So I put a new bed in my 52 gmc a year ago, oak boards with steel painted rails and stained it with some high end oil based stain,not looking for the shiney gloss look, just want a useable bed that looks good. The stain I used was perfect color and finish but it had to endure a Canadian winter and suffered some bleach, what with snow and sun, and I get it wood doesn't last forever outside. Had to leave it outside due to the willys project,my question is what is your fav wood finish aside from tractor oil. Thanks Jim.
As a carpenter, I have built many wood shade structures outdoor projects etc.. in the southwest New Mexico. Sikkens is what I love to use. It holds up better to the harsh sun then other products I have tried. I also prefer natural color. It looks a lil pale at first, but after a few years it darkens with age and is gorgeous. My flat bed will no doubt have sikkens on it. Also they sell a version without cetrol. You do not want that, it is cheaper and it wont last at all. You want the one with cetrol and it will last. And you just wipe it on raw wood. it may suck up the oil and require a second application. After time in harsh weather, you can see spots that might be dried up and need more, just wipe it on and will look like new again.
Tryed some so called marine varnish with the uv protective stuff in it on a previous project and it peeled like a bad sunburn.
You can't lay several coats of ANY finish, without sanding between coats. The finish needs to bite-into the surface, not lay on top. That's the only reason I see why it would peel. Probably 220 grit between coats. Allow to dry between coats as per directions.
FrankenRodz it may have been the issue with the previous project but with this is a oil base on raw sanded oak.
don't forget to treat top and bottom both edges and the end grain as well.varnish inside out of the sun away from flies and bugs.lightly scuff with scotchbrite pad in the direction of the grain..if ure not confident pay someone to do it.slight thin the varnish.many light coats,better than 1 heavy one..new quality brush da da da da da da
I used some satin polyurethane. It really sealed the wood good, but you can tell it's a urethane. just not shiny
I must be lazy, I just want to wipe on oil and go drink beer in the shade. All kinds of products you can use, sand in between coats and looks like furniture, yeah I get it. And for some furniture I would do that. For outdoors, I would not want to create the hassle. It will look great with all your efforts, but since you sealed the wood, now when it fails and it will, you need to sand it all off to apply another coat. I feel like it is creating un-needed maintenance. Urethanes and varnishes, when they fail it looks like clear coat on a paint job peeling off. While an oil like sikkens, you just apply it to all sides of the board, it soaks in and your finished. There is no sanding inbetween coats. When it fails and eventually it will, you can see the wood looks dry in some areas and it has no protection, just wash off the dirt and apply more oil. Drink beer. Even if the wind picks up and blows dirt on your fresh oiled wood, when the oil dries the dirt washes off. I use it on outdoor furniture, is fine and wont rub off on your clothes. There are other brands, Thompsons water seal, it looks like water and after a couple months you see the wood has no protection at all. Linseed oil is another, it really is more for tool handles and garden trellis, no color and does not last a long time. Lowes sells a product that has color to it and you can choose the color, after 2 years it looks like you never put any oil on at all. With the sikkens, after 5 years spots are starting to show age and it needs more oil. While some jobs after 7 years it still looked new. You get a deep scratch in the bed, wipe some oil on it and ... drink beer. Here is a photo of this old crunk trailer I worked on, the steps was used lumber and sikkens natural, you can see the skirting is the same oil and where I ran out twards the front, just came back and wiped some more on.
I must agree , with oil , a have done many pieces of furniture ( gun stocks ) with oil . They turn out wonderful , if scratched they can be touched up very easily , and match perfectly . Give it some thinking and research before laughing . Good Luck , what ever you choose it will be yours and you are the only one that it must please .
I don't got no stinkin wood in my hot rod! Its either metal, plastic, vinyl, or rubber, no wood. Gene
Had a 56 Ford factory flatbed many moons ago, not a show piece. When I went to replace the bed wood I had to go to a local church furniture mfg. I took an old sample with me and the actual bed measurements, the fellow set up the dies and milled me out all the pcs from good red oak. He told me just a quality oil stain and then a clear oil periodically as needed, looked good for years. I really do not remember but I may have re oiled it once or twice.
I think sikkins is the product Im going to go with, just have to wait for the weather to co-operate,thanks for all the advice.
The real trick is to find some old growth hard wood. The old growth trees were much larger, grew slower and more dense. I've seen untreated 100 year old white oak out in the elements still in good shape. White oak is more dense than red oak. Old barn wood is a good source. https://thecraftsmanblog.com/why-old-growth-wood-is-better/ ..
Hello, I agree with Los_Control in his explanation of the Sikkens product. I have used that product on Teak with great results in outdoor weather. I have also used Varathane on a folding, oak high chair for my son's first eating area back in the 70’s. After three coats on the drop down tray, it was indestructible. He could bang the surface with his spoon and fork and the surface coating had no scratches or dents. I remembered that my neighbor said to make sure every inch of every nook and cranny was covered with the stuff. If not, one small area allows liquids to get in and start a destructive process underneath the hard surface. Over a 4 year period, no resurfacing was necessary, but it developed a slight dull surface coat. not for outdoor rolling/pushing around, there is very little grip with the steel wheels. but for standing up in the kitchen/dining area, the wood legs prop up the wheels off of the floor. I have also used this stuff called Epiphanes for some Teak boards. It looked tremendous after 4 coats with light sanding between. But, as nice as that stuff looked, one bump against a counter corner made small scratches that were hard to get out and had to be resurfaced again. If I were going to showcase the planks in the bed of a pickup, this would be the stuff…it shines, and looks fabulous. But, it just will not hold up to the normal usage of a pick up bed, or for that matter, any surface that will get bumps or bruises. But for a car show…it looks outstanding when applied correctly. The same neighbor used spar marine varnish on several products that were going to sit outside in the weather. The sun did not do much, but a slight hairline crack developed and water got inside…it looked like a developing milky spot, then grew an inch or two before my neighbor sanded it all off to start over again. That is not my cup of tea for wood maintenance. Plus, it can start flaking off, making it necessary to re-do the whole thing again. Jnaki So, as nice as varnish, polyurethane and Epiphanes are, it takes a lot of work to maintain a great looking piece of wood. Oil on the other hand can be lightly sanded and re-oiled again and again. Sometimes, sanding is not necessary on these products, but just a soft foam brush allowing the grain to soak up the oil. (minutes instead of hours) Taking out each piece of wood in the pickup bed for a 100% thorough coating is standard procedure, but beware of the dents & scratches in any hard surface besides that oil compound. Try out a few small cans of the different stuff mentioned. You will see which result looks good for your application. But as the old saying goes…yrmv…as well as your choice/opinion.
Is this the product you are referring to? I assume we are always better off with the best marine products we can find. https://www.westmarine.com/buy/sikkens--cetol-marine-wood-finish--P004_128_002_501?recordNum=1 In the details/specs, I see there is product called a sealer. There is also a top coat, but they descripton advises NOT to use it for decks. Not sure how to interpret that for truck beds. I have wood in the back of my truck with marine varnish, but it chips more than I would like. If the product you recommend is a wipe on as a penetrating sealer that is also the final finish, that sounds interesting to me. As I use my truck, I would be wiping scuffs pretty much continually. Generally speaking, I think in categories of "marine varnish" high gloss tends to be stronger than semi-gloss. However, I'm not sure what "marine varnish" means anymore. Maybe it's polyurathane now? Please elaborate a little more about the product you are recommending. Is the the sealer and not a top coat? At a yard sale I found a large load of old (unused) 3/4" solid, clear mahogany wood planks up to 8" wide. Very nice quality from a previous generation. I want to replace all the exterior wood on my truck - bed, bed sides inside & out, tailgate, maybe a lumber rack "canopy shelf" to match bed, .... maybe floorboards and other interior trim. This was wood trim I added in the late 60's that I want to replace now:
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