40 Pickup Bedwood Question

[TomT/Williamsburg]

For the bedwood strips. I know I have to router out the board edges to sink the strips down but how much physical distance between the boards should there be? I am thinking 5/8-3/4” or just a bit more than the thickness of the bolt? I am using 1/4-20 2” hex head bolts with a washer to match the original clinch nuts and similar lag screws into the wood cross pieces.

I will only have 3 bed strips

Thanks for any help you can give ......

[38bill]

Just enough clearance for the bolts is good. Here is some addition info.

[tubman]

Put that square in some Evaporust; it'll clean it right up!

[TomT/Williamsburg]

Just to give you an update ....

I routered out the edges after searching high and low for a router bit. I finally got something and made it work. I had to lengthen the boards 1.5” to match the bed length - I just capped them with some oak. That worked to my favor as each board had a sizeable crack in one end. After filling t he crack with wood glue, I clamped it together and left it over night. Once the oak was cut I used some good sized deck screws and some wood glue to hold them in place .....

The original boards were 1.25” thick and the outside boards are 1” thick. At Lowe’s they have hardwood slats 1/4” and 1/2” thick. So the leather maker boards got the 1/4” slats, the 1” outside pine boards the 1/2” slats to level things out. That works out well for the 1” boards as I will have to remove material underneath to clear the frame kickup areas. Without the 1/2” slats, I would not have enough board thickness to carve out to go over those kickups.

In my humble opinion, the last pic shows the setup working out much better than I ever anticipated ..... the next to the last pic shows the 1/2” slats being glued under the 1” board. The one slat is inboard - that is to stay away from the bed rail - I will put slats in those areas where the bed rail is flat .....

[TomT/Williamsburg]

The bed wood is now completed ....

[V8COOPMAN]

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Man, you do some nice work, Tom. I LIKE that! Unique, TOO! DD

[TomT/Williamsburg]

Thank you!