Some time ago a member of the list requested information on building what I
call a side stake assembly that extends the side rails using various lengths
of lumber. My 57 GMC is the result of a rebuild project over the past
several years. It has a 1958 Pontiac 336 and an old but rebuilt Carter AFB
carb. It is painted very dark green with a side stake assembly. The side
stake assembly is approximately 14" high from the top of the bedside.
The process of this rebuild took all summer of 98 and most of 99. I use this
truck infrequently for light trips around town and it is not for showing but
is fairly close to original with few modifications. After 3 years I'm almost
finished with this rebuild, (or perhaps one is really never finished.) My
intention is to keep this vehicle in mostly original condition but I must
say that adding these side stakes does add some continuity from the finished
oak bed and separates it from most other trucks. My truck has an
"old-fashioned" feel and thus from a design perspective side stake
assemblies are probably not fitting for a custom truck with a chopped top,
custom flame paint or a lowered frame. .
I used standard dimension cut red oak in 2", 4" and 6 " widths. The side
rails are 1" thick. All the lumber was purchased at a local Kansas City
lumber store specializing in tight and unique grain stock. My design has the
6" width running parallel with the bedsides, from front to back, and
curve-cut at the end to give it a finished look. The 2" width was next and
shorter in length than the 6" piece. (This is mostly a function of esthetics
and you can decide for yourself the level of gradient differences between
the 3 different lengths.) Finally the 4" piece is on top and shorter still.
>From bottom to top then the length becomes shorter but still long enough for
center side bracing.
The 3 vertical side-bracing elements that fit into the stake pockets however
were not exact fit with dimension cut lumber. I had to purchase 8/4 ("eight
quarters"---lumber guys speak in pig Latin sometimes) X 3" in a ten foot
length and cut it down to make for a friction fit into the 6 rectangular
stake pockets. The size of these stake pockets are abnormal and do not
conform exactly to a standard 2X4. In my situation I took the oversized
lumber to someone who used a professional grade band saw to make the cuts. I
sanded the side stakes to loosely fit the stake pockets, anticipating some
"growth" in the stakes from 4 coats of spar varnish. You can also add wood
screws to firmly attach the vertical braces to the stake pockets.
Some side stake assemblies I've seen do not have a front bed element that
ties the 2 sides together. Mine does and it's simply a matter of preference.
It is less expensive for "side only" stakes and requires a little less time.
The problem is in calculating the angle joints at the front. Most beds are
set in such a way that the clearance and tolerance for a conventional corner
isn't sufficient with the back of the cab. This requires some notching of
the front side pocket vertical pieces to custom fit the pieces together. Of
course, you can avoid all of this by simply omitting the front section
altogether.
Thus I have a front section with enough clearance that it clears the back of
the cab under the rear glass.
Refinishing occurred with all wood parts unassembled. I used a light
application of Watco dark maple stain. Remember that with tight grain lumber
like oak the stain doesn't deeply "color" the original stock. I simply chose
to wipe excess amounts off with a clean rag immediately after application.
Four coats of satin finish spar (exterior grade) varnish were applied with
intermittent light scuffing with steel wool to knock off the burs. The 4
coats also further darkened the side rails to match the shade of the bed
oak. (Note: Most truck parts dealers use white oak for bed wood. Only a
trained eye could notice the difference between red and white oak especially
after stain and 4 coats of varnish.)
The actual assembly process was kind of like an erector set. I placed the
finished side stakes in the 6 stake pockets until they hit the bottom (3"-6"
depending on middle, back, or front.) Once the stakes were secure I mounted
the 6" width first and shimmed up the side rail from the bedside using a
1/2" shim. Three-eighths inch holes were drilled and lag bolts used to
assemble the planks to the stakes. The 4" and 6" widths required 2 bolts per
vertical stake and the 2" piece only required 1. The same process was
repeated for the 2" width and the 4" width. Curve-cutting the ends (before
the application of stain and varnish) with a basic jigsaw finished the ends
of all 3 widths. Hope this helps anyone interested! Here are a couple of
images to help put it all together.
Best regards, Bob Browell
http://www.webphotos.com/view_photo.asp?mi=1&smi=1&a=49998&p=999613
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