Wood bed?

[Ratrod25]

Does any body have a Wood bed? im thinkin about doin one :thumb: I was wondering what kind of wood i should use?

[layinframe]

I'm gonna do one. Like the old hot rods. It depends on what color wood ya want

[layinframe]

http://infamousnissan.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3101. Check this thread

[Ratrod25]

^^^^ lol i gues i should have searched before i posted lol! What kind of wood would be the best? -keeping in mind im in az where 110+ is the norm-

[david29]

I know people use Teakwood on boats. As long as it is prepared properly, it will last forever.

[layinframe]

Ceader.... Last a long time, use a good weather sealent and really anything will work. Pine, oak, if ya wanna natural color research what type wood will give ya the color ya want. If ya gonna stain it any way I say ceader

[Ratrod25]

Ok cool thanks fellas!! That idea popped into my head on my way to work so i havent thought about color too much..

[O.G.Tierdrop]

I know people use Teakwood on boats. As long as it is prepared properly, it will last forever.

teak is the shit...doesnt need sealent...every once and awhile wipe some teak oil on it, and it will bring the color back out. teak will also outlast many many many generation of kids grandkids great garnd kids, and so forth.

i used to work with teak furniture that has been made from real teak trees, that where found in a river in indo. these trees where dated back from anywhere from 200-300 years...sturdy as hell. and looks beautiful

the down side of teak, is that it is really expensive to purchase, and hard to find, since it is against the law to cut down a teak tree, but the do have teak farms that grow them for making furniture, or beds..and it is also very heavy

[Ratrod25]

How do you think it would hold up to 110+ deg every day? And how expensive are we talkin? Cuz im ballin on a budget!!:nana2:

[O.G.Tierdrop]

more than you can afford if you gotta ask, and if your on a budget...we sold wooden fucking end tables for 300 bucks...i mean if you made it out of pine wood it might cost 20 bucks at a store for the same dimensions.

teak is grown in a tropical area, and the trees that where craves out of old trees that laid on the bottom of a river for 200-300 years...although you said your in the dessart, where it is very dry and humid...i would look into asking places around your area that can get in teak wood...try hitting up boat shops, and places where teak furnitur is sold.

dont go to your normal furnitur store, cause im pretyty sure they aint gonna have it, get it, or even know anything about it...

[Ratrod25]

Is sounds way to dam complicated to find.. so ill stick somthing simple!! lol

[ol' skool]

5/8" A/C grade fir plywood would be dimensionally stable, easy to mount up, less prone to warp or cracking. You could router out grooves for the metal slats.

Other than that maybe 1"x? KD Doug-fir shop. I think I'd go with a flat sawn board instead of vertical grain, make sure all the crowns are up when you work it.

[Ratrod25]

make sure all the crowns are up when you work it

What do mean by crowns are up?

[ol' skool]

Another name is cupping. Veiwed from the end most boards are not perfectly flat but have a little bow from edge to edge along the length. The cupping usually goes down for decking which is the same as crown up. I suppose that would be best for your bed too.

Plywood man, it's flat doesn't swelll or shrink and is durable.

[ScottXGTR]

oak, pine, cedar. take your pick from what is availabel locally. your main concern is gonna be sun. if you had to deal with water, id say cypress or cedar.

youre main enemy is the sun and its deadly uv rays. so you will want to seal it very well with a quality polyurethane.

make sure the wood is very dry as well before you start working. you dont want to install green wood and then have the sun dry it out for you. it could lead to splitting or shrinking.

[Ratrod25]

oak, pine, cedar. take your pick from what is availabel locally. your main concern is gonna be sun. if you had to deal with water, id say cypress or cedar.

youre main enemy is the sun and its deadly uv rays. so you will want to seal it very well with a quality polyurethane.

make sure the wood is very dry as well before you start working. you dont want to install green wood and then have the sun dry it out for you. it could lead to splitting or shrinking.


OK sweet.. yeah is blazin hot here even like at like 7 in the morning!

[layinframe]

Please don't use any type of ply wood.... Not only do they only come in 4' * 8' sheets wich isn't wide enough for your bed, but it will warp. I have seen very expensive ply wood used on houses for decking and after 2 months the buckle, crack, and start swelling. Use strips.

[Ratrod25]

I was thinkin probabily what scott said cypress or cedar. I wanna make it so i can lift the floor up to acess my bed, what type of metal should i use to make the frame? i have a bunch of 1" angle iron but is that ghetto to make it outta that?

[ScottXGTR]

aluminum or stainless preferred. low maintenance and polishes up nicely.

steel would require paint or powdercoat, and is easier to work with.

[Ratrod25]

Im takin about the frame to mount the wood to. I wanna make it on a frame so i can put in on hinges and lift it up to access my bags. I was thinkin like 1x1 square. I have 1" angle but im thinkin thats a lil ghetto?

[ScottXGTR]

its all in how you make it. square tubing would be a little nicer looking tho in the end.

[Ratrod25]

Ok cool thanks for the help. I think angle would be a lil to ghetto

[layinframe]

Bagged frontier used angle iron poprivot TO his bed sides its nice and isn't ghetto lookin. Its really gonna depend on what thinkness wood you use angle iron would not (IMO)look bad AS LONG as it sat flush with the top of your wood planks. It would also eliminate the need for front and back braces so you could use 1/8 inch piece of flat steel for the middle brace. I have thought this out a lot bc I plan on doing the same thing and making mine where I can lift it like a bed cover. Only down side is its gonna be EXTREmELY heavy. So you'd have TO make braces on the bedside by the cab and tailgate for the top TO sit on. If I had a way TO draw what I ment it would make more sense. Maybe I can post something tomorrow