We have the bed wood stained for our '52 chevy p/u and am wondering what would be best to topcoat it with? What about automotive clearcoat??
i used dupont chromaclear on a T dash in 1999 & it still looks good - spray light coats & let dry 48 hours between coats - mix hardener with it per instructions - i sprayed 6 light coats & the last coat was sprayed until i got a good sheen
Some of the marine finishes adhere well and have good UV protection. If you have a Boat-US shop, that would be a source.
If you're going to use it as a pickup bed I'd use some kind of oil. That way when it gets scratched it's repairable.
If your not going to use the bed I would use a marine polyurethane spar varnish. Spar varnish has UV protection and comes in gloss, semi-gloss and satin. 3 or 4 coats with a light sanding in between coats should do the job. Stay away from the water based varnish. Like LowKat said, use oil if your going to use the bed to haul stuff.
I was thinking spar varnish as well...I think we want a semi-gloss rather than full gloss what kind of oil? 99% sure the p/u will be used as a p/u...
I've used lots of different clearcoats on wood and due to the weather conditions here I've found that Marine Spar Varnish holds up the best. Put on 3 coats at a time and sand in between applications working down to 400 wet paper. Gives you a nice finish and it holds up. The Old Tinbasher
Most any kind of oil will work even motor oil. I use Tung oil or Linseed oil. Thin the oil 50% for the 1st coat so it will soak in well. 2nd coat, thin again about 25% and then apply straight out of the can for the last coat or as many coats as you want. Let it sit for a few days then rub it. You can reapply another coat anytime without sanding or prep other than cleaning. I'd also do both sides of the wood.
I have used Spar and Varathane exterior coatings on wood. If you park outside, and are a rain or shine driver, these coatings will not live more than 2-3 years. Auto clear coat on wood probably wouldn't last that long.
I just finished my bed....spar urethane, 4 coats top and bottom. The wood is ash, plus I stained it first, too. I'm pretty happy with it, I hope it lasts....
i used pelucid and it completely failed after 4 years my truck is always garaged seldom driven in the rain and dusted not washed if possible and like other por15 products if lid is not sealed with a plastic bag it will be hard the next morning in the can (unimpressed)
Hey, If you do go with an oil finish, I'd suggest Boiled Linseed Oil, never raw, as it won't dry. Stick the planks in a five gallon bucket with about an inch of sightly (with mineral sprits) thinned boiled linseed oil. Let them sit for four hours or so, wipe them off and dip the other ends in, adding more oil as necessary. This will seal the end grain, and prevent end grain splits and checks. Remove them and coat the top, sides & bottoms with a coat. Let them sit a couple days, scuff and recoat. If you let them dry a week or two, you can scuff or buff them to a semi gloss finish (French polish) and they'll hold up well in all weather. " Meanwhyle, back aboard The Tainted Pork"
I'd go with a spar urethane. brush on 3-4 coats with a sponge brush, sanding between coats up to 600. It's easy to patch if it's scratched too: just scuff the scratched area and lay in more spar urethane and sand up to 600 as before.
DUDE WE USED THAT LACQUER CLEAR FOR WOOD AND IT POLISHES AND COLORSANDS JUST LIKE AUTOMOTIVE PAINT, BUT JUST BE SURE TO POUND IT ON!!
If you do a search there is a few topics on this. here is one of my posts from last year sometime. "Finally! a subject I know something about and can offer advise on. I am a carpenter and a cabinet maker,& do a lot of restorations on old homes. if you are building a show piece (not a daily) You can use any of the above mentioned woods without problems. If you want to use the truck and need it to be tough and last, I would do the following. for the material I would use White Oak. It has superb decay resistance and is very tough, and will stand up to the every day abuse of a normal work truck. a nominal dimension of 1"x6" should be readily available from a real lumber yard or a local cabinet shop. after you cut and fit your pieces sand them to a finish you are happy with 120 grit should suffice. for finishing in a "natural" (no stain) I use a mix of equal parts Turpentine, boiled linseed oil, and a solvent based preservative. soak the boards very well, submerge them overnight if you can, let them dry, wipe em down, and your good to go. be careful which preservative you use, some, like the JASCO brand, are colored Green or Red, no problem if you are painting but that will nix a natural finish. Good Luck" Jim
I used Teak Oil on my bed wood. Has a nice satin finish and if scratched you just recoat the skinned areas on to restore the finish. But my bed has a cover and UV isn't a problem. For my "stakes" I used a Marine grade spar varnish with UV protectants that came in a tall bomb can. Got it a the local craftsman / woodworker place. It took two cans and I used fine steel wool to knock it down / sand it between each of 5-6 coats. Looks good. And I'm NO woodworker. Gary
For everyday use in a daily driver, I wpold recommend Tung Oil. It's tough, easy to apply and easy to repair if scratched.
I've had beautiful results using automotive urethane clear (ppg 4010). If you sand with a DA and 240, lay down a couple thick coats of clear, come back the next day, sand with 500 and 2 or 3 more coats of clear it will look amazing and last damn near forever. Really, really nice especially if you're going for looks but like any paint it will chip if used as a hauler.
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