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Source for grooved battleship linoleum?


blind pew

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Just wondering if anyone is aware of any sources for grooved battleship linoleum? Was thinking about having uncovered wooden floors in my International project, but decided the linoleum would be better.

 

Mechanical parts pretty much finished on the international and about half way done with the wood. It's slow but sure.

 

Having a little trouble with the A833 manual transmission and a hurst 4 speed shifter. Am able to get reverse as well as 3 and 4, but not 1 and 2. It will take a little more work! 

 

Thanks!

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Restoration Supply Co, www.restorationStuff.com, 1-800-306-7008,  has several types of linoleum available. Not sure what you call "grooved" but RSC has what they call "Flat Top Ribbed Mat-Rubber". PN RUB035 that might be what you are looking for, it's 36" wide. They also have "Corrugated Mat, Vinyl" that is 48" wide, PN RUB036. Also "Wide Ribbed Rubber" PN RUB020, 48" wide.

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The real linoleum I used in my woodie came from Forbo. Google Forbo Linoleum. I found a local flooring retailer that carried their line on Forbo website. LOTS of color choices. I don't think they have the ribbed version. 

I think I have seen pictures of 1949-1951 Ford woodies with ribbed linoleum in the back. Possibly '52 and up used it too. Contacting owners/restorers/experts of these cars would be a direction for research.  The National Woodie Club may have volunteer club technicians for 49-51 Fords. 

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I used the Forbo desktop linoleum in black in my 1946 Ford 1-ton.  Luckily I worked as a cabinetmaker and ran a pretty good sized shop with CNC machinery.  I had my former employee drop my sheet on a CNC router with a 5' x 12' bed and had them run 1/16" grooves every 1/8". So if you know someone in the woodworking (specifically cabinet making where the need for machinery to handle sheet goods is great) and they're willing to run it for you, it really took maybe an hour of machine time with probably another hour of programming.

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1 hour ago, blind pew said:

That looks great! Unfortunately, I don't have any contacts to get linoleum grooved. I guess I will have to go with ungrooved linoleum. 

There used to be a thing called the Yellow Pages, now you can find most anything on the internet, keep looking.

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On 12/26/2023 at 5:15 PM, Tom Boehm said:

That could be done with a router and a straight edge. I vaguely remember a story in Woodie Times long ago where a guy did it that way. 

Yikes- that sounds very labor intensive and a royal PITA. I am more of a "slash and burn" guy.

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I just read in the latest Crankshaft magazine that the tri five chevy Nomads had ribbed linoleum in the back. Maybe there is a source for repro ribbed among tri five chevy parts vendors. 

 

A quick search: They have it in black: https://ciadellainteriors.com/product/wagon-cargo-linoleum/

Edited by Tom Boehm (see edit history)
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  • 3 weeks later...
On 1/20/2024 at 9:14 AM, Tom Boehm said:

Does this "Battleship Linoleum" place have the grooved type?

No - they do not. 

Tony, who runs the place, will send you out some samples of the linoleum to see. He sent a grooved sample to me as well, but said he does not do the grooving himself. 

 

He said he will provide a set of instructions for those who are willing to undertake the routing process themselves. As much as I like my router, I think I would pass on that. It sounds a little tedious to do by hand. 

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  • 3 weeks later...

I bought linoleum from Tony in the 1900s. Great product. He provided instructions on exactly how to use a router to do it including the bit size. It does involve building a simple jig. I never attempted it.

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