Posted by Doc Dave on Wednesday, March 29, 2006 at 7:29AM :
In Reply to: OAK IN THE BED? posted by perryboquel on Tuesday, March 28, 2006 at 8:06PM :
I have been told in stock trucks the boards were painted black. I believe they were oak.
If you want to do it yourself, what wood you use in part depends on where you live.
If you live in the eastern half of the country, you can't go wrong with white oak or ash. To avoid excessive warping in the oak, you need to select boards that do not show any sizable knots, or in other words are cut from the middle of the log.
I got my white oak at a country saw mill, rough cut in 1" thick planks, with no obvious knots (clear). After a minimum of one year of air drying stacked evenly under cover, I will soon be dressing it to the finished size, rabbeting the sides and installing it. To finish I will use a good marine spar varnish.
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