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First project: Folk Bass DIY upright

#362
T_Bone_TL said:
Since that's a rather vague product description, the answer would be mmmmaybe?

If it's legitimately an oil-based product, any oil or alcohol dissolved tinting products should work.
Click to expand...

Sorry, I was referring to the Watco Tung Oil that I mentioned previously. From the MSDS sheet, it looks to be about 20% (by weight) Tung Oil, 28% Mineral Spirits, and a smattering of other "hazardous substances" to a total of 49%. Don't know what the other 51% of the weight would be.
 
#364
Rubbed the whole neck down with fine scotchbrite yesterday and started putting the whole thing back together so I can finish before the deadline.

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Found a good way to get a nice firm press on the tuner bushings this time :p.
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#366
Beej said:
Tell me that pressing those tuner bushings wasn't satisfying. :smug:
Click to expand...
So good :D.

You may recall I had an issue with the bushings slipping out of the holes when I strung it up for a test a while back. I guess we'll see for sure once I get the strings back on it, but the following seems to have helped get a better fit:
  • Reshaped the inside face of the headstock. The holes were drilled square to the outside plane, but the inside plane was not perfectly parallel to the outside, causing the bushings to not sit flush to the surface. I filed the inside face down a bit in a few spots and now the bushings sit a lot nicer.
  • Smoothed out some rough spots in the tuner hole bores. The bit I used to drill the tuner holes was very coarse. I should have taken one extra second to look for an appropriate sized forstner bit instead of buying a gigantic auger boring bit. My borrowed drill press has also seen better days and has a slight wobble to it... so the longer the bit the more it wobbles at the business end. Upon inspection after drilling, the holes looked like they had been gouged out with a spoon. I used a small grinding stone in my hand drill to smooth out some of the high spots where the bushings were getting hung up, and filled in a few of the deeper gouges with CA glue.
  • The oil finish seems to have firmed up the diameter of the holes ever so slightly.
So between all that, and using the C-clamp to really squeeze them into place, I'm now much more confident that they'll stay where they're supposed to be this time. And I reeeeally hope they do, because some of the teeny tiny screws for mounting the tuners are already looking pretty stripped after two installs. If I have to take them out again I may as well buy new ones. That's what I get for buying cheap off-brand junk.

Not pictured: tuners have been remounted and I've started working on what I intend to be a permanent tailpiece mounting block.
 
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#367
Well this week has gone to hell in a hurry and there's no way I'll even get this thing strung up again before the deadline.

Thus, in the name of anarchy and embodying the true spirit of "unfinished business", I will refer everyone back to my Post #275 when I declared it functionally complete :p. Or, in the terms we use at work, Substantial Performance, i.e. "the outstanding deficiencies do not prevent the regular or intended use of the (DIY Folk Bass)."

Play test video:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/UK85XIVowT8

SBO 2023 Official Entry:
This is a scratch-built fretless neck mated to a 20" kick drum to make a upright-style "folk bass". I designed the neck from the bottom up and built it using 100+ year old Douglas Fir 2x4s salvaged from my home. Other than the pre-radiused ebony fingerboard from LMI, nearly everything else purchased for this project has been from Amazon, Home Depot, or Canadian Tire, including tools, hardware, glue, and finishing supplies. I approached the work with a "Garage DIY" vibe in mind, and "if I can do it... so can you" attitude. I hope you like it.

There's still a few things left to complete, as time allows:
  • I am currently working on a new tailpiece mounting block, and thinking about how (or if) I might want to redo the trapeze tailpiece itself. I am kinda partial to the door hinge and threaded rod approach :roflmao:.
  • I intend to replace the prototype adjustable bridge pictured below with a nicer one made from maple or something, but of the same basic design.
  • I have a few pieces of nicer wood to use for a final nut, including a chunk of ebony and a small block of burl maple stabilized with black epoxy in case I screw up the ebony :p. For now I've cut another practice nut from douglas fir.

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#372
Bruce Johnson said:
I've tried playing Banjozilla with a bow. Right where the neck joins the body. It works, and the bowing action will definitely make the head roar. It's much louder than plucking. Very loud sustained deep banjo sounds. It's kinda like hearing Godzilla practice opera. Scary, if you can't control it. You could use a bow in bluegrass/folk settings. Assuming that you practice and learn the technique!
Click to expand...

Yes Banjozilla can be played w/ a Bow like a Double Bass because the bridge has a Radius in it
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I play the Cello too so I've refined my bowing Technique. A Bow will make the Head Roar. It is more resonant than an average Double Bass.
 
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#375
Really cool project! I considered making one of these for quite a while before just going for a bent top plywood upright (https://www.talkbass.com/threads/almost-100-challenge-upright-bass.1194755/). If you want to mellow it out some you might think about making a braced wooden top which isn’t unheard of for regular sized banjos (Paramount Tenor Harp Style E Wood Top Banjo (1924) | RetroFret). If you thicken the edge enough you could even just have it bolt on through the regular rim hardware and switch back and forth as you please.
 
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#376
Thanks! I was playing this thing a bit last night out in the garage just for fun. I definitely did not skimp on the neck thickness! she's chonky lol. As I was playing it I had the thought about reshaping the neck a little in a few spots, but quickly tucked that into a far back corner of my mind to hopefully be forgotten about. :p

I'll take some "finished" glamour shots and post them here once things warm up a little more this spring and I can get out of the garage and into the sunshine.
 
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#379
NKBassman said:
Well this week has gone to hell in a hurry and there's no way I'll even get this thing strung up again before the deadline.

Thus, in the name of anarchy and embodying the true spirit of "unfinished business", I will refer everyone back to my Post #275 when I declared it functionally complete :p. Or, in the terms we use at work, Substantial Performance, i.e. "the outstanding deficiencies do not prevent the regular or intended use of the (DIY Folk Bass)."

Play test video:


SBO 2023 Official Entry:
This is a scratch-built fretless neck mated to a 20" kick drum to make a upright-style "folk bass". I designed the neck from the bottom up and built it using 100+ year old Douglas Fir 2x4s salvaged from my home. Other than the pre-radiused ebony fingerboard from LMI, nearly everything else purchased for this project has been from Amazon, Home Depot, or Canadian Tire, including tools, hardware, glue, and finishing supplies. I approached the work with a "Garage DIY" vibe in mind, and "if I can do it... so can you" attitude. I hope you like it.

There's still a few things left to complete, as time allows:
  • I am currently working on a new tailpiece mounting block, and thinking about how (or if) I might want to redo the trapeze tailpiece itself. I am kinda partial to the door hinge and threaded rod approach :roflmao:.
  • I intend to replace the prototype adjustable bridge pictured below with a nicer one made from maple or something, but of the same basic design.
  • I have a few pieces of nicer wood to use for a final nut, including a chunk of ebony and a small block of burl maple stabilized with black epoxy in case I screw up the ebony :p. For now I've cut another practice nut from douglas fir.

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I was kinda shocked to see your portrait in this post, only because you aren't the aliens guy in your avatar.

Looks great! You did a great job on this!
 
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