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| | | Forums66 Topics128,130 Posts1,056,720 Members48,454 | | Most Online14,466
Apr 26th, 2026 | | AD Chevy Trucks  Over 6,000 pictures Brad Allen has an awesome collection of Chevrolet factory pictures that he has set up from film strips. Check them out!
Lots of work on Brad's part ... pure enjoyment (and references) for you!
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For helping keep this great
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on the Internet for over 30 years! and not clogged down
with Ads!  Again, thanks!
| | | | Joined: Jan 2002 Posts: 866 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jan 2002 Posts: 866 | Finally finished our 53 bed this week. My nephew came out and sprayed the Vortex bed liner on Sunday. We sprayed 3 sides and the bed strips. Forgot just how long it takes to put all those nuts and bolts back in. The Cherry and Purpleheart came out OK. Put some photos on photbucket if you would like to see the finished product. http://s159.photobucket.com/albums/t160/sworden73/ | | | | | Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 382 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 382 | Wow, that is beautiful!  My brother had commented to me a few years ago when I was building my '82 Chevy stepside that I should use purple heart. Couldn't quite picture at the time what it would have looked like, so I chickened out & went the easy route with oak.  Gonna have to keep that in mind when I get to the point of doing that. Great job! | | | | | Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 20 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 20 | Beautiful wooden bed; diamond plate w/ diamonds couldn't look any better.
tomo | | | | | Joined: Jan 2002 Posts: 866 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jan 2002 Posts: 866 | Thanks, Hawk and Tomo. It was nice to get it done. Now to fire up the crate engine for the first time. | | | | | Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 784 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 784 | Hey Coach, that is a thing of beauty. I know from experence that there is a lot of work there. I like the way the purpleheart goes with the color of your truck.
Keep up the good work
George | | | | | Joined: Apr 2004 Posts: 888 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Apr 2004 Posts: 888 | Coach,
As a carpenter by trade I love the way it looks!! Great job
Dan | | | | | Joined: Sep 2005 Posts: 99 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Sep 2005 Posts: 99 | That bed looks amazing. I really hope that you used a UV block type coating. That purpleheart will darken to almost black and the cherry to a nice chocolate brown in the sunlight. I know this from having built a harp and from both woods and other furniture at other times that got to sit in a window. The part that was in the sunlight is definately darker than the other. Just thought I would give a word of warning to keep it covered if you can. | | | | | Joined: Jan 2002 Posts: 866 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jan 2002 Posts: 866 | I used two coats of Watco teak oil, which has uv blockers, plus 7 coats of Helmsman spar urethane that also has uv blockers. I know the Cherry will still darken as I have built many cabinets out of cherry wood. First try at purpleheart, the lumberyard man said that the teak oil worked for his customers that used purpleheart in their boats. Only time will tell. I do know that if it gets too dark that I can run it thru the planner again to take off the darkness from the purplehart and restore the purple color. Would definitely be a project to put 7 coats of urethane back on it again though. I guess I will just have to see what happens. Total cost of the bed was $178 | | |
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