The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop 9 board or 8....

I'm figuring parts for my bed and not really sure wether I should get part for 8 or 9 board..... I guess they don't really matter as far as looks I will probably like both but the only thing I have to question is putting a tank under the bed. Of you put the filler in the bed floor you would need a board running directly center for cosmetic looks right? Other wise the filler would be off center.... Any help or suggestions on this is greatly appreciated, thanks.

Nevermind I just figured out that the 54 has a 9 board.... I'm still not sure why they sell an 8 and 9 board cross sill for the 54 bed if it had a 9 board bed.

Of anyone could so kindly as to point me in the right direction for a bolt kit to put it back together minus the wood... If it comes with the wood bolts so be it they'll get used eventually but I need a kit that bolts the sills and front panel back up. Only thing I have found is a whole body set

Most vendors will have bolt kits. Mar-K, Classic, Jim Carter, etc..

Since I am going to paint the bolts (carriage heads) I went with the standard. Would have liked to go polished stainless, but $$$$$


Let me/us know if you need any help along the way. I just finished the wood for mine. Still working on paint, etc...

Here's my picture album. Hope this helps.

pictures

I just finished my bed its 7 boards. The widest was 7.25 inches. I suspect the reason people use more boards is availability of wide lumber. It costs more than narrower strips. The advantage of narrower strips is that they will likely cup less. It requires additional bed strips and bolts however. I bought a complete stainless set from Chev's of the 40's but they bought it from Mar-K. It included the strip bolts and the bed to frame bolts. All great quality.

I see there's a stainless and a HIGH polished stainless bolt kit. The high polished kits are $$$$$ I think 150 for the strip bolt kit and another 150 for the bed to frame bolt kit. wow...

The switch from 9 board bed to 8 board bed took place in 1951 (one source states mid 1950, but that might be a typo error).

I looked at some bolts kits last night but in not sure exactly which I will need. There's a full body kit which I don't have the money to get now dr to buying the bed sheet metal that I'm not fixing. Does the bed to frame include the bolts putting the sheet metal back together or just bolting it to the frame? If anyone can answer that it would help a lot!

looks good! Thanks for offering to help in advance I'm sure I will have some more questions along the way!

Boss,

You should call the vendor of the bolt kit to be sure of what is included.

The bed-bolt kits I have bought did not have bed sheet metal assembly bolts.

Bed Bolt kit I purchased from Jim carter only contained the carriage bolts that hold the bed strips / wood planks to the cross sills, as well as the ( 6 ) larger bolts with offset enter washers that hold the bed to the frame. As previously suggested, confirm with vendor exactly what they include. You could also purchase locally from Hardware store or Marine Supply store ?

I ended up finding a kit just for the front bed panel from classic parts... My next question is about the angle strip... Is that the peice that's welded on the lower side of each side panel? If so how do most go about removing the old one without doing to much damage to the side panel. I was thinking an air chisel but not sure

How do you plan on attaching the replacement angle strips?
Will you be painting the new strips (if they are stainless steel)?

We used a spot-weld cutter to remove the old strips and we (my friend, Dave) will "plug weld" the replacement strips to the bed sides. In this bed, the strips will be painted the bed color.

I have access to a spot welder.. I wasn't exactly sure on how the best way was to reattach or even if they were visible with the wood in. I'm open to any suggestion on reattaching if spot welding isn't a good idea.

Wait to hear from a welder.

If I had access to a spot welder, that would be my choice.

Wait also to hear from someone with advice/experience removing the spot-welded angle strips from the bed side, without drilling through the bedside.

My bed didn't have any wood in it and was pretty bad.. The only this I was able to save is the side panels and they are a little work

These aren't spot welds on it now... It looks like about and inch long weld about every couple inches or so on the top and bottom from behind the angle strip... How it was welded like that I have no idea... Beyond my welding knowledge.

I don't think was original.

I just took an angle grinder and ground through the angle to the bed side. It popped right off. It was easy and you could control the depth. I then drilled holes through the bed side and plug welded the new angles to the bed side. I clamped an aluminum strip on inside bed part of the angle this helps prevent burn through. I also painted the back of the angle and the bed where the angle is on the side. I used some dime store self-sticky dots to keep the paint off the angle at the weld points. You have to be very careful about the front to back position as this will affect the position of the bed on the frame. The height from the bottom edge is important to give you the right space between the front and rear supports. 3/4 inch for wood. Mar-K has most if not all the spacing requirements and how to attach the angle on their web site.