The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop 51 Wooden Bed Plank Dimensions Needed

1951 3100 Chevy Short bed, 7 board width.Okay, I have decided to build my new wooden bed from scratch, unfortunately the wooden bed that exists is a home made job that looks terrible and is all warped and has gaps. So I am purchasing white pine planks and cutting them to the correct sizes. I have noticed from veiwing photos, that there are 3 different widths used.Can someone provide the exact specs for each of the board widths, lengths, thickness and the routered grooves? I checked most of the links and could not find the info that I need. I am sure someone has accomplished this task on their own without purchasing the pricey bed boards from an aftermarket jobber.
Thanks in advance.

Will,

Isn't it bizarre.. some of the things you remember.

http://www.gmcpauls.com/47-72_BedWood_Info.htm


Stuart

THANK YOU!

My two cents worth on your selection of bed wood. In my experience with white pine, if you look at it real hard, it will dent. If you are going to ever put anything in the bed, be prepared for dings, dents, divots and dimples. I would think Southern Yellow pine would be a better choice. It's lots harder, but it's not that hard to work with when you rout out the grooves.

whatever wood you use be sure it has seasoned at least a year or you'll be swapping a crappy bed for another crappy bed. For myself I will be using a tough hardwood like oak. I know it will be more difficult to rout but it will outlast pine. Actually the best wood to use, if you could find it would be 70 year old cypress, it will never rot or warp. Must be 70 years old though, count the rings.LOL

Oak may be tough but it tends to rot, depending on the species.

It was originally pine BECAUSE it is soft. People back then wanted the wood be soft to keep the load from getting dinged up. That's why a lot of cabinetmaker's wood workbenches have tops made out of soft wood.

The SYP we have milled at our plant is one of the hardest, toughest woods I have ever seen. Cheap and plentiful back in the days of the AD pickup. This species is nothing like Sugar or Ponderosa pine...it only shares the name.

Stuart

if i remember in 51 your choices were 8 or 9 boards depending on what month the truck was produced