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| | | | Joined: Aug 2004 Posts: 86 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Aug 2004 Posts: 86 | I need to replace the bed of my 59 Viking 60. Oak is too expensive so who votes for fir vs. treated pine. Sawed utility poles make great decking but are harder to get and not very pretty.
Matt
"Brunhilde II" '59 Viking 60
To paraphrase Ben Franklin: "Big Bolts are proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy"
| | | | | Joined: May 2005 Posts: 8,878 . | | . Joined: May 2005 Posts: 8,878 | Douglass fir, preferably old with tight grain, would be my choice of the above.
Quarter sawn white oak is still my first choice for a truck bed, not considering the imported or exotic woods.
There is much discussion in the bed forum about what type of wood is best, take a look there for more ideas.
Grigg | | | | | Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 2,733 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 2,733 | Treated SYP is still the best for a rugged and inexpensive truck body floor for a flatbed. Grigg's suggestion of quarter sawn oak surely must be as a pickup body floor. Thats what they make furniture from. SYP is hard, sturdy, cheap and available. Used motor oil can even be put on it as a preservative tho' I'm not suggesting it. It is the material still used by nearly all the major body builders that provide wooden floors. It can also be had in shiplap or T&G. | | | | | Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 73 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 73 | Used motor oil can even be put on it as a preservative tho' I'm not suggesting it. It is the material still used by nearly all the major body builders that provide wooden floors. It can also be had in shiplap or T&G. i use that trick on my trailers  | | | | | Joined: Jan 2008 Posts: 502 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Jan 2008 Posts: 502 | Wow, 1/4 sawn white oak for a truck bed. I wish I had some for inside wood projects. I can't disagree with Greg on a beautiful choice but the cost might hurt.
I'm selling some logs this year to the mill because when Ike came thru it brought down 14 big trees here on my place and I can't use that many all at once.
I wish I had a saw mill cause I'd cut these up and let you guys have them for chump change. There were only a couple of white oaks the rest were red oaks.
If those mills didn't cost so much I'd already have one,and I keep my eyes open for a used one or a good deal but they don't seem to come along or if it does it happens to be way far away.
Quarter sawn doesn't seem to be the popular cut these days, and when I asked one mill why they said its just hard keeping up with the straight sawn orders and wood loss is greater with 1/4 sawn. Back to work- 7 more trees to cut up.
Dan
Remember your freedom - US Veterans provided it.
101st Screaming Eagles
| | | | | Joined: Jul 2008 Posts: 176 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Jul 2008 Posts: 176 | Where I live, 8' plainsawn white oak 2 x 12's cost about $16 apiece, which seems worth it, considering their strength, hardness, und rot resistence. | | | | | Joined: Nov 2008 Posts: 544 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Nov 2008 Posts: 544 | I don't think we could even get 2x12x8 in whatever the lumberyard has onhand in a soft wood for $16, much less white oak.
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