Finding the right wood for...
Finding the right wood for your bed involves knowing how the truck will be used and more importantly what color, grain, and texture will work best with the rest of the truck. The bed wood should work in harmony with the interior fabric and paint color.
Trucks are one of the hottest segments in street rodding today. It seems like everyone has a truck or is looking for one. The utilitarian side of trucks is attractive to anyone who has to chase parts and haul stuff, but for the most part hot rod trucks have been elevated to the level of soft cargo wrapped in blankets to protect the finish of the bedsides, and of course the bed floor.
While bedsides must be straightened and painted body color, the bed floor lends an opportunity to make a styling statement. While once there was only oak, today there are any number of different woods that can be cut and fabricated to line the floor of virtually any truck. Wood can be stained, sealed, or oiled for the desired finish and many exotic woods have enough natural color to really stand out in the truck crowd.
Speaking of trucks, Editor Brennan seems to have his fair share with one new project truck and his Brookville Roadster extended-cab '31 Model A roadster pickup being refurbished. When it came time to rework the bed he knew it was time to be out with the oak and in with the new, but exactly what kind of wood was the big question.
The team at Bed Wood and Parts...
The team at Bed Wood and Parts keep busy cutting, shaping, and preparing wood for all kinds of trucks, sedan deliveries, panel deliveries, and flat beds. The wood species available range from mild to wild, and choosing the right wood for your truck is half the fun.
That brings us to Bed Wood and Parts in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. Having admired many bed floors that Jeff Major has supplied to other truck owners, we decided to take a closer look at what type of wood floors and associated strips he had available. As it turns out the options are many and Jeff Major was a big help in selecting the wood for the roadster pickup. After all, this is a big decision for truck owners. Few things are more visible than the bed floor and the wood must complement both the paint and the interior. As a matter of fact, choosing the right wood is as critical as picking the proper interior color and fabric to go with the paint color.
As it turns out Bed Wood and Parts offers no less than 33 different wood types for your pickup bed, 16 domestic woods and 17 exotic woods. Variations in color, grain, and texture all contribute to the final attitude of your hot rod truck, and they carry exotic names like Purple Heart, Bobinga, Leopard Wood, and Canary Wood, to name a few. Major told us many of his customers call in or stop by his booth at street rod events thinking they want "good old oak" but after looking at the other woods available most of them end up ordering something more unique. The concept is real simple, you're building your truck to a much higher level than the factory did 50, 60, or 70 years ago so why not upgrade the bed floor too?
While Bed Wood and Parts has...
While Bed Wood and Parts has patterns for many vintage trucks, sometimes it is easier to send the old wood to them for use as patterns. The folks at Bed Wood and Parts are super helpful when it comes to ordering, making a phone call worth the time.
Beyond the good looks of a Hickory or Birdseye Maple there's also the thermal expansion and contraction of wood to consider, along with the dramatically different humidity levels the bed floor is exposed to. Major told us Oak is actually not a very good choice because it expands and contracts more than many other hardwoods. As it turns out Hickory and Maple are better choices for most applications. While wood movement inside your climate-controlled house may be minimal, when you drive your truck out of a relatively cool garage and park it in 95-degree weather in the blazing sun that wood could be moving around a lot. Add an afternoon thunderstorm and your bed wood is really swelling up.
After selecting the wood of your choice, ordering can be handled online at www.bedwoodandparts.com or by simply picking up the phone and placing an order. Bed Wood and Parts have patterns for many of the more popular truck beds or you can send your old wood to be used as patterns for duplication. All of their wood is cut to exacting widths, precision milled to a full 3/4-inch thickness, then grooved, cut to length, and sanded. When you receive your wood it is ready for your final finish, be it urethane sealing and acrylic clearcoat or simply oiling the wood for a natural look. The experts at Bed Wood and Parts can help you choose the proper finish for your wood, but they supply the wood finish sanded and ready for final finish.
For custom projects Jeff Major...
For custom projects Jeff Major can help design different profiles and shapes using a CAD system on the company computer or working from a well-detailed mechanical drawing supplied by the owner. This computer information is then transferred to a CNC machine to do the final profile cutting.
This is just a small sample...
This is just a small sample of some of the wood patterns Bed Wood and Parts has on hand. They have patterns for many of the more popular trucks.
Wood of every description...
Wood of every description is neatly stacked awaiting finishing. Making a bed that personalizes your pickup truck or flatbed truck is easier than ever, thanks to their work.
Editor Brennan had Teak made...
Editor Brennan had Teak made for his Model A roadster pickup. Here is a finished piece sitting next to the pattern.
Jeff Major might own the place,...
Jeff Major might own the place, but that doesn't mean he's not out in the shop working with wood like the rest of the crew. Cutting a piece of Black Walnut down to the right width is done on a precision table saw.
This is not your hobby shop...
This is not your hobby shop table saw. The precision fence allows for incredibly accurate measurements and cuts, and a 7hp motor keeps the blade spinning.
Cutting the slots for the...
Cutting the slots for the hold down strips and other wood cutting functions is handled by the big CNC machine. Bed Wood and Parts can fabricate custom designs for flat beds, bed rails, or floors.
While most Bed Wood and Parts...
While most Bed Wood and Parts kits are sent out finish sanded and ready for the finish of your choice, they did take the time to finish Editor Brennan's Teak with Teak oil. The results are impressive, and the oiled finished provides a nice natural look to the wood. Bed Wood and Parts will finish the bed floor if they install the wood in their shop.
After a couple of coats of...
After a couple of coats of oil, the grain, color, and texture of the Teak is coming on strong. Oiled wood may have to be re-oiled over time if exposed to the sun and rain.