Sealing Bed Wood

[bucket]

I bought a 49 chevy truck from a guy who had built a flatbed for it. It had a black tar like coat on it that lasted three times as long as linseed which is what I've been using for years. But the linseed only lasts a year, by my experience. I am guessing he made his black tar-paint by thinning down foundation coating, probably 1:1 with paint thinner or something similar. His tar paint was so thin it didnt come off, it soaked in real good.

Maybe fence post paint?

 

[mtbadbob]

Dejure is spot on. FYI, a wood door manufacturer insists that if all 6 sides of the door are not finished/sealed, the warranty is VOID. I also recommend an oil penetrating stain, then a marine spar varnish. Sikkens makes some great exterior wood products, hence their products price tag. If you really want a super-smooth finish, apply a good exterior sanding sealer(2 coats) after the stan, prior to the top coats(finish) of anything before hand, sanding lightly & wiping with a tack cloth afterwards. DO NOT OVER-SAND! I tell people 2 coats BEFORE sanding as it's easy to sand through a single coat, into the stained wood causing a splotchy appearance. Remember, that big orange ball in the sky WILL & DOES F U EVERYTHING eventually! My recommendation in steps below, if you want an almost furniture appearance & durability.
1) Lightly & evenly sand the wood first to smooth out rough grain & remove any light marks.
2) Apply a good oil penetrating stain, i.e., Minwax, Sherwin-Williams, with a rag or staining pad. Wipe off excess after about 30 seconds. Let dry 24 hrs.
3) Apply 2 coats of a good UV blocking sanding sealer, either with a brush or small roller. Let dry thoroughly. then sand lightly until smooth to the touch, wipe down with a tack cloth to remove sanding dust. This step is OPTIONAL
4) Apply 2 topcoats of your preferred finish/sealant with a good brush or short napped roller(1/4") lightly sand after dry, tack cloth, then apply one finish coat. A good oil-based Marine Spar varnish w/UV protection will probably hold up the best. Like Dejure says, you can also use a high-traffic Poly made for wood floors. Also, a semi-transparent or semi-solid oil stain will almost paint your wood and won't really allow the live grain to stand out, that's why I use a "penetrating" oil stain. Danish Oils & Tung Oil will look very nice, but they require almost continuos re-coating over the duration, and will gradually darken with each application.

PS: Lay stain rags out in the open to air dry, or burn right away! DO NOT throw them in a pile in the corner, garbage or ANYWHERE, as they WILL spontaneously combust! I am not sh*tting you!

 

[mtbadbob]

Maybe fence post paint?

Probably Creosote!

 

[boltbrain]

Where a truck lives should be considered, and if outside, whether the bed gets covered. And whether you haul gravel or sand. Even two part (epoxy) paint like West won’t last long in some situations. I don’t have shelter for my two ton yet but I should.

 

[Dejure]

A variation of the black tar approach is, pine tar pitch. You can buy it at Ranch-and-Home type places where they sell supplies for your really big dog, a/k/a horse. I've seen it for $20.00 for a pint, then $10.00 a quart elsewhere.

It, definitely, needs the thinning approach. If you use it on your steering wheel, you don't have to worry about loosing your grip. Even when you want to.

 

[Grit dog]

Now the OP knows

Dejure is spot on. FYI, a wood door manufacturer insists that if all 6 sides of the door are not finished/sealed, the warranty is VOID. I also recommend an oil penetrating stain, then a marine spar varnish. Sikkens makes some great exterior wood products, hence their products price tag. If you really want a super-smooth finish, apply a good exterior sanding sealer(2 coats) after the stan, prior to the top coats(finish) of anything before hand, sanding lightly & wiping with a tack cloth afterwards. DO NOT OVER-SAND! I tell people 2 coats BEFORE sanding as it's easy to sand through a single coat, into the stained wood causing a splotchy appearance. Remember, that big orange ball in the sky WILL & DOES F U EVERYTHING eventually! My recommendation in steps below, if you want an almost furniture appearance & durability.
1) Lightly & evenly sand the wood first to smooth out rough grain & remove any light marks.
2) Apply a good oil penetrating stain, i.e., Minwax, Sherwin-Williams, with a rag or staining pad. Wipe off excess after about 30 seconds. Let dry 24 hrs.
3) Apply 2 coats of a good UV blocking sanding sealer, either with a brush or small roller. Let dry thoroughly. then sand lightly until smooth to the touch, wipe down with a tack cloth to remove sanding dust. This step is OPTIONAL
4) Apply 2 topcoats of your preferred finish/sealant with a good brush or short napped roller(1/4") lightly sand after dry, tack cloth, then apply one finish coat. A good oil-based Marine Spar varnish w/UV protection will probably hold up the best. Like Dejure says, you can also use a high-traffic Poly made for wood floors. Also, a semi-transparent or semi-solid oil stain will almost paint your wood and won't really allow the live grain to stand out, that's why I use a "penetrating" oil stain. Danish Oils & Tung Oil will look very nice, but they require almost continuos re-coating over the duration, and will gradually darken with each application.

PS: Lay stain rags out in the open to air dry, or burn right away! DO NOT throw them in a pile in the corner, garbage or ANYWHERE, as they WILL spontaneously combust! I am not sh*tting you!

Nope, @DoubleDingo says to paint it.
Advice given not from experience but from what he read. I’m surprised he hasn’t called everyone else an a hole who disagrees with him.

 

[Scruffy49]

Okay…
1. Red Oak is -not- for truck beds, rots too quickly.
2. Buy West Marine “wood reverter” epoxy. Can’t recall the actual product name, but is a water thin epoxy that internally plasticizes wood. No air space, no fungal growth.
3. Top coat solely with products designed for wooden boat use. Our 1946 built cabin cruiser lasted until 8/2005, when Hurricane Katrina turned it into double planked cypress over live oak kindling…

My own trucks/trailers get black locust or osage orange decking. Treated as above. Buy once, cry once.

 

[DoubleDingo]

Now the OP knows

Nope, @DoubleDingo says to paint it.
Advice given not from experience but from what he read. I’m surprised he hasn’t called everyone else an a hole who disagrees with him.

PM sent. And I only called you an a$$hole because you come off as one to many members on here. You almost always jump to ridicule first, which you did here. OP asked, I provided an option that is the best option from two tests that Mar-K performed. You ridiculed my response to the OP.

 

[waterpirate]

Okay…
1. Red Oak is -not- for truck beds, rots too quickly.
2. Buy West Marine “wood reverter” epoxy. Can’t recall the actual product name, but is a water thin epoxy that internally plasticizes wood. No air space, no fungal growth.
3. Top coat solely with products designed for wooden boat use. Our 1946 built cabin cruiser lasted until 8/2005, when Hurricane Katrina turned it into double planked cypress over live oak kindling…

My own trucks/trailers get black locust or osage orange decking. Treated as above. Buy once, cry once.

My experiance with west products spans a lot of years as well. To rip off that old lady and her hot sauce add. west system, " I put that $hit on everything wood"
Eric

 

[DoubleDingo]

I was browsing the sd card on my phone and saw two files with Wood Test in the name of them. Opened them up and they are the Mar-K Wood Tests I mentioned earlier in the thread.

Since Mar-K is no longer a business, I don't know if it's okay to post these on the forum.

So, here they area, but if the moderator's deem them to be legally not allowed on here because of Mar-K being defunct, then their stay on the forum might be short-lived.

One test in 2004, another in 2006, and a third in 2010, but I do not have the 2010 PDF. I think I have it printed, though, and as mentioned previously, I have to locate it in old stacks of papers.

After seeing these, I'm pretty sure I printed the 2006 and 2010 tests.

 

[bucket]

I was browsing the sd card on my phone and saw two files with Wood Test in the name of them. Opened them up and they are the Mar-K Wood Tests I mentioned earlier in the thread.

Since Mar-K is no longer a business, I don't know if it's okay to post these on the forum.

So, here they area, but if the moderator's deem them to be legally not allowed on here because of Mar-K being defunct, then their stay on the forum might be short-lived.

One test in 2004, another in 2006, and a third in 2010, but I do not have the 2010 PDF. I think I have it printed, though, and as mentioned previously, I have to locate it in old stacks of papers.

After seeing these, I'm pretty sure I printed the 2006 and 2010 tests.

I don't see any issue at all, defunct or not. You clearly stated the source.

 

[Copymutt]

I’m a candidate for renewing the wood bed also. Prior owners had no clue re: UV degradation. Ive used a product called One Time Wood extensively on a cabin. Its the only product that holds up to Co. sun & weather. I’m talking in excess of 10 years! Its not meant to be for foot traffic. Anyone have experience w/ it on a truck bed?

 

[straydog371]

Depending on your choice of wood species, used engine oil mixed with diesel fuel has been the "go to" wood preservative for a LONG time...search the interwebs.
Obviously not for a show truck, but if the goal is to keep the truck bed functioning it's hard to beat...basically free if you do your own oil changes, just a couple bucks for a gallon of diesel. Yep its messy for a few days but afterwards you might just be surprised by the results. Old timers knew a thing or two!

 

[Scruffy49]

Depending on your choice of wood species, used engine oil mixed with diesel fuel has been the "go to" wood preservative for a LONG time...search the interwebs.
Obviously not for a show truck, but if the goal is to keep the truck bed functioning it's hard to beat...basically free if you do your own oil changes, just a couple bucks for a gallon of diesel. Yep its messy for a few days but afterwards you might just be surprised by the results. Old timers knew a thing or two!

Has kept our “new” cattle barn intact since the 1920s… The untreated log barn lasted from the 1830s until it was put to the torch after the “new” barn replaced it. House sills, hand squared by a broadaxe heart poplar, are termite/rot free after 186 years… Rafters are oil cured white oak, tin roof replaced hand cut shakes in 1925… Still leak/rot free 101 years later.

Modern timber is trash, especially plantation grown Southern Yellow Pine. Wood bed floors need to be some sort of durable hardwood (White Oak, Ipe, Black Locust heart, Osage Orange) , or a decay resistant softwood (Redwood, Western Red Cedar, Cypress). Period. If you would not trust it as trailer decking to haul a classic car, don’t use it for truck beds either…