Wood truck bed

[deano2450]

I have a 1950 Chevy pickup that has the bed floor molded to look like wood. Is there some way to paint it to look realistic?

[vypurr59]

Paint the entire floor the lighter color, then paint the darker color, then sand to reveal the lighter color, leaving the dark color in the recesses.

Use 800 or 1000 grit paper for the sanding.

Edited February 4, 2014 by vypurr59

[Tom Geiger]

Dean, drop me an email (my address is at the bottom of this post) and I will send you a PDF file that shows how to do the wood graining. That goes for anyone else who wants the file.

[Longbox55]

Are you doing a stock truck or a hot rod/restored truck? Most hot rods and incorrectly restored trucks will have the wood in the floor nicely stained and varnished (guilty ). However, a correct finish for a factory stock GM truck would a simple flat black finish over the wood and skid strips.

[Tom Geiger]

Are you doing a stock truck or a hot rod/restored truck? Most hot rods and incorrectly restored trucks will have the wood in the floor nicely stained and varnished (guilty ). However, a correct finish for a factory stock GM truck would a simple flat black finish over the wood and skid strips.

Correct! Many years ago the judges at a model show told me that my pickup would have placed, but they 'disqualified' me because I painted my bed flat black instead of doing wood grain with chrome strips like it supposed to be done. I kinda corrected them!

Then there was my '32 Ford with the VW chassis under it to represent a kit car. After I won nothing, one of the judges decided to tell me that I was a contender for first in my category BUT when they saw I made such a big glaring error as forgetting to have a battery in the car, well they pushed my car aside. I just looked at him and said "Its a Volkswagen. The battery is under the rear seat." The look on his face was priceless!

And people wonder why I don't do contests anymore!

[69H.O.Firebird]

Tom, I had the same issue at a contest. I won NNL a few weeks before this certain contest and took the model to a large MA contest. It got honorable mention. When they gave me the ribbon the judge says that the model would have won but there was no tread on my rear tires. (street rod class) I proceeded to tell him that the owner was doing burnouts in the lot before he came in and entered the contest! He had nothing to say! No more contests.

[vypurr59]

Tom, thank-you for the PDF you offered. It was very informative, and right now I am in the middle of purchasing a Woody, so I can try it out. The only thing I don't have is a rapidograph pen, but that should one of my next purchases when I get to the Micheals store. Again, THANK-YOU, that should make my woodgrain much better than the method I had been using.

[cobramike]

I know there are all kinds of ways to make stuff look like wood for beds etc. and everyone seems to have a nice idea on how to do it.
I was at hobby lobby awhile back and ended up in the area where they have all of the art pens etc, lo and behold I found this double ended pen that works fantastically to simulate wood.
It is called "PRISMACOLOR premier". It has the color on the barrel, it has two sizes of felt pens in it, one is real fine the other is almost a small brush. The one I use to simulate Oak, and teak and some other woods is called Goldenrod. I use the small tip for making grain, and it comes out beautifully. It takes a few tries to get it to look really right, but is very easy to use. If you make a mistake I have used alcohol to wipe it clean then do it over. It cost $4.49 and of course don't forget to print out their coupon before going to get that little bit of a discount. Also I use a gold sharpie, and silver sharpie to get certain effects. They also have a real fine point sharpie pen in a number of colors that are very useful for really fine detail work where you want wood tones.
I hope this will be of help.

[deano2450]

Are you doing a stock truck or a hot rod/restored truck? Most hot rods and incorrectly restored trucks will have the wood in the floor nicely stained and varnished (guilty ). However, a correct finish for a factory stock GM truck would a simple flat black finish over the wood and skid strips.

It's the Texaco pickup from AMT. It's definitely not a "reference resto". Just a little something for me.

[Teddy J. Tannehill]

I really like the woodgrain you have simulated....I have had some good results painting the wood with a light brown or tan flat enamal after the paint dries use crafters stain the one l like is the antique black just brush on then wipe off, stain stays in the grain areas......the look I wanted was a matt finnish so this worked OK.