The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Making a Stovebolt Bed Satin, Semi-Gloss, or Gloss

My boards are Red Oak.

Ready to buy some Helmsman Spar Urethane.

It comes in a Satin, Semi-Gloss or Gloss.

Which finish is the preferred choice?

I used gloss, 7 coats worth. Sanding in between coats with 220 grit paper. Just my choice!

I like the gloss also.

George

Gloss

Gloss. Easier to keep clean. I did the same as coach-frank, 7 coats, sanded in between.

Looks like gloss is a winner.
I wasn't sure before, but now I know.
Gloss for me.

Thanks for your help.

You might check out our article on the different finishes we have tested for bed wood. See the links:
http://www.mar-k.com/wood_finish_testing_i.html
http://www.mar-k.com/wood_finish_testing_ii.html

Hope these help!

Great articles. Thanks for the testing info.

From your final update and summary -

"Most of these samples eventually failed at the edges of the boards next to the bedstrips."

"Expansion of the boards due to weather changes may have caused the bedstrips to become tight against the edges of the boards. The extreme amount of rain and snow in the last 8 months probably caused the boards to expand and possibly weakened the finish next to the bedstrips."

"Be sure to allow clearance between the strips and the wood to allow for expansion...."

How much clearance, if any, between the bottom of the bed strip that fits into the deeper grooves in the wood. Not the flat area on the bottom of the bed strip, but I'll call them the two sharp edges on the bottom of the bed strip.

Is it possible these "edges" are cutting into the wood or removing the finish during movement/expansion?

Should the flat area on the bottom of the bed strip touch the wood before the 2 edges? Or touch at the same time?

Tom, there was some discussion a while back and the idea came up to router, or round off, the sharp edges so that it would not be so prong to finish breaking down. Once any finish cracks ect the water will get "under" it and the problem sets in. Thus rounding off the sharp edges a little would help keep the finish from "breaking" on the sharp edge.....Makes sense to me and I will try it on my next project or if I ever do have to redo my 37 bedwood...Just food for thought.

chip - the rounding [can be as slight as sliding a fine file along the edge then sanding well] is so the finish will adhere there, which it doesn't on a sharp corner, where there's actually a line of virtually no finish - that's why fiberglas work always has some type of coving where 2 planes meet, so the film thickness doesn't "pull back" from the inside or outside angle

Bill

Right on Red58. Two thumbs up!

Rounding off the edges on the wood makes sense to me too and I will be sure to do that. Cause I don't want to re-do the bed in a year or two. It's taking long enough now!

What about the bottom/underside of the metal strips? I'm
concerned that the bottom of the metal strips could crack the finish? It looks like the two outer edges on the bottom side of the metal bed strip is going to dig into the wood no matter what you do.

I have cut the deeper groove in the wood to accept the strip. On the top side of the bed the strip is just slightly higher than the wood and fits real nice.

Now, looking at the underside of the bed, the metal strip two outside edges is resting/digging in the wood. The center of the strip, which is higher (where the bolt, washer, & nut are) is not resting on the wood.

Should the center area on the bottom of the metal strip also rest on the wood or just the two outside edges?

I don't think you'll avoid metal to wood contact, the strips are to hold the wood in place, but if ya wanna worry about it, put a good finish on the back of the skids, and of course make sure the outer 'feet' of the strip is smooth and doesn't have any sharp edge from the stamping

Bill

Bill,

Although I have never installed bed wood & strips,
I know you can not "avoid metal to wood contact."

And yes you're right, I'm starting to "worry about it" because I can't figure it out and I'm probably doing something wrong.

I know the 2 edges/"feet", touch the wood. That's not the problem.

In addition to the two edges/"feet",

I'm trying to understand why the flat area (appx. 3/4") on the bottom of the bed strip is not resting on the wood?

It seems to me, without this extra support, the two edges/feet will act like a chisel and work its way into the wood until it bottoms out, splitting the wood.

personally, I wouldn't worry about it, but then I wouldn't use a high gloss varnish for a truck bed!

the design is partly to allow for expansion and contraction of the wood with humidity changes, and if the flat underside is pressing on the wood, then the wood will be 'sliding' against it, if the 'feet' press on it, then there'll be movement there instead, which is why you want to also make sure the stamped edge of those 'feet' is also smooth, so it can slide, rather than cut ... also why I'd recommend the back of the skids be well painted ... and note that the wood will be expanding/contracting up/down as well as side to side, the same as if the bolts were constantly being tightened and loosened

the primary reason those skids are there is to protect the face of the boards from cargo, and likley the wood under them was unfinished originally, the bed floor assembly being painted as a unit, especially the years when they were body color rather than black .... and a lot of beds still have sound wood 50-60 years later

you're concerned with preserving a nice glossy finish in a situation that was not designed to have that kind of finish, so you just hafta be prepared to refinish the "furniture quality" work as necessary, it won't last the same number of decades that the wood itself will, might not last even 2 or 3 depending on your climate exposure and use

Bill

There is another article you might look at:
http://www.mar-k.com/wood_finishing.html

From that article is some information on step #4:
"Failure of the finish usually occurs first at a sharp edge of the board or at the ends. Two hints:
1. Round over all the sharp edges of the wood to at least 1/16” radius and more if you can. This will keep the coating from becoming thin on these areas.
2. Be sure to saturate the ends of the boards with the coating until they will not absorb any more. We try to put twice as many coats of finish on the ends of the boards as on the surfaces."

You want the flat part of the strip to make contact with the wood before the edge of the strip. This allows movement without cutting into the finished material in the groove. The finish you use will build up more in the groove, so be sure to allow for that when you are cutting the groove.

Thank you Mar-Ktech for helping me understand the bed strip and the importance of having the flat part contact the wood before the edges of the strip.

I'm using your angle strips, bed strips and bed bolt kit. They are high quality parts. Also, the instructions/assembly guide that came with them made the job go very smooth. Thanks again.