VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1912-1928 Wood you?

This friend of mine in south Georgia is an Environmental Consultant to make his living, but he salvages trees on the side. He got tired of seeing trees bulldozed and burned to make way for "progress", so he started a side business of taking them down and processing them. He can usually come up with most any wood that grows in that area, cut it to specifications and dry it, and he ships world wide. And he REALLY knows wood, so he can guide you on how to care for it, too.

So, if you want wood for your project, let me know, and I'll get you together with him.

Hi Richard, we made contact and are going to meet in one more week. He lives less than two hours away (in a city that my daughter lives in). We had a great time talking and I am looking forward to meeting him. This is the power of this site, there is so much talent and information between the ears of everyone that logs on to VCCA. Thank you Richard for bringing Murray and I together. I hear my "28 sighing with pride to have her new bed installed very soon. We'll also be showing her off around the City of Tallahassee shortly thereafter.
Jerry

Hi Jerry I have been asking around amongst friends and a professional restorer re finishing the deck. OK let's go back and realise that this was a working vehicle and in Australia would be decked in hardwood which hates paint/stain; it just won't take. In any case all those beer barrels or whatever would destroy the finish within the month so they were left bare. Perhaps they may have used something like Black Japan which is sort of paint/stain to tidy things up.
There is no perfect decorative finish if you use the deck. This is why yachts are usually decked with teak which weathers to silver grey. Things like Feast Watson spar marine are used on boats but they never completely set so they are not recommended for sitting/walking on. A friend who is a professional restorer said "Oh tricky, tricky, wood does not like auto finishes". He found that the best thing was to use 2 pack clear and adds "flexi-aid". He brushes in the first coat, scuffs back and then sprays a couple more coats. He also mentioned POR 15 Pelucid.
The real problem is when clear cracks and the timber weathers in a black mottle and the only way to get rid of it is to sand back through to the wood and start again. I agree with Chipper that some type of oil/stain may be the way to go. Feast Watson has a range of finishes which may be suitable. People mention "spa n deck". Ultimately these vehicles don't go out to work anymore so whatever you put on will last a lot longer.

Terry,
Thanks for the support. I have tried all the other types of finishes on bed boards and found that watery thin autopaint does a fair job as long as not too thick. Penetration is the key. Stains do the best because they are intended to penetrate not coat. They also produce a matte type finish which looks good but not too shiny.