Looking for some photos of different woods in pickups. I'd like to get something really nice for my '59 pickup. Looking at this site http://bedwoodandparts.com/
I don't have any picks, but Im looking into ipe for my 56. 1x6's are $4.45 per ft. from the decking supply. So, about $325 for the materials. Bedwood gets $1500 for the same. Im sure theres is a better end product, but I can drill some holes a route edges enough to be happy with it.
If you want to do the work on the boars yourself there should be plenty of hardwood suppliers that sell to the boat builders within a decent drive from you. From there it's what your imagination and wallet will handle.
I wouldn't buy any hardware before you check these guys out... http://www.mar-k.com/ Oak painted black....
they got oak boards at Home Depot 1/2 mile from my shop. I have a tape measure, drill bits and router already. the wood in your link looks a bit overpriced to me.
The kits being offered aren't Home Depot boards. They are ripped to fit (notice boards are different widths, depending on where they go in the bed), and edges are profiled for the particular metal strip design (for most, this means a small dado cut down each side). Is that worth the extra dollars? Maybe, maybe not... depends on how much time and effort you want to put into making those Home Depot boards work, and whether you have the skills and equipment to do it. Having said that, it's not terribly difficult for someone moderately capable at woodworking, and who has a table saw. Google around to get the board measurements for your particular vehicle and you're halfway there.
I would recommend that you look around at various woods and do your own millwork. My son is a cabinet maker and is going to help me get the wood milled for my truck. You will save yourself quite a bit by doing it yourself and it is not that difficult.
Not exotic, but I used ash......had it cut by a local cabinet shop. Stained with Light Oak stain and then many coats of clear. Real pretty (to me), but too nice.... I have to cover it to haul anything.
I am a cabinetmaker for over thirty five years....go to certainly wood.com, they are a veneer manufacturer but have great photos online of all kinds of domestic and exotics. Try out sipo... It is a south American " mahogany". Very hard, beautiful grain. Ipe' doesn't take finish well. Brazilian cherry is a choice also. Quilted and any figured maple would be awesome......any questions about workability or finishing pm me!
that's funny. yes you have to cut and mill the edges of your Home Depot boards to fit your truck. that is why they are cheaper. some people buy a kit for everything, other people build thier own. I would build my own. wood is easy to work with.
Something you guys might want to think about with using Cherry is that it is a photosensitive wood. That is, it will dramatically darken over time with exposure to sunlight. So, you go to a carshow with a cooler and other **** in your box, and you leave it out in the sun all day. You'll faintly be able to see where everything was sitting. Don't believe me? Take a cherry board and tape half of it off and leave it outside for a day. You'll see the difference. Finish will only slow this process down, not eliminate it.
Cherry will darken with time, furniture from the 1800's is much darker and redder than new cherry. But sunlight will actually bleach the red out of cherry and make it lighter like maple. I have refinished several cherry tables that sat in front of a window and the sun facing side is yellow while interior side is still red.
If you're actually gunna use the bed..... Pressure treated yellow pine, right of the shelf at the harware store... Read this .... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=463308&highlight=bed+wood
Be careful with pressure treated lumber. The latest treatment (ACQ) will eat metal, even stainless. I have seen it eat aluminum flashing in less than six months.
Oak with Pot***ium dichromate as a chemical stain (Pot***ium dichromate is used to stain certain types of wood by darkening the tannins in the wood. It produce deep, rich browns that cannot be achieved with modern color dyes.)
Four years, 15000 miles, hauls everything, always stored outside... and it still looks like new. Rich
could you please tell me what wood and stain you used, and what wood tools you needed, I'm doing a off frame on my 56 F100 and was going to buy a kit but they are a little over priced once shipping is included and would like to do it on my own
I would recommend White Ash It is cheap because of the ash borer killing so many trees. Treated yellow pine is not very dry or stable when you buy it. Might be OK if you let it dry inside for a year. It still wont finish well. The old woodies used Maple or White ash.
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