all, but a freind of mine said that he bought a sheet of high grade plywood with a good finish, cut it to the size of the bed floor, used a router to sink bed strips into plywood, finished and installed it with the appearance of planks. It may not be a "concours" job but it came out attractive and made the bed usable again. I'm thinking of doing it myself just have not got there yet.

If you want to go the plywood route, just get the panel truck skid strips that sit on top of the wood. Carter's has them.

I have thought about Plywood but I am worried about it holding up to the weather. I can't garuntee that the truck will be parked inside all the time. So my concern is that the plywood would delaminate and I would end up doing it again. I would like what ever I choose to do to hold up for at least 5 years but perferably 10 years. By then I might be ready to paint the truck. Thanks again to everyone for their input.

Brian: If you want to go with plywood, an alternative would be deck sealer, spar better, but you can by deck sealer pretty cheap especially 5 gal bucket. Do like I do for this process: take 1 to 3 gal. weed sprayer fill it with sealer and spray 3 coats both sides, letting dry between coats. Easy clean up some paint thinner and it cleans sprayer right up. popcorn The Truth is Out There (Yep It works)

You can use marine grade plywood, which uses waterproof glue. Finish all sides. It will hold up fine.

OK let's say I go with the marine grade Plywood. What can I expect to pay for 2 sheets of 3/4" x 4' x 8' sheets? I will need 2 sheets won't I as the bed is wider then 48", please correct me if I am wrong.

Thanks

You should be able to get sheets of plywood larger than 4'x8' from a good lumberyard, but they'll probably have to order it.

Well I thought I was on my way to rebuilding the bed. Started calling around for Marine Plywood but larger then the standard 4x8 sheet. Well you thought I was asking for the Holy Grail! So I bite the bullet and called the Local Marine supply. Holding my wallet all the time and asked for the larger the standard 4x8 sheet got the good ol NOPE cant get that. So it is back to the drawing board. Thanks for all the suggestion I will let you know how I proceed.

If you are putting in bed strips, just get a sheet, rip it in half the long way, put the pieces in butted up to the sides, get another strip for the center hole, install it and put the strips over the two joints on either side.

Brian, I'm not embarassed that I spent less than $10 for this bed, it's just that I don't know how to post a picture. The wood is pine and I obtained it from discarded 2x's (6's, 8's), tried to find the clearest, straitest, nail holes didn't matter. I ripped the boards in half widthwise to get the 1" nominal, 3/4" actual size to fit the bed. I ripped the boards to their proper widths (I have a nine board '49) and made provision for the bed strips to lay slightly above the surface of the wood. I used Kilz on the bottom of the boards as a primer, then white house paint. I wanted it as bright as possible while working under there in the future, yet good protection. The top and ends I used polyurethane, I believe it was a quart, just applied maybe three coats and then used the remainder of the can contents on a couple center boards. I used the original bed strips and excentric washers, the $10 was spent on matching up the bolts, nuts, and washers with galvinized ones I obtained from a great fastener place we have here in town. My reasoning is this... my original Pine bed lasted almost 50 years with little care, this solution will easily last that long with reasonable care. By the way, I use my truck as a truck, haul firewood, and an occasional engine. If I have an engine to haul, or gravel, I throw a 4x8 sheet in the back to be conscientious, but that's all. Dig yourself man, it's just you and the mirror. Cosmo