1950 Chevy Pickup Classic Truck - Wood Bed Install - Hickory Dickory Deck

With all of the holes cut, we installed all the hardware just to make sure we had it all correct.

After admiring it for a few minutes we ripped it all back out so we could protect the wood. Again, instead of using varnish we will be oiling the wood with Linseed oil. The oil does not cover the surface as varnish does, but soaks into the visible and microscopic pores, leaving a shiny but not glossy surface that shows off the grain. Wood treated with Linseed oil is resistant to denting and scratches and is easily repaired, but the surface is not as hard as a modern varnish.

Here is a side by side comparison of oiled (left) and no-oiled (right) wood.

We used a foam pad to generously spread the oil over the planks and let it soak in. We did this three times to each of the sides of the planks. The last coat of oil didn't really soak in so the excess was wiped off. It is extremely important to note rags dampened with Linseed oil are a fire hazard. The oil will oxidize and produce heat, if the heat accumulates faster that it can dissipate, the rag will spontaneously combust. Soak all rags in a bucket of water overnight before throwing away.

With the oiling process complete the bed floor was assembled for the last time. All the planks were installed except for the center board, which needs a little more whittling to fit gas door properly.

Instead of cutting the hole freehand, our friend Dale made a pattern (template) from a scrap piece of plywood to guide his router.

Dale's template method worked just as good a computer-controlled robot.

This method worked great and now the gas door sits flush with a much cleaner appearance.

Here is the finished product. We like the semi-gloss finish of the Linseed oil treatment and the uniform look of the seven board conversion. The hickory looks great for the cost and should be tough enough to withstand anything we plan to put in the bed.

Hey, Baba Looey are you alright? `S-right!