To Finish or Not to Finish?

[Pappyx3!]

Some friends gave me some rough cut walnut they had to do my bed floor. I was thinking about getting someone to plane it for me, but after just laying it in the back of the truck to look at I'm thinking about just protecting the wood and leave the rough surface... Appreciate your comments!

Pappyx3!

[closer9]

I'm not familiar with your truck, but if you don't have a show truck, and plan to use the bed for hauling I'd say leave it. It looks good.

[Pappyx3!]

Here is a picture of the truck. PO seemed to have a Hot Rod picture in mind.

As for how I use it, my son and I have taken our trucks to couple of local car shows, It will never be a serious show vehicle. Mostly, driven just for fun. Worked on for enjoyment.

[1963chevyc20]

all i have to say is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hHDxlm66dE

[1963chevyc20]

just kidding. i would paint it black.

[Pappyx3!]

That's something to think about...

[1963c-10]

Personally I'd just seal it as is.

[Turtleman]

Its your choice,, but I'd plan it smooth and seal it,, or stain and seal it if you want (WADCO Black Walnut is really dark).
The main reason for planing is to remove any edge that can be damaged and create access to moister behind your seal coat. Once moister is behind your finish sooner than later your going to have a finish coat failure.

[60sIron]

Plane it then paint it or stain it. But plane it.

[Vernski]

If your not going to be out in the rain leave it un-planed it is your truck. But if you are going to brave the elements you need to plane it, stain it, then seal it.
Use a dark stain and wipe it clean enough to see the grain of the wood, that looks like really nice walnut so you want to be able to see it through the stain.
JMO...Vernski

[oem4me]

Unfinished, ..really? If that's Walnut, it's very pretty wood with nice color and hard tight grain. Left raw it'll soon enough turn grey and be indistinguishable from lesser woods. Personally I like black beds on stocker trucks, but if using a semi-premium wood in a modified truck, I'd give it the attention it deserves.

[BigSix]

That looks so much better than with the strips. I am guessing you want to bolt them down without the strips? How thick are the boards?

[Mackie]

If you use the truck and park outside you're essentially dealing with a deck. 22 years operating a paint store I can tell you the most complaints were on deck product failure. Nice clear walnut like that would look sweet finished and clear coated on a show truck but out in the sun and weather a "coating" will soon look shabby and turn into a maintenance headache. You could use a deck stain product ( builds no coating just soaks in) but most all are made for soft wood/pressure treated so won't penetrate the hard walnut. There are some made for hardwood like teak and mahogany. If you go this route you should treat the entire board -bottom, sides and especially endgrain- before install.

[Greg63]

If it were my truck, and wood, I would finish it.
I used marine varnish on the oak in my bed - 6 coats, sanding between coats) and it looks as nice now as it did 10 years ago when I finished it. You would have to coat every surface though.
If you plan on hauling anything, put a moving blanket over it. That works for me.

Greg.

[Pappyx3!]

If I had bought material to put in it I would have probably bought treated deck boards and stained or painted them...

but, I think you guys are right. The walnut material deserves to be finished and treated properly. I'm checking with some friends that are into woodworking to see if I can find someone to plane it for me. Thanks for all the comments!

Any good tonneau cover ideals for our trucks? Only thing I have been able to locate was a hard cover that was around $1500.