The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Making a Stovebolt Bed bed lumber

Howdy folks, I have a full wood shop and reclaim pre-civil war barns. Trying to decide what lumber to make for my bed. Some of my ideas are black walnut, birds eye maple, beach, hickory, black cherry or maybe some extinct brown hard maple. will make some samples and post them to get some input.

What is the final color for your truck? They may make a difference.

How will you use the truck?
As you know there is more to wood than just the color. Might consider toughness and rot resistance as well.

thinking maroon body black fenders

will finish the bed with tung oil it a drying oil, an oil that dries. pressed from the chinese tung tree seed. It's a 3000 year old finish that has supieror waterproofing and sun protection. It's a finish that is in the wood instead of on the wood. will not chip or peel. Truely an amazing finish.

I'm leaning toward black walnut to mimic original black paint with stainless strips

That would look great.

Just for looks or actual use? Walnut would be a little soft for my taste.

Nice, be sure to post some pictures

Mick, I am a wood worker also did our 53 Chevy with Cherry and Purpleheart. I have 3 coats of Watco Danish oil followed by 7 Coats of Helmsmans Spar Polyurthane Our 53 is also a maroon! I have a site with some photos if you are interested. Good luck on you project !!
http://s159.photobucket.com/user/sworden73/library/?sort=3&start=all&page=3

I reclaim pre-civil war barns the is nothing soft about 150 year old virgin growth barn walnut, Its hard as a rock. I would agree with you on row croped walnut.

I would think that old growth walnut should be decay resistant. What color is the truck, and will it match the dark brown of walnut?

trucks going to be maroon and black

Alright guys, hopefully you will indulge my elementary questions..

1) I have a lumber yard 100 feet away from me. I have a full blown woodworking shop with more equipment than I need to make these boards, but what I am missing is HOW! Example:

a) what router bits do I need to shape the edges, and what is the exact thickness?

b) is there a template available or measurement information to drill the holes and also make the offset indention in the planks that are for mounting?

I can pick the wood for the proper application, but the actual procedure for making these boards eludes me. And I have this on my website! http://www.devestechnet.com/Home/Bedwood

Router bit sizes, lengths for a 1/2 ton chevy (53 today) and templates for the drilling is the huge question.

Check out mar-k. They used to have all the dimensions. A table saw is the best tool to use. Still there undertechinical info and wood dimensions.

You just need a table saw with a regular blade, a friend to help, and some sandpaper for the bed wood. The friend needs to have some previous table saw experience. It only takes 3 passes per side to get the board profiled (to the profile on your website). This is after ripping the wood to the correct width.

Thickness of the boards is the least important measurement because you can adjust the bed bolt length; I'd stay close to 3/4" - 7/8" thick if you purchase a complete bed bolt kit. (In my opinion it was worth the price to purchase the ready-made kit; on the contrary, you can save a whopping $19 if you buy bulk 304 stainless hardware)

I think it took about 90 minutes to cut all the boards to the correct profile. I practiced with 24" long wood pieces first and did an install fit/check. Cutting the wood is the quickest part of the stovebolt bed building process.

I'll find my notes to check, but I think the only weird (or, unusual size) item needed was a 1-9/16" forstner bit for counter-sinking the offset washers. The 1-5/8" bit I had ended up working fine.

Brad

Looks pretty straightforward then. I am a little apprehensive never doing it before. The question then would be where exactly do you put that offset (forstner indention) and drill the hole?

I guess I was thinking a router bit would make short order of the process, but I can see doing it on the tablesaw too. I doubt there is a router bit profile made for that anyway.

Deve,

As shown on the assembled 3100 bed (on truck) I did the same as below. I use this folder to illustrate since my 3600 bed is different as far as number and frame attachments.
3600 Layout:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/advance-design_parts_co/8129083044/in/album-72157631867396207/
3100 Layout:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/advance-design_parts_co/8130479975/in/album-72157631884205225/
As you trial fit the outside boards you can see where the bolt will go, mark it from underneath, drill a pilot hole smaller then the attachment bolt, check it (I used some long 1/4" bolts), if it is good that is the time to drill with the Forstner bit as it will not center on the final large bolt hole. Drill the Forstner hole to the same depth as the washer so it sits flush.
The final hole is larger then the bolt (5/8" I think, to allow for adjustment) once they are all marked/drilled you trial fit everything.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/advance-design_parts_co/8130475087/in/album-72157631884205225/
The factory design allows the final tightening sequence to adjust with the offset washers. It has been a while since I did mine but it is measure twice drill once kind of exercise, thus the small pilot holes. That is a key because with anything larger than the starter point on the bottom of the Forstner it will wander and tear the wood up. I drilled trial holes in scrap wood before doing it on the actual oak I used so I was sure of the technique required. It is also worth noting on a 3100 bed the attachment boards have not only the sill holes but all of the bed rail to drill so it needs a bit of precision (and slight oversize on holes) to make it fit up correctly.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/advance-design_parts_co/8130499698/in/album-72157631884205225/
These beds and attachments are designed (very clever) to allow the bed to shrink, grow, and respond to full load conditions.

Once upon a time, I managed a door & window millwork shop and there are machines that could router (both sides simultaneously) this bed wood profile in about one minute. This was a CNC controlled operation; ornate crown molding, etc.

If I was still working there, it's a guarantee I'd be moonlighting stacks & stacks of Stovebolt bed wood - especially with the profit margins I see. (Of course in that scenario, I'd have $0 invested in the machine).

Deve you've got this no problem at all ; I've seen your work. Brad Allen mentions some great advice in "measure twice and cut once." His pilot hole recommendation concerning the forstner bit sounds like the voice of experience... I laughed about it because you CAN most definitely booger up your wood if you don't drill a smaller pilot hole.
**
mick53, I hope we aren't intruding on your thread; given your line of work, I would use some old-growth heart pine. I made a good portion of the furniture in my house out of SYP "barnwood", and you'd also have the "original" adjective as an added bonus.

Brad

If you go to devestechnet.com it will tell you everything you need to know. Don't think you drill the boards. The bolt goes between them and the strip holds then down. anyway this site gives you all the info. If you have a shaper or know someone who does this can be milled with a standard mortice knife for about #30 for the knife. It will give you a nice smooth bottom and no chipping.

Heartpine is nice and it is not going for near what it was a couple or years ago. The only problem I have had with it is that the grain likes to paper. Thats when the grain likes to peel up when sanding.

As originally installed, the bed wood on the platform was drilled through for a carriage bolt in eight locations. This should be on devestechnet.com. These bolts are the main attachment point to secure the bed wood/platform to the truck. (edit- there was/are 8 bolt through wood/bolt through frame locations on a 55.2 3104 truck)

You are correct about the bed wood strips.

Brad

I believe AD 1/2 tons have six through bolts and 3/4 tons have 8.

I just bit the bullet and purchased a router bit for this process. It costs $235 for such a beast, but the cost still makes sense if you do more than one. The cheapest completed bed wood kit was $189 plus $60 or more for shipping. Regular lumber yard Pine or Oak isn't cheap, but I have five or more beds to do so this made sense.

The bit will do both grooves in one pass. Its carbide with the ball bearing on it. 1/2" shank for my Makita M12V on a custom router table. I just feel better using something I am familiar with and can control. Thanks for all the suggestions.

http://devestechnet.com/Images/Projects/BedWood/TruckBed0001lg.jpg

I have seen several reference to the front cross sill bolting to the front bed panel for the 47 -54. I have a 54 I am rebuilding the bed. Doesn't front cross sill for a 54 sit a couples inches back from the front bed panel? The wear strips for my 54 have the pre-drilled holes about two inches back from the holes that align with the lip on the front panel. I think this changed with the 54.

A table saw and a dado blade are all that is required.

Well.. Jim.. while you are setting up for a two pass operation using a Dado stack (not cheap) I will be running each board in one pass with perfect resolution without worrying if my table saw and my Harbor Freight el cheap Dado stack are up to the task.

Its great for most of us with one bed in our future. But so far, I have 6 beds lined up for this process, and local friends who once they know how cheap it is to run regular wood through a 10 second process, who knows? Sometimes thinking outside the box and making a few calls really pays off. Not being critical.. I would do it on my Tablesaw too.. but too many boards, too little time.

I like speciality tools too. For one bed I can't justify that bit. 6 beds maybe. Use lots of feather boards..

https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B0NGqkRUiGr3Gag

I really want a nice Shaper table, but can't justify that. So years ago I made a really nice router table out of scrap lumber with a breadboard top. I used a piece of Lexan for attachment to the router and decided on the Makita M12V 3.5 horse router.

In building a 6600 sq ft building, it was necessary to cut costs wherever I could, so I had access to piles and piles of pallets. I took them apart and used the 3 foot 2x4's for wall studs by using a finger joint bit on the router table, then built a clamping table for pushing the 3 joints together. I made 2000 of them. I like my router table and am very used to it, so for things like this, I prefer it. It IS cost prohibitive in this case for sure.

I've seen Deve's shop or more accurately described SHOP. It is beyond awesome! The framework he described above is by itself a marvel.

Does anyone know if there's a site similar to http://devestechnet.com that has the same info for earlier trucks, 1940-1946?

Is this a pickup bed question, or a general question?

Sorry Tim. It's a question regarding the bed wood thickness.

Joe

Just re-reading this post is a reminder of how much I miss Deve.

Following that link, see he has been a busy boy. Can't order it yet, but in November, Bolters will have access to another resource to help us keep these trucks on the road. It can be preordered.

Rebuilding engines

Yes but if you can read Turkish he has a fan posting something about bees that I suspect is looking for investors that you can do NOW!!!! 😎

Yes but if you can read Turkish he has a fan posting something about bees that I suspect is looking for investors that you can do NOW!!!! 😎

I have some leftover ipe and cumuru hardwood 1x6 decking material that is so beautiful when oiled properly. Do you think this wood would be okay for a truck bed? Also going to make side stakes.