M37 Wooden Bed

[Gordon Maney]

I apologize for having run off the track. I did not mean that I thought you should use plywood, I was just rattling on about my first Power Wagon. I would not do it that way; someone else did.

[Bruce]

Picture Wood Be

Good point, but if I used marine grade stuff wouldn't I still have to (as Gordon was describing) top it with a full floor piece of sheet metal? If so, I'd be paying for the wood AND the sheet metal (which I think is available from VPW for $400) I'm just not looking to put that much into the truck (which is coming along very nicely by the way). Thanks for the advice, I'll post some pictures of the truck so ya'll can see how it's coming.

Nice! I couldn't resist the "wood" thingy!

[JStinson]

Nice! I couldn't resist the "wood" thingy!

LOL, good one...*crickets singing in background*

[TK064]

They used to make boat hulls out of white oak due to its decay resistance. Rift sawn will expand much less across the width if that is an issue. Do not use red oak as its grain structure is such that water can flow into it. Don't ask how I know that.

[JStinson]

I'm resurrecting this thread

so I can run this by everyone: I've found the wood that I think I'll use for the bed on my M37, heart pine. I have a huge stack of it from where we tore down an old house, all it needs is planeing. My only concern is the fact that heart pine tends to be extremely hard, almost to the point of brittle, but it outlasts white oak by decades, assuming it has been properly varnished or painted. How about it?

[MoparNorm]

Well...you asked...Pine tends to be less resistant to chips, splits and weather damage than White Oak. I'm sure that the factory did much testing back in the day before they selected White Oak.
Since you already have the Pine that may be an advantage, however after all of the work to plane, fit, installing and then possibly having to repeat the process in a few years, I'd still lean toward the Oak. Many of these beds lasted nearly 60 years with the utmost of abuse. I'd be real surprised if the Pine lasted very long at all, it's a softer wood and just not as resistant to loads, mildew and moisture as the Oak and it doesn't have the tensile strength that the Oak does.
If you won't load the bed and keep it in showroom condition ...maybe...if the truck is going to be used....doubtful.

[JStinson]

This isn't plain yellow pine,

Well...you asked...Pine tends to be less resistant to chips, splits and weather damage than White Oak. I'm sure that the factory did much testing back in the day before they selected White Oak.
Since you already have the Pine that may be an advantage, however after all of the work to plane, fit, installing and then possibly having to repeat the process in a few years, I'd still lean toward the Oak. Many of these beds lasted nearly 60 years with the utmost of abuse. I'd be real surprised if the Pine lasted very long at all, it's a softer wood and just not as resistant to loads, mildew and moisture as the Oak and it doesn't have the tensile strength that the Oak does.
If you won't load the bed and keep it in showroom condition ...maybe...if the truck is going to be used....doubtful.

it's heart pine. Yellow pine and other variants tend to do what you're talking about, but heart pine is a different story altogether. It's the very center of the tree that has "died" and become very dense and hard and taken on a reddish color, lots of people still use it for kindling because it has a massive amount of pine tar in it (fat lightard). This build up of pine tar makes it nearly impenetrable for water and therefore practically swell proof. The stuff I have is around 150 years old. The only real similarities in heart pine and yellow pine is the name.

[MoparNorm]

My concern is that pine is pine, the physical properties don't change just because it has more pitch in it. What happens to it after the ultraviolet rays start leaching the pitch and tar out of the wood? It's the cellular structure of pine that concerns me more than anything else. Pine is pine, hickory is hickory, ash, birch, oak, fir, they all have different cellular structures that give each specific properties, strengths and weaknesses.
You already have the pine and I've given my asked for thoughts. It's your time and labor. I think we're all curious now as to how it holds up after a few years. Once you start working it, the sealing properties of the tar will be lessened and the cell structure of the wood will be exposed to a new environment. The only advantage to "heart wood" in any species is it's ability to resist warping and twisting, the cells at the heart are no stronger or weaker than the cells in other parts of the tree, except for at the bark, since a tree grow from the exterior. The 'heart' is the pathway for moisture and nutrients so it stays moist longer and cures slower, after cutting, but once the curing is complete (a safe bet after 150 years) and the wood is milled the difference is hardness vs. strength. Just like a knot that is very hard, but very brittle, the heart wood can be harder but less flexible.

[JStinson]

Hehe, I'm gonna be stubborn and see what happens, it'll be a good experiment for future reference for others...

Thanks for the help Norm.

[MoparNorm]

Oh I KNEW you were...ha!ha! Just wanted you to have a heads up on what to expect. If you're disappointed BEFORE you start, it may turn out OK....ha!ha!
A pessimist is always happy when things turn out better than he anticipated......= )

[Bruce]

Heart Wood

aka; Fat Wood, harder than Norm's head ;~) <LOL>!

[Doc Dave]

Of all the pines, heart pine would be the only one I would use due to its density and hardness.

[JStinson]

Here we are again

and I'm almost ready to put the bottom in the bed. I'm going to use White Oak...Norm wins.

Anyway, what thickness should I use?

[Doc Dave]

13/16" is what stock is, I have read. That is what I am going to try to get down to. If I end up at 3/4 it is not big deal though.
MY wood is rough cut 1 inch. I am going to get at least one side flush planed and then the other side down to 13/16.

[MoparNorm]

Most milled S4S lumber in 1x form is 3/4", nominal thickness. That will work just fine. S4S = 'Surfaced 4 Sides' the lumber yard will know what you're talking about, the kid at Home Depot will just stare off into space when you start talking that way....= )