The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop 1957 Bed wood paint color

Hi guys, on the 57 and other years I know the bed wood was painted black. Was it more of a flat black, semi-gloss, or what? What would be the best way to paint one for durability but still retain an original look?
Thanks, Don

I used Rustoleum Satin black enamel on the new pine boards for the 59. Have gotten many compliments on the outcome and a lot of people are surprised that it is wood and not some other product. Feel free to email me for pics or further info.

I just did mine w/John Deere black, looks good. Brian

Thanks for the info guys. Since I don't have a John Deere dealer around here, I'll probably go with the Rustoleum though I was hoping to find something more durable. I've seen some enamels that will bubble when exposed to direct hot sunlight. Don

you could try marine enamel, tho I'm not sure if there's any satin or semigloss available in that, and you could apply a coat of Penetrol [by Flood] to the wood first, or add some to the first coat of paint - improves penetration and even drying - if you don't put too heavy a coat of anything on at a time and allow good curing before exposure, nothing should bubble

Bill

Don, been the bubble route and really frustrating. First set of wood I did was primed and painted two coats of the Rustoleum AFTER applying several coats of Thompsons as per a local wood worker who "had experience" doing bedwood. Sat in the shop for about 10 days drying or so I thought then one day I think, Hmmmm! lets put it in the sun to bake. 4-5 hours later I had blisters as big as your had on every board. Learned later, on this board Thompsons is a no-no. Second set of wood prime and two coats of Rustoleum and NO Thompsons. Same procedure no blisters after 3 years so far. Don't know anything about Penetrol mentioned but personally I would be leary of additives until I I ran a test board.

Thompsons is a 'stand alone' sealer, so the paint had nothing to hold on to, hence blistering in the force-dry you cite - Penetrol is more a \'wetting agent\' that helps the paint hang on and penetrate deeper into the wood - exactly opposite to Thompsons, which might do an acceptable job alone for a 'natural wood finish', but I think it's over-rated

you can decide to use Penetrol or not, but I've found it excellent for painting anything w/ harsh exposure, and have used it in a number of situations

Bill

red, I can remember as a kid my grandfather adding linseed oil to oil base paint. From what I gather this old style oil base is no longer manufactured. Guy at Home Depot told me when I bought the Rustoleum "oil base enamel" that it was nothing like the old formulas. After my experience with the Thompsons I consider carefully what I apply it to now.

has anybody stained theirs and then put a few coats of polyurethane? that is what i wanted to do.

I first stained mine, then several coats of "good" polyurethane. Finish failed in a couple months. Now its painted. Brian

if you're gonna use the truck, not just store it in a garage between good weather shows, most clear glossy finishes will be ugly in a year or 2, and there'll be rust stains around the mount bolts and strips - paint is real easy to recoat, but the 'natural look' is a high maintenence finish

Bill

I expected to recoat every so often, but soon as summer came the shine disappeared one day & noticed small cracks. On the next one I may try some true marine varnish, I was told on another board use Z-spar Captain's Varnish or Epiphanes High Gloss. Not available around here, not much boat market. Brian