Projects What wood should I use for my 59 apache bed?

I am putting new wood in the bed of my 59 Apache extended bed step side and I was curious what wood options are available. I'm not buying a 300 dollar kit when I can buy pine boards at 6.50 a board. This truck wont be a showpiece. That sort of rules out beautiful but soft wood. I have been running around the internet and asking at lumber yards so I figured before I pulled the trigger on pine I would see what you fine people have to say on the matter. What wood should I use? Thank you in advance for your input!

 

I've had decent luck with cheap pine, but you have to buy 10' boards because the wood needs to be 97", not 96" long


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Believe it or not I usually use plywood for the beds in my trucks. Save a couple of bed strips and rip it to size. I have tired to use on piece and it doesn't work well but if you rip it and use a minimum of 3 pieces it works really well.

I bought some pecan from a guy with a mill down the road hear a piece, it was 5 quarter rough cut we planed it and ripped it to width and length (first gen F100 long bed). It was funny because we just oiled it and used it as a hauler. But it wore well and never looked bad unless it was really dirty.

 

I'm with P'n'B on using plywood. On my 52 GMC 1/2 ton, I just reused all of the strips on top of the plywood. Used treated 3/4 plywood, and then sealed it with some good clear after cutting to size. Hardest part is being careful drilling all of the holes, and then tighten all of the nuts on back side. I used the stock crossmembers, and the bed floor looks good and is ready for work. For about $60 total for plywood, sealer, and hardware.

 

Just a thought,but check out a few salvage yards and see if you can find some old heart pine ripped out of warehouses or old factory's,it will be a tight grain and it's beautiful and will outlast us. HRP

 

I wouldn't use any of the current "environmentally friendly" treated lumber because it will attack and corrode any steel its in contact with, other than stainless, with a vengeance.

 

Don't know where you're at, look around for local saw mill guys and see what they're cutting. I saw an interesting bed done with odd sized boards, center was wide and got narrower as it went out, used stock strips, it was all just rough sawn, fit the old truck perfectly. Guy said he just had a hickory tree cut up and that's how it layed out. Bottom was tarred (driveway sealer), top was oiled.

If you want something unique talk to the cabinet makers locally and see if you can get in on an order.

 

Didn't the factory use Yellow Pine, tougher than all get out.

 

yeah, they used yellow pine....which around here at least, is more expensive than all get out.

 

They used the heart which is the hard part of any tree. Yellow pine heart wood is higher then a cats back but it wears like iron.

 

I would consider using some of that fake deck material like Trex or Evergrain, which my deck is made from. 12 years old, looks brand new... almost.

 

I'd look and see if you can get some salvage boards, maybe watch craigslist. My pickup has mahogany that a neighbor salvaged.

 

You guys nailed it yellow pine. Being a carpenter that was the first thing that popped into my head when pine was said. First was black Walnut and maple but i do a lot of trim work and the two look cool together.

 

I have seen red oak being used. Probably not the cheapest, but might last longer than other types of wood.

 

if you are going to choose oak use white oak......last a lot longer out side. my choice would be ash.

 

Mahogany decking is bulletproof, and usually cheaper than oak.
I've used it on many trucks, including my FrankenRod build.
As others have stated, stick with hardwoods for exterior use.
Finish, and how it's applied is critical too. I've had finishes bubble in the Sun, when applied too quickly and heavily.
Make sure you finish all edges, or the wood will cup/and/or split.

 

after running around and checking a bunch of lumber yards and the internet and then checking my wallet I wound up buying common pine at 6.75 a board. The way I figured it I have a couple years before I can put all the money into getting the body work I need done, fixing dents primer painting etc. So I decided to put something on that will work and I can replace at no heartburn when I go to really cherry the truck out. I'm taking the truck to a sandblaster to clean up the metal under the bed then paint it, I figure that'll help prolong the life of my truck. Thanks for the input guys!

 

I've been really thinking about Finishes and not having it bubble in the sun etc. What do you use to finish the boards on your trucks? I was thinking about just using super deck and Thompson water seal, just treating it like a deck.

 

Never had any luck w/thompsons , it's a surface coating , you want something that penetrates
dave

 

Teak oil, just rub in some more when it gets dull.

 

Marine spar with about 5 coats of polyurethane has been holding up well in my 53..

 

I'm very intrigued with the teak oil, because it seems cheap easy and effective. Like I said this is a temporary bed (5-10 years) until I get the cash together to really cherry it out. My question is if I stain the wood first how will that affect the teak oil?

 

Also I'm getting my board measurements from classic heartbeat.com does anyone know if these are 100% accurate? I'm about 20 minutes away from ripping 'em and routing them, the old wood was gone so I don't have a basis for comparison. I'm just trying to avoid making a 60$ mistake

 

Can't help on exact dimensions. If you're oiling or staining, use Minwax prestain wood conditioner or similar and allow to dry. I use danish wood oil, actually tung oil, on indoor and outdoor butcher block tables. The outdoor is a piece of bowling lane.
Use plenty of oil let it sit in the sun it will soak in.

 

if it is temporary, and you are using pine boards just prime and paint it. NOTHING protects wood better than paint.......and it is the way the factory did it.

 

Fir is harder than Pine,but just as easy to work with. It takes a stain well. It's available in several standard widths,so you could resemble the original wood.

 

I did a '52 GMC (No pics), and simply used black rustoleum oil paint. Brushed it on, and wiped it right off.
It looked like stain, and wore like iron. That's the way they came from the factory. And I know it sounds crazy, but that was a 100pt. restoration!

 

I started ripping the boards to the correct width and using a dado blade to cut the grooves in. My Dad has been helping me out and this has been the most fun I've have had all summer. I love working on this truck! The bed may not turn out showroom perfect but I have a feeling I'm going to love it.

 

glad your having fun!
you do not need a dado blade to make the rabbet. in fact the inside edge of the rabbet needs to be deeper so the curled edge of the bed strips fit into them. make the cut down the length first then, reset the blade and turn the board on its side and cut of the rabbet. also make sure you leave a 1/4" spacing between the boards for the bolts. this will allow the wood to expand and contract.

 

I would stain it like you would a deck. I use Polyurethane for tons of indoor things -like bench tops, but I would not use it on anything that sees regular outdoor duty. Water will get under it and rot it from the inside.

Kelvin