Doing a truck for a customer and putting a oak floor in the bed.Don`t do too many wooden floors and was wondering what is the best way to finsh the wood.I`m thinking of just staining it and clearing it with Automotive clear! Sounds like a good idea but something tells me it is not that easy.Any tips or how to`s for doing truck beds in wood?? thanks
You're gonna get a lot of conflict here! I was just watching the TV show "Trucks", on a rare occasion I watch TV. They were building the "Old School" F-100, which really wasn't old school. They did a black stain on the bed, to match the flat black paint, and when it came time to clear it, they said that a lot of people use automotive clears, but that doesn't work well for wood, because wood is porous?????????? Insinuating that automotive clear paints are not sealing enough to protect wood??????? If it is not sealing enough, you'd think the metal under it would rust out! Anyhooo, they recommended using a special, thick, clear epoxy, that they poured on, and spread with a bondo spreader. I'm sure that would work, but I know plenty of people, including a very good woodworker I know, that use regular urethane clear on wood exposed to the elements. He even uses HOK Kandy Koncentrates to tint the wood different colors before clearing.
Just make sure you do each board seperate, not as a whole. The wood will expand and contract and destroy the finish. As a woodworker I would rcommend a good exterior grade UV resistent poly like a Spar Varnish.
The automotive finish on wood won't last very long,,, The exterior spar urethane varnishes are probably best suited for the wood on a truck bed,,,,basicaly the same thing used on wooden boats. HRP
I have personal terstament to using automotive clear on the wood in the bed of my 51 . It has been on there since 1990!!! and there is to this day not a single issue with the finish or the wood. Varnish will simply not last 18 years!
Go over wood with 00 Steel Wool, wipe/clean off, stain, Spar Varnish. Be sure to do the ends and backside of the wood also.
I can't remember who's website it was on (someone who sell's wood kits), but the best results over time was to use linseed oil first and then something like Spar. I did three coats of linseed oil and let it set for three months before the Spar. I also wet sanded and buffed it and it came out great.
I will say that depending on the amount of weather and abuse it sees any finish will work for a while. If you want to your best to keep it nice, exterior spar varnish with uv inhibitors. The higher the gloss the more protected it will be. The big key is sealing all siges of each piece before installation, then scuff sand and final clear coats. If you check the wood once or twice a year and it feels rough to the touch it is time to scuff it up and recoat it. The stain, linseed oil, penetrol whatever you put on the raw wood all help, but it is the final sealing and finishing that is important. Auto clears could work, depending on the specie and type of install. The thing to keep in mind is what kind of wood it is, different species expand and contract at different rates. You won't se a boat made from oak, it's tough but porous, mahogany would be the norm. Make sure to leave room for the wood to move ( that's what those metal strips do besides help fasten it down) Hope some of this helps, good luck.
On Trucks, Didnt they use the clear epoxy similar to that which the restraunt uses on wood tables? I personally used a marine grade finish in the wood between the frame and cab on my 35 Pickup. I dont really drive the vehicle in the rain, and it stays in the garage, so no real input on wear-n-tear from me here.
Definitely don't use regular old hardware store Minwax eurethane. Bout 5 years ago I stained & cleared a bunch of interior trim for the house. Had the staining booth setup in the garage for a couple months and also refinished some miscellaneous outdoor wood stuff that was nearby. The wood slats on my BBQ grille, that sort of thing. Several coats, sanded between each. In 24 months the finish started flaking off in chunks. It's just not an outdoor product. Indoor stuff, great product. So I guess when someone talks about durability, how the truck is stored would count for a lot.
This process works really well for me: First coat- spar varnish thinned 100%. Allows the varnish to get into the pores of the wood and not just sit on top. Second coat- spar varnish thinned 50%. Starts to build up a layer and is easily brushed. Third coat- spar varnish thinned 25%. This will leave very few brush marks. Sand in between coats with a brass wool not steel wool. Any steel wool left behind will create rust spots in the finish. ted
Agreed, but those are ships. Think 50's era crisscraft of thompson boats. Smaller size, like a pick up truck bed.
I been wondering about those plastic woodgrain deckboards painted with automotive paint to give a hint of wood look without being over the top with wood-ness.
x2 on the ends. Buddy of mine does custom wood & that's the first thing he notices in a truck bed. Got to seal the ends up real well.
That truck was a Beatersville last weekend. The black stain must not have worked out too well. The wood now has a dark wood stain and a mile deep clear finish on it. The clear remined me of a non-automotive urethane clear.
On the show, they said it was black stain, but on my TV screen it looked like dark oak stain...definitely not black.
Sounds like a decoupaging clear material that "TRUCKS" used? I've had great luck with a marine-grade Spar Varnish on the Poplar boards in my truck.It sits out in the elements more than in and looks good for the 10 years its been coated. i even used a bit of tint in the varnish to color the boards to match the truck. Worked great!
Back to the matter at hand..... Composite decking. Any ideas? http://timbertech.com/WhyTimberTech/ColorChoices.aspx
Here is website with results of different products http://www.mar-k.com/wood_finish_testing_i.html Kathy
The product used on Trucks was made by "System 3". It was an epoxy but I'm not sure exactly which System 3 product was used. http://www.systemthree.com/
I maintain my own wooden boat with a good bit of varnish work. It has both mahogany and oak varnished trim. I would use a good grade of spar varnish. Use the thinning schedule that Wildcatter posted. When I am building spar varnish on new or stripped wood I use a total of 10 coats and recoat with 2 coats each year. I used the same process on a 38 Woodie that I restored in the 80's however it was normally garaged and you can easily go 5 years between recoats in that case. I will say that maintaining horizontal varnish with outside storage will be a bear. I would go to Cetol (a marine product), original cetol followed by cetol clear if I was in that situation.
Check out this link. Advice there from a MASTER automotive wood worker http://www.oldwoodies.com/shoptalk_refinish.htm
i use spar varnish...different thinning techniques tho, but similar...allows for easy up keep..no special tools required...wool is for sheep...use sand paper to prep and between the coats
the old woodies link is good info, he likes random orbital sanders tho..if using these sanders beware of the "random" turning into "grinder" when under no load...slow it down on a piece of scrap b4 you touch your good pieces...i use a belt sander, no swirls....also when coloring/staining use a gel stain (oil based) and then mix a small amount in your top coat to tint it, this will even out the tones and look way more more professsional
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