Real wood pickup bed how-to *Pics*

[MonoPed]

Making a wood bed for a model isn't that much different than a 1:1. For this project, I used some 1:32" basswood, and some Evergreen 1/16" U channel. Grandt Line bolts are optional. The pickup in this demo is the Monogram '40 Ford pickup. First, the materials:

Measure the width of the bed, and decide haw many planks and spacers you want. For the '40, I went with six planks. To fit them properly, the two outer planks had to be just a tad wider than the others. Cut the channel to length, and if you are going to have an opening tail gate, you can cut a cap for the ends of the planks for a more finished look.

Here it is shown in place without the bed, and with the bed in place.

To finish it off, add small bolt heads to the channel where any cross supports are placed under the bed floor. Stain and finish the wood as you wish, and use BMF or Alclad II for the spacers.

Brian

Edit: moved pics to a new server.

[Wildrice]

Thanks for the tip. Might have to try that on a 50 Chevy I have.

[Matt T.]

One of these days I'm going to use this method, instead of installing a tonneau cover, like I always do. :roll:

[VW Dave]

Hey....the Sharpies worked out pretty well, didn't they? :wink:

Great tip, Brian! I'm looking forward to trying it as well some day.

[papi62596]

Great tip! I'll have to give it a try on my next truck kit.

[MikeMc]

I think the BOLTS are the new trick!!!

What size?

[Harry P.]

How about a photo of the finished product? Channels chromed, wood stained and poly-ed...

[Tom Setzer]

Nice How to, on doing a wooden pickup bed!

CHEERS!

Tom

[Darren B]

How about a photo of the finished product? Channels chromed, wood stained and poly-ed...

Yeah that is what i am curious to see how it all comes together.............

[Dr. Cranky]

Beautiful results and great tip. Thank you.

[Greg Pugh]

What's your method for cutting the basswood? The time I tried doing it, it went crazy and starting splitting. I couldn't get it to cut how I wanted it to.

[MikeMc]

What's your method for cutting the basswood? The time I tried doing it, it went crazy and starting splitting. I couldn't get it to cut how I wanted it to.

I use a sharp fine tooth Zona razor saw....NWSL makes "The Chopper " it uses razor blades...works well!

[crazyjim]

Thanks for the how-to, Brian. Thanks to you I finally out what I've been doing wrong. I've been trying to get the wood to fit into the channel of the styrene and it never looked right. All I'll have to do from now on is turn the styrene so the channels are up & down instead of left to right. I'll have to get some of those bolts, too. Does Rob carry them?

[BKcustoms]

Great how to! I 'm going to try this on my f-100.

[MonoPed]

I haven't been building much lately, but this truck is back on the bench. To cut the basswood strips, I used a balsa/bass strip cutter from Master Airscrew, adjusted to width, and drawn along the grain of the wood. To cut across the grain, just an xacto with a #11 blade, a steel straight edge, and multiple passes to keep the edges clean.

Jim, not sure if Rob carries bolts like this or not, I've never looked.

Edited November 27, 2011 by MonoPed

[crazyjim]

I'll check Rob's next time I'm up that way.

What are you using to glue the wood to the plastic, Brian?

[Kostas Parchas]

I use a sharp fine tooth Zona razor saw....NWSL makes "The Chopper " it uses razor blades...works well!

Hi,

I was looking for a choper like this one for a long time.

This is what exactly I want.

Could you please put a link of where to buy and maybe how much it costs. I am really interested about this tool.

Kind regards,

Kostas.

[crazyjim]

Just google Northwest Short Line. That particular unit runs about $40.

[MonoPed]

I'll probably use Formula 560 Canopy glue.

[wraith]

Yeah that is what i am curious to see how it all comes together.............

I too would like to see it completely finished.

But more curiously, did you just lay it on top of the molded in bed floor onthe frame or did you cut out the molded bed floor/

I have the same 40 Ford pickup and really want to do this to it, but if I do it, I will be cutting the moled in bed floor off the frame so you can see it from below as well.

[MonoPed]

I removed the bed floor and added in cross members so the planks will be visible from underneath.

[wraith]

Do you have any pics of itfrom the underside?

I would love to see them if you do!

[dantewallace]

Can anyone suggest some type of wash or stain that can be made up using paints instead of having to buy a container of stain?

Thanks!!

[Longbox55]

Most hardware stores will have small sample size packets of stain in the same area that they sell the bigger cans. They're meant for people to be able to test a stain before comitting to buying a larger amount. They're not very expensive at all, only about $.25 for so.

[Tom Geiger]

What's your method for cutting the basswood? The time I tried doing it, it went crazy and starting splitting. I couldn't get it to cut how I wanted it to.

One of my best tool investments, a well spent $50. I use it on all my basswood and Evergreen cuts. Great straight cut every time.

The Chopper allowed me to build this in 1/25 scale from old Popular Science Magazine plans. I built this to get good at working with basswood and my 1/25 scale ruler.

Edited January 17, 2013 by Tom Geiger