The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Making a Stovebolt Bed To groove bed wood or not?

Not sure if it's worth the extra work to make the grooves in the bed wood or not on my 1950 3600? I have the wood kit from the PO. I've read the mar-K web site and still not sure. I'm really not good at any wood work...

I would appreciate some opinions and even a few pics of your work.

Thanks.

After giving this some thought, I think it would help to 'groove' the bed wood. Don't be lazy... (said to myself)

Dave, PM sent

If you are going to install the metal bed strips, the edges are designed to fit down into the grooves so the flat part lays even with the wood. Grooves are pretty easy to do. Use a router, or even a table saw to edge the boards. Mske sure you finish the boards very well or you will have issues down the road. Cover front, back, edges, and holes. There are a few " how to's " on this board for finishing options / materials.

find a cabinet shop in your area and ask them what they would charge to run the board through their dado saw, I would think 30-50 bucks if you would walk in our shop.

Thanks all. As I understand the drawings, there's one slot that the strips fit in to, but looking at the mar-k web site's drawing, there's also some surface taken off between the slot and the edge of the board. Is that necessary also?

OR, is that only for mar-K bed bed strips?

mar-k

The metal strips edge is lower than the center where the bolts pass through. If you don,t cut the edge grooves you will pull the center of the strip down. You could put a spacer ,washer, between the stripand wood. You will see the end profile of the strip when you drop the tail gate. Also I think the center syrips will be higher than the edge ones welded to the bed side. Its alooks thing. You can cut thegrooves with a router or table saw. I would like them recessed as orig.

Do it the way MAR-K shows. It is way too much work to put the bed together in the first place. Do it right with no regrets.

Check this website. Gives dimensions and groove measureents for the boards.

http://speedprint.com/deves50/bedwood.php

Just finished installing new planks. Actually, its ply. Being that I live in the UK it was going to cost big-time either to import or have milled here. Also I had the niggling suspicion the more effort I put in the less likely I would be to throw stuff in. I cut everything by hand, the ply was surplus so time itself was the pricipal element in this whole exercise. I wasn't even going to treat but in the end did (Owatrol Textrol). What money I did spend was on stainless fasteners (button head socket). I utilized the old strips, had them blasted and powder coated. Used nylocks directly beneath strips to hold bolts in place in same way coach bolts work and because I didn't groove, the nylocks also kept the gap between the boards in place. Yes I seriously considered routing grooves to keep all looking flush but figured my hand cut planks would be humiliated by my factory cut strips irrespective of how straight I thought I could cut and how straight they looked. If my boards were workshop straight then yes I'd definitively go all grooved up. I really had no choice, though have as yet had only praise heaped on the finished project. And yes, it now does all look too fussed over to throw stuff at. Did I just walk into a post I knew was there?

No worries. We'd like to see some pictures when you get time. I like the idea of the nylocks. I'll be interested to see how they work. I have new strips and wood that the previous owner of the truck purchased (several years ago) so I'm using what I have. Will be putting the grooves in today so will have some pics posted soon. The bed of the truck is being painted (followed by the rest of the truck) so hopefully things will come together bu June or so...

Never did get your name?? Welcome to the forum!

OK, so an update.. Rick (CASO) was nice enough to take a few hours from his projects and help me cut, plane and grove the wood for my truck bed. We started out using the planer to make a square end, then ripped the boards to the correct width... Then we used the table saw to make cuts for the 1/4 inch groove. Then we used a router to take about 1/8 inch off the end surface. We finished using the chop saw to square up the ends at the correct length.

Now it's up to me to sand and finish. I'm using an orbital sander with 150 then 220 grit, then finish with 220 on a block. I think it will work OK.

I'm planning on staining (dark) then using a spar varnish (several coats) and call it good. I have one knot to fill in a bit with wood filler but overall, I hope it will come out OK..

I've updated the paint album with some pics from this morning's activities..

Enjoy..

paint progress.

I just realized, looking at the ends, I picked out the tops by 'better' looking rather then how I should have. I read somewhere that if you look at the grain, you should have it 'cupped' up I 'think' ??

Anyone remember reading this?

You don't say what kind of wood you used. Was it kiln dried before you started or " green " ? With KD material, you shouldn't experience much warping - select the up-face for appearance. Finished / sealed properly, it should not check or warp much.

The wood is KD Oak that I've had for at least 2 years. Thanks for the input. Good idea.

Updated with new sanding and stain sample.



more paint progress

OK, so making progress. I have my wood planks stained and layed out on saw horses. Now my questions is as I am finishing them, the only way I know is to do one side at a time then let is dry, then the other side. According to the sealer I am using (minwax HELMSMAN spar urathane) it takes 24 hours to dry between coats. So... I would have to do one side, let it dry, do the other, let it dry, sand/scuff then recoat. That's a lot of waiting, flipping, etc...

I was considering using some nails extending through a board to have the planks rest on, but I don't want nail holes in the wood.

Any ideas? I hope this question is making sense.

Thanks.

watching paint dry is for lazy folks don't need to do multiple coats on any side all in a row, you can flip them and do a coat on the other side as soon as they're dry to the touch, much less than 24 hours, when all boards have a coat both sides, do something else till dinner time, one day do first coat all sides [don't forget the ends], next day do another coat all sides, repeat until all the varnish is gone

Bill

Thats the process as I've known it. I guess you could set a row of screws to rest them on for small surface area but keep them off the bottoms maybe?
Make sure your doing the edges and ends each coat to build them a good seal you won't have as easy access when you go to reseal in a few years.

Thanks Bill. I forgot about the 'dry to touch' time... I think the directions said 4-6 hours.

I also like the 'repeat' until all varnish is gone....

Sir, you'll never put so much as a silk cravat in that thing.

Silk cravat.. scarf? Na, but hope to use it for some things..

Anyway, here's an update. Just put the first coat of urethane on it this morning. I cut it 50/50 with some acetone. It went on well. Here's the bottom drying. I'll do the top after it's dry to the touch (4-6 hours or later today).. Sunshine and temps in the 50s today. Nice day along the coast.

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Just an update. I just finished putting the 4th and final coat of spar urethane on the top side this morning. I'll take some pics later and post them. I think they came out too good and now it's going to be hard to put things in the bed of the truck!

Overall, I'm pleased with the results. Thanks for all the support and help. I've learned a lot along the way. I live in a very mild wet Clement so I suspect I'll have to repeat this process in years to come. I hope I can get at least a few years before having to re-seal.

Here's a few pics... The stain is a minwax expresso. The sealer is minwax HELMSMAN spar urethane and I've completed 4 coats. I this that's enough...

I would really like to see some pics of what other's have done.

Thanks.

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pic3

I'm working on my 59 3800 1-ton 9ft bed right now. This is my second time building a wooden floor bed, I replaced the bed on my daily driver 1980 GMC first I took what was left of the wood planks and used a piece of it for a templet, I then went to a country sawmill and bought number 2 oak I had it planed and sanded on one side, I took it all to a friend that is a retired carpenter he used a router to duplicate the original cut in the wood from the templet. He said any cabinet shop can do it for you, I then ordered new bed strips from mar-k had them powder coated went to a local nut&bolt store and got all stainless hardware it looks almost original and works fine. I went too lowes and got some deck stain and water seal. Now the oak is not super beautiful like the high dollar stuff in the catalogs it has knots but I think it gives it nice look. The oak was only $40 the powder coating $70 $40 for the hardware and I think $100 or the strips . I've started the same process on my 59 3800 ton looks just the same as the 80 GMC only 1ft longer the cost was almost the same you could do all this without routing the groves in the wood, but when the stips are in the groves and the wood gets dry it tightens everything up just right This is just a cheepskates way of doing it but it workd for me

How about posting a few pictures of what you put together?

Well I got my bed in last weekend! Its a pickup again. I used beech wood and used deck stain and then urethane on the bottom end and edges including the grooves. I left the top with just stain because that way you can recoat with no hassel. It will be a daily driver and out in the weather.

Do you have any pics of your work? I assume you have the 9 board set up?

look in my stove photobucket link.

I only saw one picture in the album. Can you take a few more of your work? Is that an eight board set up? Are the strips between the wood stainless or painted? What hardware did you use?

Thanks.

I added several pictures. It is 7 boards wide the side boards are the widest at 7.25 inches. The rails and bolts are all polished stainless. Any place wood touched metal/paint I used a rubberized roof flashing. You can see it on the cross members. I hope that answers you question. I still have to mount the spare tire carrier and the exhaust pipe heat deflector.

Thanks so much Gene.

It looks great. What color is your truck? Is that the 'export' blue with some white mixed in? BC/CC I assume? I'm going with the trucks original color (windsor blue) which looks close to yours. I'm also using 9 boards so a few more stips. I like the idea of roof flashing.

Hi dave yours looks like it is coming right along. It looks great. I restored a 1953 20 plus years ago. Yes I shooting for export blue. I don,t like the tan interior so I did that in black and blue. I hope to be done this summer. It will be my daily driver to work if all goes well. If I can answer any questions let me know. I just got my rechromed grill. Next the doors.

Great Gene. Please keep in touch. I'm sure you get over to the coast at times, so let me know. Sounds like we have a similar schedule. my email in on my user profile.