The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Making a Stovebolt Bed What wood should I used for my 9' pickup truck bed?

I read somewhere that White Pine was the original wood used. Should I go with this? I am not building a show truck, I am replace the wooden bed because the wood is mostly moss. I plan on using this truck, I will haul mulch, rocks, gravel and other stuff. I want something that will hold up to all this. Looking for durable, not showy. Suggestions please. 1952 GMC 9430 (Canadian) long box with Robin dump system.

James Stonehouse

The bed wood in the Chevrolet & GMC trucks was originally southern yellow pine. Not the type found in big box stores but in your better lumber stores that stock the more exotic woods.

They were factory treated with a combination of linseed oil and lampblack, giving it a dull black color.

It is pine yes
But he has a Canadian truck it would need to be a lumber sourced in Canada

So a tree likely very related and perhaps fungible with southern yellow pine
-s

White pine would be too soft. Perhaps Douglas Fir would fit the bill if James isn’t concerned about original.

I used the cheapest wood money could buy at the co-op, twisted pine
It is soft yes, got a few decent dings from hauling gravel for my shop construction
The plan was to swap it out for better wood in the future

I suggest doing a test run of at least a few boards out of cheap pine in any event to get a feel for the order of cuts to make the little edges and how the boards fit
It will save you perhaps making a mistake with one or two expensive hard woods
-s

Does anyone have a mixture formula?

Thanks

Although, I have-used and will-use the bed-board painting/preserving method that held up the best in an extensive test by MAR-K

two coats of POR semi glass black paint/coating
followed by
two coats of Behr semi-gloss exterior house paint

(Scroll down in this page.)

We followed this technique on my 18’ bed COE.
It held up very nicely on a bed that “lived” outside 7 non-winter months every year.

James,

I use a penetrating epoxy used by boat builders to seal the wood. It’s flexible so it doesn’t crack. I is also not UV tolerant so it needs to be top coated with something. I use an industrial enamel from PPG called. ALK 200 for that. I Then sanded it for effect and then sealed it with a UV protection coating. The epoxy comes from Jamestown Distributors.

Mike

Anyone ever use cypress for the floor boards?

Some have. Do a site search for cypress and you will find a few threads.

Csims,

I wouldn’t use Cypress for a wood bed.

In the old days, the Cypress was harvested from swamps. The center of the tree, known as heart cypress, was fairly rot resistant probably because of where it grew. The trees that were not rot resistant, rotted and fell back into the swamp᠁ an evolutionary cleansing so to speak᠁.
What was harvested was what was left. Today, none of that counts. They harvest everything ᠁. Even the bark that is turned into mulch, rots. Cypress has no real resistance to rot any more. Maybe if you found some on an old building, that might have some anti rot value. Your better off choosing a wood that has been dried and then soak it with an anti rot material. On a house, that’s what paint is for᠁᠁.

See my previous posting as to what I did᠁. I effectively used clear paint. The problem with wood is that expands and contracts therefore cracking the paint (sealed surface) and letting water in where strange things grow. That’s why you need to use a flexible coating, vinyl paint, to cover the surface or get a flexible material which is absorbed into the wood fibers so if it cracks, the fibers are protected.

Mike

Thanks Mike. Here in Arkansas it is fairly common for it to be used on the outside of houses and camps for siding. It is just left to naturally fade and dry. Just thought if you were to get it dried and plained it down. Then use something to finish it. But that’s a long ways off for me. Thanks again



Chris

Cypress was used as you described here in Florida for many years as well. But over the years it seemed not to hold up so well. I just got through putting some on my house. It was built in 1983 and was sided with Cypress that had been flitch cut ( where the boards coming from the tree were slabbed without trimming the edges). It lasted until about 2008 when it needed to be replaced due to rot. I managed to find a saw mill that would slab it up for me. Because it was wet, I needed to dry it. It takes about a year per inch to stand dry the wood. If you use a kiln, it cracks a lot᠁. I dried it by stacking it up, separating it using scrap wood, and putting it in a small shed with a small AC unit. Because the AC unit is small, its effective in removing the humidity from the shed and drying the wood. Being from Florida, humidity is a problem᠁..

Mike

Ditto on the cheapest stuff at the box store. Ripped it and grooved it on table saw and lathered it in black outdoor paint and its wearing in nicely with the dust and grit from driving and moving stuff. My truck sits inside and I do use it to haul things. Just brought home a TH400 and a snowmobile for my kiddo last week. Dragged it right in there without even thinking about the wood. The more it wears in the better it looks in my situation.

I used oak years ago and put a stain and varnish on it ,the varnish and new look is still good on the underside ,on the top not good one board is buckled up all the varnish is long gone .I think the u.v from the sun did a number on it the box had a toneu cover on it and the truck was covered for winters .I was thinking of maybe a black ash with a tong oil finish.

Red oak is rather porous - but it now seems to be a common replacement wood; the common wood of choice offered in bed wood kits and commonly used on our trucks. I suspect that it is more of a supply issue - meaning readily available... Cut a short piece of red oak and blow through the end grain and you will see that it is porous enough to feel the air come through the other end ...the same action applies with water; put one end in water and in a few minutes you will see the other end discolor from water wicking through the opposite end- the grain or long pores called tyloses enable moisture and water transfer into the wood and do not resist water movement. I’m not saying that red oak is a poor choice, but rather, if there are other choices then consider other wood species and compare.

If white oak is available - consider it over red oak; it is the same wood used in cask and ship construction too. the closed grain white oak has very short tyloses that inhibit water and moisture transfer.

If you have the choice, quarter sawn wood - will minimize expansion and cupping across the width. Quarter sawn boards do tend to be available in narrow widths - but wider widths can be found..if a larger diameter tree is quarter sawn and milled. If wood is flat or plain sawn it will tend to "cup" especially if one face is subjected to more moisture or temperature extremes than the other side or face.

Quarter sawn red or white oak has the added benefit of showing a rather spectacular wood grain effect (rays).

Tight grained soft wood is a good choice such as Douglas fir or old growth southern yellow pine. Red pine? - knot (pun) the best choice - it tends to decay. Finding old growth species such as these is a challenge and best searched from websites that salvage old buildings or web search for logs and a mill that reclaim logs from the bottom of lakes and rivers and lost during transport down those waterways back in the day.

Plantation grown softwoods have wide growth rings because they grow fast in open sunlit lands - rapid annual growth produces wood that is less dimensionally stable; great for production and satisfying shareholders - but not great for use in finish applications. For 2x material...its good enough. For furniture and better truck beds, if you are discerning - not so good. Cedars are strong, light, and some species more dense and less prone to gouging and scratching than others, and some species are more decay resistant than others. Trees harvested in far northern areas may grow slower and have the desirable tighter grain. Flat sawn, relatively wet and fresh plantation grown wood will be less stable, and will tend to twist, cup and warp. Yet, bolted down to the frame and bed cross members᠁these things can be minimized. Again, if you can, - ask for quarter sawn fir higher grade pine...it will help minimize any of these issues. Hardwood and softwood species each have their pros and cons and each species has regional wood property variations that occur within each sub species.

So... all of this is good information - but in the end - does it really matter? I mean, if its a work truck and subject to use and abuse - ya may not need to pay close attention to these details; or if protected by a steel sheet, tonneau cover or cap - it will be fine. But for a person putting valuable time and money into a truck they are proud to own and show - then this information may be valuable. And, there is a case to be made for the amount of time and cost put into a bed wood floor: ...why go through all of the trouble of building a wood floor bed to have it sit outside and use wood that is susceptible to absorbing water only to have to replace it again ...do it right (where you can) the first time and spend less time later fixing it. As we have seen - with periodic maintenance, protection from the elements, and finishes, wood bed floors can last decades...careful wood selection can only help.

If you want to learn more about wood properties and choose woods for decay resistance - search the web for the USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, Wisconsin. I suspect they can provide a list of wood species and their properties, decay resistance, density, and overall use or recommendations. They may have a Wood Technology section on their site - or give them a call. Or, if you have specific questions - PM me - I can get the same information for you too.

Another good choice for bed wood would be Alaska Yellow Cedar. It's very rot resistant and weathers well, but you need to use corrosion resistant fasteners, and be sure that the bed steel is sealed with a good epoxy primer. It's generally only available in the Pacific Northwest, so might be tough to come by in Ontario.
No it's not original, but since the bed wood was finished black originally, who's going to know the difference if you use a black finish?

I'm so happy to see this topic, for the following reasons:

1. I am trying to determine what wood (guessing I will want a light color), and
2. trying to figure out how I will do this in a Panel Truck, as it looks like the current, original, wood is all one giant slab of plywood :|

And this is what it looks like after 70-plus years:

Did the panel trucks get one big slab of wood but with routed grooves for the metal bits so it looks like individual planks but the solid board kept dust down for the enclosed cabin
Might have been a modification on later years of the panel
Thought I read that someplace
So one piece in a panel might be original
-s

I went to a local lumber yard (not big box) and bought the Yellow pine and did the MAR-K painting/preserving method as suggested by Tim. That was about 5 years ago. It has held up well. My truck is parked outside year round. I am in Kentucky and we have the full range of seasonal weather.

Oh mine is definitely original, and it's shot

So, since I do not wish to redo my bed later, I was looking at teak or cumaru - ipe a bit pricey. All harder than white oak. I use mine to haul gravel/dirt/lumber/furniture. Any thoughts on the exotic woods ? Price not much more than oak.

dbwr Use hard yellow pine that's what they used painted black,or white oak is durable cause it's full of pith so takes weather better. Could use green treated plywood I think you can get it in 9 foot length ,black locust is good, not hickory or red oak or soft pine will rot to easy !!

I used 1 1/2" yellow pine dimensional lumber routered just like you would have the 3/4". 2x8's The edge boards on both sides are routered 3/4" deeper. I stained mine a light gray. You can bevel the tailgate ends if you want.

Is yellow pine available in thinner 1 inch or I was looking at Menards that have 2 inch in different lengths and widths ,would just have to cut it thinner .is the stock wood 1 inch meaning 3/4 actual thickness.

Check out this wood bed. I suspect it has not had a load of gravel dumped into it though.(Owner made it out of red oak)

y e a h ... (red oak). I want mine to look purdy, too, but
I'm gonna use it. Like getting comments at HomerDepot.

Yes to one inch finished lumber is 3/4 thick. At least for now...

Has anyone used Cedar? I am not much of a woodworker but my BIL is. We have a family farm with several planted Cedars that need to be removed, the price would be great (free).

Cedar would be way too soft unless your intention is a trailer queen.

Like I said I'm not a woodworker, I thought it would look great but wasn't sure about anything else. I do want to be able to use the bed so I guess the Cedar is out. This is why we ask questions 😃

Check around and I am sure someone who saws wood will trade your cedar for something that would work in your truck bed .

TuT, I like Oak but be sure to soak the ends very well before installing. I'd suggest standing the boards overnight in a pail of something like Sparurethane. Most boards crack from the ends and the "Spar" lets the wood expand some without cracking the finish....after soaking the ends at least 3 coats on the face and your good till your dying days!!!

Didn't read all the replies. I am convinced that composite is the way to go. Lowes has the right widths.

I'll know for sure in a few months when I lay mine in.

I used 5/4 composite deck boards. They have imitation grain on them which appears relatively realistic. They are 5 1/2" wide which is close to being too narrow for the bedstrips to cover the gaps. I cut short spacers out of the same boards to go between the boards at every bolt hole to keep the boards from shifting which could expose gaps at the bedstrips. It worked like a champ.

tuts 59 Could use hard yellow pine like chevy used,white oak would be durable,black locust,osage orange (hard to work) maybe treated yellow pine but not sure you want to be around it ! However they build decks out of it every day. Red oak is not very rot resistant if out in the weather.

Fixite7 has one very dense wood that is well known in my area. boisD'arc (osage orange). My great great Grand Father purchased 3 sections of land in south central Arkansas starting in 1849 and planted boisD'arc for fences. The community became known as BoisD'arc and is known by that name today among locals. It's one of the densest woods in the USA. It's also beautiful wood. Another off the beaten path excellent, dense wood is persimmon, it's in the ebony family. There used to be a mill in Brinkley Arkansas that paid crazy money for persimmon, it was used for golf club heads. That buslness died out years ago but if you can find a source, it's another beautiful, very hard wood that'll last just short of forever.

All that said, if I didn't want to go with a North American exoitic, I'd use white oak or post oak and not look back.

RonR