binfordm715 : Troop seat wood specs

Troop seat wood specs
Post by binfordm715 on May 12, 2006, 1:51pm

While I am at a cage installation site in Kalifornia, I will be bringing home as many as I can of those oak boards that my company uses to build crates. These I intend to cut and plane to spec to build troop seat planks.

My question is, what size is spec? Length, and the height/depth dimensions of the board.

Once I know this, I'll be able to grab any board in excess of those dimensions and know it will work. Could be I can get a freakin' BOATload of those things, too. If so, I could make a bunch of extras for anyone needing them.

Re: Troop seat wood specs
Post by marknessmonster on May 12, 2006, 2:39pm

Is that Red oak or White oak? It would be best to use White oak, as it is more resistant to rot for some reason...of the oak species.

Re: Troop seat wood specs
Post by brute4c on May 12, 2006, 2:44pm

I know its a non standard for lumber size...can measure tonight....

Re: Troop seat wood specs
Post by binfordm715 on May 12, 2006, 3:10pm

Sure, if you would measure them, that would be great!

The crates are built with rough-cut oak boards that are roughly 1x3. They vary though. Some are closer to 1-1/2" thick. If I know the troop seat plank size, then I can save only those boards that are greater than that dimension, then it's just a simple matter of cutting them to length and planing them to the correct dimensions at my next-door neighbor's insanely-equipped woodshop. Then finish-sand them, stain them and seal them.

I'll put a protectant over them anyway, so I'll be okay. For free, I'm not going to get species-picky!

Re: Troop seat wood specs
Post by hiker on May 12, 2006, 3:45pm

measurement of stock troop seat board in inches. 87 long, 3 wide and 3/4 thick. All edges are slightly rounded like they've been cut with a router. Some of the boards have a kind of factory production splice, reason unknown (save wood?) All boards have the same measurements.

Re: Troop seat wood specs
Post by dj on May 12, 2006, 4:34pm

My uncle an old farmer who has used oak lumber and posts cut on his property,said to me when we were bs'ing about white oak versus red oak ,when i said "I hear white oak lasts longer than red" he said "yeaaah about ten minutes". He is very well versed in these things so I took his word for it. Anyway free lumber is a good thing.

DJ

Re: Troop seat wood specs
Post by binfordm715 on May 12, 2006, 4:35pm

That factory splice...is it a straight-cut (vertical) splice, or angled? And where does it fall? At the center support?

Re: Troop seat wood specs
Post by fisherman on May 12, 2006, 4:50pm

The top board on one of my troop seats has the factory splice. I am currently painting the troops seats. They look awesome. Fisherman

Re: Troop seat wood specs
Post by socal715 on May 12, 2006, 5:33pm

Take some detailed pics for us Fisherman.

Re: Troop seat wood specs
Post by binfordm715 on May 12, 2006, 6:04pm

Or even not-so-detailed pics! We wanna see!

Re: Troop seat wood specs
Post by amphi on May 12, 2006, 6:25pm

Tim,

Bring the boards by here on your way home--- we can stack em' --- run the saw-mill over em' and make them all at once with one ruff-cut pass for each dimension.

The mill is set up and ready to rock. Cutting cedar tomorrow wanna' help?

Re: Troop seat wood specs
Post by marknessmonster on May 12, 2006, 6:33pm


Quote: <TABLE class=bordercolor cellSpacing=1 width="90%"><TBODY><TR><TD width="100%"><TABLE class=quote cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD width="100%">My uncle an old farmer who has used oak lumber and posts cut on his property,said to me when we were bs'ing about white oak versus red oak ,when i said "I hear white oak lasts longer than red" he said "yeaaah about ten minutes".</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

The wise uncle is absolutely correct. It's not like I'm talking about the difference between Douglas fir and Cedar. I was just making an observation in hopes of discovering what species of oak was the factory original.

Anybody know?

Re: Troop seat wood specs
Post by k8icu on May 12, 2006, 8:38pm

The factory species was oak....:) I could be wrong but I don't think they made preference on white or red. Just that it was oak. I've seen both on some troop seats and tailer racks that I've worked on in the pass. Tim you have to paint the boards OD Green It in the regs....:)

I think the splice is because the boards were made in running lengths of 20-25 feet or so and then cut to length as needed. Therefor there are splices in them.

I think it would be cool to get some of the new fiberglass boards that they are using now. I have also wondered how composit materials would work.

Re: Troop seat wood specs
Post by binfordm715 on May 12, 2006, 10:13pm

Boy, you two need to quit posting back-to-back. Your Avatar is confusing me!

You know, I think stained oak would look fantastic! Paint them green?! So sad. Well, it's not going to be completely stock anyway. So a nice walnut stain will do nicely! Even if it means I'm forever stuck on the Modified Board!

Amphi, how about you just run that mill on up here and show me how it works! Next weekend I'll be cutting some trees around here, and everything.....

So, the finished measurements of the boards I'm looing for will be 87.0" long, 3.0" wide and 0.75" thick. Is that right?

Re: Troop seat wood specs
Post by marknessmonster on May 13, 2006, 5:40am

Copy cat on the avatar!

I like the idea of stained wood and was considering the same for mine. Actually, I am also likely to stray from specs on the dimensions since I don't have the correct hardware anyway.

I think you are on a better path Tim, by sizing the wood to factory specs. You never know when you might feel the urge to go "restoration" and then you'd just have to paint over the stain. Also, if you ever sell, a larger pool of buyers would appreciate the correct parts.

Re: Troop seat wood specs
Post by brute4c on May 13, 2006, 6:30am

My spliced troop seats have a sawtooth edge where the boards join...will have to take a pic...later though...we are heading out for the day.

Re: Troop seat wood specs
Post by beast on May 13, 2006, 8:20am


Quote: <TABLE class=bordercolor cellSpacing=1 width="90%"><TBODY><TR><TD width="100%"><TABLE class=quote cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD width="100%">You know, I think stained oak would look fantastic! Paint them green?! So sad. Well, it's not going to be completely stock anyway. So a nice walnut stain will do nicely! Even if it means I'm forever stuck on the Modified Board! </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

I left mine stained clear when I first finished my 715 because I like the little bit of color change on the vehicle.
http://www.davidallenracing.com/DSC03386.jpg
But once I finished the deuce, I didn't feel like spending that much money to build the troop seats out of oak, so I used pine and knew I was going to paint them green. Once I did that I like the green so much that I pulled the troop seats off the 715 and sprayed them 24087 green also.
http://www.davidallenracing.com/f131ee2f.jpeg

Re: Troop seat wood specs
Post by binfordm715 on May 13, 2006, 10:00am

I have nothing against the green painted wood. Don't get me wrong. My thinking is exactly like Dave's. I did my pick-maddock handle with walnut stain and will do my axe and shovel handles that way as well. Thought I'd do the troop seats in stain as well. And like Madness wrote (and Dave did), I can always paint over them if I want. Kind of hard to stain over the paint though!

I'm not in any great hurry with this, so any time you can get a pick to me would be great. Perhaps a side shot so I can pick the right router bit for the rounded edges too.

I will pick up as much of this wood as I can. So I should be able to make up a few sets if anyone needs them.

Re: Troop seat wood specs
Post by devildog on May 13, 2006, 12:45pm

Steel fasteners in contact with oak and some moisture will turn the oak black around the fasteners. Stainless or bronze fasten ers may be a better choice if you are leaving them natural or stained.

Re: Troop seat wood specs
Post by texan on May 13, 2006, 3:55pm

Binford, I'll send you a sample of an original slat if you want one. I'm going to copy the original profile on mine. Let me know and PM me your mailing address.

Don

Re: Troop seat wood specs
Post by binfordm715 on May 13, 2006, 5:25pm

Thanks, Don. PM sent. Then I can make sure I copy it exactly.

Re: Troop seat wood specs
Post by hiker on May 13, 2006, 6:20pm

pictures of slates
http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/471...scf37598eu.jpg
http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/1258/dscf37639dy.jpg
http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/4143/dscf37792js.jpg
http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/971/dscf37829ei.jpg
http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/3981/dscf37843id.jpg

Re: Troop seat wood specs
Post by hiker on May 13, 2006, 6:24pm

picture posting practice
http://img83.imageshack.us/img83/4527/dscf37544oq.jpg

http://img83.imageshack.us/img83/8489/dscf37594yz.jpg

Re: Troop seat wood specs
Post by k8icu on May 13, 2006, 8:57pm

Even though I had the agree boy first I'll change my avitar to please the masses....:)

Yep that splice is the factory one. If you go to home despot or lowers and look at the milled lumber like closet rods, hand rails etc you'll see that same splice on them.

Re: Troop seat wood specs
Post by binfordm715 on May 13, 2006, 11:56pm

Are those splines about an inch deep then?

How many boards have the splices in them? Every one? Every other? Every third? With any luck, I won't need to do any splices, but I'll probably end up with the same problem the military had--running out of full-length boards.

Speaking of which, how many are there on one M715? I count 6 per side, 87 inches long each. 'Zat right?

Re: Troop seat wood specs
Post by brute4c on May 14, 2006, 2:50pm

I have the top board on one troop seat spliced and the top 2 on the other. The depth of the splices is 1 5/16ths inch.

I will mention as well that the point where the splices start on the boards are offset from center by about 1/2 inch. On the troop seat I have with 2 splices, one board has the splice starting in one spot, and the other board, because it is essentially flipped end for end from the other spliced one, has it about an inch the other way...both fall onto the troop seat center upright but they arent exactly one above the other as they would be if they were centered.

Hope that helps.

Re: Troop seat wood specs
Post by binfordm715 on May 14, 2006, 10:59pm

Got it. Thanks!

Now I'll just have to see how much wood I can get.....

Re: Troop seat wood specs
Post by socal715 on May 15, 2006, 10:11am

Little OT: I want to run the cargo top on the back.... do i need to have the wood side walls for it to work? or just all the bow pcs?

Re: Troop seat wood specs
Post by brute4c on May 15, 2006, 11:13am

The rear cargo cover is supported by the rear bows which, at the bottom, go into the uprights that the troop seat boards are bolted to. Without the troop seat boards, the 3 uprights would not have any stabilizing force to keep them vertical to the ground...the troop seat boards are therefore an integral part of the assembly...unless you want to put the supports for the troop seats on the truck and connect them with wood or metal or etc. that siomply connects them but does not act as a troop seat...

This shows the pieces for the rear cargo cover NOT including any of the troop seat stuff:
http://www.m715zone.com/manuals/34parts/fig140.jpg

Here are the troop seats...items 2, 3, and 5 are the uprights that the rear cargo cover bows go down into:
http://www.m715zone.com/manuals/34parts/fig116.jpg

Re: Troop seat wood specs
Post by socal715 on May 15, 2006, 11:38am

Gotcha.. thanks.. i never knew.... crap,.. more stuff to buy/find.

Re: Troop seat wood specs
Post by k8icu on May 15, 2006, 9:43pm

The bows and troop seat, cargo cover, end curtains etc should be the same as the M37 Dodges so that market is open for you to look at for those parts. The vinyl tops for the M800 dodges and the CUCVs is way different.

Re: Troop seat wood specs
Post by beast on May 16, 2006, 8:03am

The M37 bows are different. They are flat across the top and the corner pieces form an L instead of a curve. M715 stuff is the same as a M35 deuce. The troop seat uprights are the same but need a few inches cut off the bottoms to fit the 715, and the bow corners are the same, but need the wood part of the bow cut down to fit the narrower 715. This should make finding the needed parts much easier, as deuce parts are quite common and easy to find.