The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Making a Stovebolt Bed 1953 Chev 1/2 ton Box Floor

Hello,

I do have a little problem with the floor boards installed in my 1953 Chev 1/2 ton.

The restorer (previous owner) got a Oak Bedwood Kit from a supplier. but didn't counter sink the six large of-set washers into the box wood and I like to change this.

I marked the washers location and could take the bolts out one at the time and counter sink the washer diameter with a forstner bit, but I am afraid the bit may wonder, messing-up my nice floor finish.

Two options I thought of 1 - using a plywood board, large enough to kneeling-on for weight and pre-drill the same size hole with the right size forstner bit and placing it over the markt location and carefully sink the hole down, hoping nothing moves on me & my floor. Or 2 use my heavy magnetic drill with a 1'x1', 3/4" thick metal plate with a clued-on cushion underneath to keep this heavy beast from scratching my floor boards.

Anyone done this without removing the boards?

if the supplier counter sunk/grooved the board edges for the skid strips I`d have to ask myself ,why not for the bed frame bolts.?

I feel the installer just drilled the actual bolt holes once the boards were installed from the bottom, but he probably didn't know the offset washers had to be counter-sunk!

One thing you could do would be to glue a dowel into the existing hole flush with the wood bed. This would give you a solid place for the forstner bit to prevent "wander".
The point on the forstner bit will give you a "punch" mark to drill out the hole/dowel for the bolt. Just an idea

Sure, that would help, but on six holes, I know luck will not with me all the way!

Having done similar offset holes in wood and tile your first solution is very close to what I would try but with some adjustments to the plan

As always test the whole process first on scrap material
Do experiments with the forstner bit and I also suggest a normal hole saw with the 1/4 inch bit removed.
Try a bunch of things on scrap and see how it works and what you like and test the depth marking on your bit so you have a good feel for the depth control.

Find a piece of wood (not laminated) at least an inch thick to act as a bit guide, shipping pallets often use very hard dense woods great for this plan

Before you drill the truck bed
Score surface round with a knife to cut the wood grain to get a nice top edge on your hole.
Practice scoring during your experiment trials too.
Get a good feel for dragging the utility knife in a nice circle.

The offset washer should be rotated towards the outside walls of the box, the washer is trying to maximize the wood thickness exposed to the countersunk floor runner so that the wood isn’t thin and prone to breaking between the washer and the runner.
Your photo shows the washer isn’t rotated towards the wall as it would have been originally

Best of luck
-s

As long as the lead screw on the forstner bit isn't too close to the bolt hole, it shouldn't wander. I think you could do it carefully without anything assisting, but your idea of a plywood guide would probably work well.
Canine man's suggestion of plugging the bolt hole is good as well, but I don't think you'd even need to glue the dowels in place. They'd just be enough to keep the lead screw from breaking into the bolt hole. Once the edge of the bit cuts into the wood, it should keep it from wandering as long as you keep the drill shaft perpendicular to the wood. I have a gizmo that's a drill alignment tool, similar to THIS, that installs between the chuck and the drill motor with some slid rails that would assist in keeping the drill shaft perpendicular. You could screw the base of that to your plywood guide and be done with the whole job in 15 minutes.

Since we’re brainstorming, here’s my two cents.

I suggest creating a guide board approximately 3 inches wide and 18 inches in length. You'll want to pre-drill a centered hole using your Forstner bit. The board can be secured to the bed using double-sided carpet tape - just two strips, 4-6 inches long, should provide sufficient hold.

For precise positioning, you can utilize the existing bolt and offset washer to align the countersink. To ensure proper adhesion, simply apply your body weight by standing on it.

I recommend adding a rabbet cut to one end of the plank where it meets the bed. This will create space for inserting a pry bar or claw hammer when you need to remove it. While the adhesion will be quite strong, the plank should separate cleanly. Do remember to protect the bed surface when using any prying tools.

This technique comes from engineered floor installers. They use it to tighten tongue and groove joints in existing floors. One 2x4 with carpet tape adhered to the plank you want to move, then tap it with a hammer to close the joint. It can typically handle multiple joints without causing any damage or changing the tape.

As a precaution, I'd suggest testing the tape on a small area first to ensure it won't lift the finish.

Second on the double sided tape, but let’s back up a little bit. You say you want to do a good job and don’t want your forstner bit to wander. Don’t half-[censored] the job. Undo the fasteners in the two bed boards and do the job the previous guy didn’t want to. It won’t take that much time, and you won’t have a 1 1/4” forstner chowdering your finished planks because you didn’t get good contact with your guide plank because you reused the double sided tape instead of replacing it for each new hole.
Line up the hole you want to drill and then clamp the board down to your drill press, or clamp your drill guide to your bed board so it won’t move. Then, drill comfortably knowing (not hoping) your bit isn’t going to wander.

Thinking about this. I would make a jig. Probably a good section of 3/4 inch plywood big enough
for you and someone else can have their weight on. With the diameter hole(1). Moving that around .
Using a paddle or Forstner bit.

Don't use a paddle bit. If the pilot point isn't supported, they'll flop around inside the hole and bugger things up. The full circle Forstner bit is the best solution. As was said above, once the perimeter of the bit enters the wood, it won't wander. If you do try a paddle bit, get one that has points at the outer part of the paddle. It'll cut a cleaner hole at the edge. The flat ones have a tendency to chip the edge of the hole.

. Using a jig will keep the bit centered.
Go slow.

Hello,

I finally got started on this and it went relatively good, but-- the two tail bolts didn't get drilled straight down and the head doesn't sit plain. I may try to fix this, because it looks wrong to me.

EDIT: wait a minute. Why was the head plain before and now isn't maybe I try to turn the washer some

The wood needs to be sanded and coated, so all will need to come out again tomorrow. Good thing is, it works.

I think if you do turn the washer it will sit pretty.

Okay, this is done now and I thought to give a review how it worked best.

Somewhere above is the hint of using a 1 1/4" forstner bit. This is too small. Even a 1 1/2" forstner is still not large enough, 1 5/8" or 1 9/16" would have been the right size. Non available at my local hardware shop.

The washers are stainless, so I sanded them on the belt sander to fit. I sanded the edges and inside of the counter sunk recess and triple applied urethane clear paint before installing the washer with the 3/8" SS carriage bolt. The washer can be turned in the recess, I used a fitting easy-out that one uses to remove broken-off bolts, since the tool is tapered, it can be easily set inside the washers 'star-shaped' hole to turn it.

Picture to follow.

The process was actually quickly done for the six holes. Just take your time for the actual drilling of the hole so you don't drill too deep!

You can buy the larger forstner bit on Amazon, probably also on McMaster Carr.

Mike, you are correct and I went to town yesterday and found a 1 5/8" forstner bit. Did a test run in a piece of oak and didn't approve - to sloppy!

The two rear washers where done with the 1 1/2" and I finished the other four with the 1 1/2 and carefully sanded the washers to fit!

One (or several) remark(s). When one buys and old piece of equipment one can't be picky, one wants it and knows there is work ahead and I never bought a 'rebuild' and was happy when it sits in my shop or garage. Same with this 1953 1/2 ton.

But some 'corner-cutting' I hate with passion. Examples: I take the nuts & washers off from below and notice already, flimsy, paper-thin SS washers with SS nuts, but mild steel lock washers in between! Next, I knock the carriage bolts up from below, clime into the box and try to pull the bolts out. The short bolts came, but the foot-long suckers in the front came until the threat hit the spacer blocks and it was over. Using a 5/16" long punch from below didn't work because hitting the bolt from below center-on didn't work. So, I put my hole-drilling template on top for protection and used several 'right-height' blocks to leverage the suckers out.

The problem was (and still is) that the 3/8" thread on the long, Chinese SS bolts is rolled-on, not cut from 3/8" material and the previous owner didn't open the blocks so the bolts can freely slide in. The later I fixed.

All nuts where only hand tight, one didn't even meet the frame.

Doing that, I noticed hammer and tool marks on the painted sides and angle strips. Now I have to figure-out the color and if possible the paint type & mix to carefully fix thus chip-marks .

Now the holes are done and coated twice, waiting to dry so I can install the washers, bolts & good heavy SS washers with SS nylock nuts.