Bed Wood restoration

**Cribbs74** Wed Dec 02, 2020 12:03 am

My old bed wood was literally falling off as I drove so I decided it was high time to replace it. Last time I did this was 13yrs ago it was a pain then and a pain now. You would think you would have to just cut 7 1x8 boards to length, but not so. The inner 5 boards require 7 cuts a piece, the outer 2 require 5 a piece. Grand total of 45 cuts if you do it right the first time. This is assuming the bed is perfectly square and every hole and bed strip lines up perfectly. Yeah, so my bed wasn’t perfectly square and it required a lot of massaging to get it back into shape. It also caused me to have to cut nearly double the required amount.

Compound that with welding in new angle strips on a 48yr old bed that is dented and surface rusted. Then once that is all done you have to get over 60 bolts to line up perfectly to put it back together. Rolling Eyes

I started this project last Tuesday and I am nearing completion. Bed should go back on tomorrow, then I need to weld and massage the tailgate as it’s not straight either. I am attaching a before and after picture.

Ron

OhBee Wed Dec 02, 2020 1:08 am

Oooh,SWEET! It's that hot 360 that torqued your box out of square!

Ken Cook Wed Dec 02, 2020 3:55 am

I've done 2 of them and it's a lot of work. First was a Lil Red using ash and my neighbor has a Warlock which I did in white oak. I did the Lil Red when I was in high school and to date it's still holding up well. The oak is not so good, it can be repaired but the open grain created a lot of lifting and checking. I did the Warlock 10 years ago. Rabbeting in the retaining strips was a bit of a task. It would take 3 passes per board otherwise it would chunk and tear out. My neighbor bought polished stainless and most of the holes were off which we spent a lot of time with a uni bit opening up the holes in the channels.

getback Wed Dec 02, 2020 6:57 am

Man that looks GOOD i envy your energy !! I have never taking a bed off a truck and it does look like a lot of work for sure >> since it was out of sq. let me ask , could you have not used a port-a-power (rent) to put it back in sq. or would that have made it not fit back on the truck? Huh...

Paint next?! Snowman

**Cribbs74** Wed Dec 02, 2020 11:32 am

Ken,

Glad I am not alone in the pain, I originally had yellow pine in the bed, but went with Oak this go around. Expensive at $30 a board. I took a lot of measurements before I welded the angle strips on, luckily I only had one hole that didn’t play nice. I was only off a little so I just opened up the underneath bed hole a little. My biggest issue was the fore and aft meaaurment. I was over an inch off with the bed strip alignment. I had to unbolt the bed front and reshape it as over the years the bottom was pushed forward from stuff slamming into it.

Eric, everything unbolts on that bed and it can be manipulated by hand with a little bit of effort and a big hammer. The box itself is 4 separate panels minus the tailgate.

OhBee. That bed needed attention long before I installed the 360, it probably just finished it off!

I love this truck so to me it’s worth it.

rsv1cox Wed Dec 02, 2020 5:24 pm

Wow, beautiful Ron. Nothing like natural wood for that good feeling feel.

But, TREX, that stuff will outlive your truck.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Trex-Transcend-1-in-x-5-5-in-x-1-ft-Tiki-Torch-Composite-Decking-Board-Sample-TTT90000/302673448?MERCH=REC-_-pipsem-_-302673464-_-302673448-_-N

and you don't have to worry about scaring it up.

dckrsn Wed Dec 02, 2020 7:05 pm

Apropo of nothing, except it is a Dodge.
Bob

Marleysky Wed Dec 02, 2020 7:32 pm

Ron, that really looks fantastic! That oak should last a good long time if your just hauling dirt bikes and quads. What cuts am I missing, left side, right side, Front(top), back (bottom) first 4 . Are there tongue and groove to fit in the side in between?
I had a 85 Chevy El Camino, moved just about everything in the back of it. 20 years later the ONLY part of the vehicle that didn’t have any rust was the bed!

NEW222 Wed Dec 02, 2020 7:49 pm

Amazing work there Ron. Looks great, and I am sure that even though your pictures do make it look great, I am sure that they do not do it justice as compared to seeing it in person. Keep up the good work!

**Cribbs74** Wed Dec 02, 2020 7:56 pm

No tongue and groove, you have to cut each side twice to make the groove for the bed strip, then cut to length and then 2 passes through the planer. Looking down the board end it looks like this:

dckrsn Wed Dec 02, 2020 9:53 pm

Labors of love produce the richest of rewards.
Really nice work, Ron.
Bob

Marleysky Wed Dec 02, 2020 10:20 pm

Cribbs74 wrote:No tongue and groove, you have to cut each side twice to make the groove for the bed strip, then cut to length and then 2 passes through the planer. Looking down the board end it looks like this:

Pictures worth a 1000 words, sketch’s are worth more!! Thanks for sharing!
Yup, woodworking is like model building, just bigger sticks.
loving your craftsmanship.

OhBee Thu Dec 03, 2020 8:16 am

Whens the new paint coming?....

NEW222 Thu Dec 03, 2020 8:41 am

Wow. I was wondering how and why you mentioned so many cuts per board. I never knew, and only thought they were straight boards with a simple joiner between. But apparently that was not the case. Learn something new every day!

OhBee Thu Dec 03, 2020 9:12 am

I've removed and reinstalled several boxes...but never did the woodwork R&R !

**Cribbs74** Thu Dec 03, 2020 9:31 am

Yeah, it looks simple, you could get away with cutting boards to length and bolting the strips on top of the wood. Problem is sliding things in and out of the bed would be impossible. The factory did it this way for a reason.

If I had a Dado blade I could have done it in one pass per side. I had a table saw so It took more cuts to make it right. Might have gone faster if I was a carpenter.

I’d rather be working on the Super Clown, but this had to get done.

OhBee Thu Dec 03, 2020 11:57 am

Well you need diversity in your projects....trust me...As its too cold here for garage work,all I've done is model work at the bench in the basement. ...Frankly I'm getting tired of this plane!

rsv1cox Thu Dec 03, 2020 12:06 pm

OhBee wrote:Well you need diversity in your projects....trust me...As its too cold here for garage work,all I've done is model work at the bench in the basement. ...Frankly I'm getting tired of this plane!

I can sympathize OB, nothing like getting outside in the fresh air and getting your hands dirty.

Only 120 days left of this stuff. Shortest day/longest night of the year comes in couple of weeks, then the days start getting longer. O dark hundred at 1630 is no fun.

dckrsn Thu Dec 03, 2020 5:48 pm

Cribbs74 wrote: Might have gone faster if I was a carpenter.

"If I Were A Carpenter"
Bob

roddie Thu Dec 03, 2020 6:25 pm

Beautiful work Ron. Looks really nice!

**Cribbs74** Thu Dec 03, 2020 9:55 pm

dckrsn wrote:
Cribbs74 wrote: Might have gone faster if I was a carpenter.
"If I Were A Carpenter"
Bob

I stand corrected.... Thanks Tim Hardin. Laughing

crankbndr Fri Dec 04, 2020 6:31 am

That oak looks nice in there! I should hold up well with a good oil finish that soaks in well, maybe 20 W synthetic. Laughing

Will darken though.
Price of lumber is going up, crazy! Tree huggers I suspect.
I was a carpenter 40 yrs, retired now. Since you have a table saw and did that nice restro work I say you are an honorary carpenter!! lol!

rsv1cox Fri Dec 04, 2020 8:41 am

Cribbs74 wrote:
dckrsn wrote:
Cribbs74 wrote: Might have gone faster if I was a carpenter.
"If I Were A Carpenter"
Bob

I stand corrected.... Thanks Tim Hardin.

And Emily Post, grammar checker, etc. etc. Smile

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=if+i+were+a+carpenter+and+you+were&ru=%2fsearch%3fq%3dif%2bi%2bwere%2ba%2bcarpenter%2band%2byou%2bwere%26form%3dWNSGPH%26qs%3dSW%26cvid%3d6aa4e75d9101492db10899441ce382cb%26pq%3dif%2bi%2bwere%2ba%2bcarpenter%2band%2byou%2bwere%26cc%3dUS%26setlang%3den-US%26PC%3dHCTS%26nclid%3dD3444C275672C9AFE0C45280498689C7%26ts%3d1607092504425%26nclidts%3d1607092504%26tsms%3d425%26wsso%3dModerate&view=detail&mid=CE7F1203275AB2F8D6B8CE7F1203275AB2F8D6B8&rvsmid=0FADECB7EBA55CA57AB90FADECB7EBA55CA57AB9&FORM=VDRVRV

davidll1984 Fri Dec 04, 2020 12:36 pm

Is it ?Ford f150 1979 stepside 4x4 Shocked

y wanted To trade one wit m'y 1980 Porsche 924 s dint hapen couple year from now finaly sale the cars for 6000$ now mis m'y old 924 Crying or Very sad

Jason_WI Fri Dec 04, 2020 3:07 pm

When my friend was restoring his 50 F1 Ford truck I cut him black walnut on my bandmill for use as the bed boards. Also made a center console and a display piece for under the hood on his CNC router. He wanted something different.

His next truck a 52’ Ford he will use spalted maple for the bed.

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