Winter Build-Off 2026 - Medium Scale, Barn Wood Bass

[BishopJP]

As the title suggests, I will be using reclaimed siding from an old barn to make the body. Since this is North Carolina, it was likely a tobacco barn and is probably around 100+ years old and some species of pine.

Old and crusty...

The bass will be 32" scale, 4 string. The body will be two-piece (top and back), scrap cherry for the neck. Fret board wood TBD.

Crusty boards, scrap cherry and fretboards...


The fretboard choices are (L - R) hickory, black locust and granadillo. Unless i change my mind and use something else...


Cherry off-cuts from other neck blanks. I'll see what I can get out of this pile...


The planks of siding are around 13" wide. Here are some pieces I cut from the longer boards. I took a piece from a few of the boards to see what they look like after a little clean-up.
Most of the boards are cupped (see above); for the top, I will flatten the concave side and leave the top as is soon it will have a slight curve and retain most of the "patina". Once cleaned and finished, the top should have a good amount texture.

Here we go!

 

[HoHumbucker]

I can almost smell that reclaimed board from here.

 

[BishopJP]

I can almost smell that reclaimed board from here.

As long as you cant taste it... I'm not positive it was from a tobacco barn!

 

[BishopJP]

I had planned to do some work on this project this week. Unfortunately, I got pretty sick and spent too much of the week horizontal and unconscious.

Before catching the plague, I got as far as starting to process the planks.

I put one of the pieces on an mdf sled to run it through the planer. This will be the back so I want a flat reference face.


I am working on a sister build that is a guitar. I may post that as "Unfinished Business", but here is a pic of that build to give an idea of where I am headed.



Hopefully, I'll be well enough to work on this soon.

 

[BishopJP]

This weekend, I processed some of the cherry and glued up 3-piece neck blank...
...the outer pieces are a little over 1.125" and the center strip is 0.5".

After getting the blank out of the clamps, I discovered this...

...not sure how I missed that check. Although, from the end, it followed the angle of the end grain nicely and was well camouflaged.

So, I processed some more of the cherry shown in the wood pile pic. I decided to try this tapered center lamination that people are always on about.

Tapering jig...

And glued up the second neck blank...
...this time, I used a caul and my clamping beam, just a little extra effort to make sure the blank is straight.

While I had a batch of West System mixed, I glued and clamped up the first neck blank (no pics). Let's just see what happens with that one.

 

[Beej]

I just think tapered center lams look hawt.

 

[Slidlow]

I just think tapered center lams look hawt.

Tapered,tapered, tapered

 

[BishopJP]

I just think tapered center lams look hawt.

Tapered,tapered, tapered

I was pretty sure I'd get approval for that!

 

[BishopJP]

This weekend, I made some progress on the necks.
Yes, "necks", because I've decided to make two and see what happens with the one with the checks.

Squared and flattened the blanks...

...and prepped the headstock "ears". The blanks are still about 3/16" proud so there's still room for final flattening and straightening.
The final thickness will be right at 1".

Ears epoxied on...

...since my shop is literally freezing, these will come inside to cure after the epoxy sets.

I discovered some flaws in the granadillo fretboard I was going to use so I pivoted...

...and I'll be using these bocote fretboards instead. I dont feel like milling and more fretboards at the moment and I already had these on hand.

Once the epoxy is cured, it will be time to start cutting out the necks.

 

[joe vegas]

good stage name.. "Crusty Boards" good luck with the build

 

[BishopJP]

good stage name.. "Crusty Boards" good luck with the build

 

[BishopJP]

This weekend, North Carolina had some severe (for this area) winter weather. Where I am located, just outside Raleigh, we saw mostly freezing rain; other areas got snow. The entire county was encapsulated in a nice, thick layer of ice! I didn't lose power, thankfully, so I was able to get some shop time.

In order to make the shop slightly more habitable, I turned on my two little radiant heaters, about 4 hours before I went in. I know other parts of the world get much colder, but 18 degrees is not pleasant for wood working.

Anyway, once the shop was "warm", I woke up the robot and put it to work...

...I am working in 2.5D, so I still shape the neck by hand. I try to put the blank in the machane once, and get all the pocketing and contouring done before I take it off.

--------- Edit -----------
I meant to include this step.

I frequently use the glue/tape method of work holding, so I don't cut the contours completely through the blank. This is how they come off the machine...

...then the excess gets cut off on the bandsaw and edges cleaned-up with a template bit on the router table.
---------- end edit ---------

Slight issue with tool path for thinning the headstock...

...a little ridge left at what was the center of the pocket. Need to check the tool overlap for next time. I will use the spindle sander to shape the headstock transition so that ridge will get fixed. Also, the tool marks will get sanded off.

Tight quarters inside this neck...

...not much material between the truss rod slot and the slots for the stiffening rods. Should fine, though, once the stiffening rods are epoxied in and the fretboard on.

 

[BishopJP]

Last year, I decided I was tired of hand cutting fret slots. I picked up this blue-brand mini miter saw...

...and set it up with a fret cutting blade from StewMac. I built the MDF table with the back stop and I use SM fret scale templates.

I didnt even know it had a light until I plugged it the first time!


And we have two slotted fretboards...

 

[Matt Liebenau]

I've got that same saw for the same purpose. I need to get on with it. Do you just have a pin in the jig where the saw kerf line is?

 

[BishopJP]

I've got that same saw for the same purpose. I need to get on with it. Do you just have a pin in the jig where the saw kerf line is?

I offset the pin so I never have to worry about hitting it with the blade. That way I can also use the saw to trim the end of the fretboard, if necessary.
The offset is 1" to make it easy to line up the fretboard on the templates.

 

[BishopJP]

Continuing with the inlaid fretboards...

I let the robot cut out the perimeter of the board...

...I oversize the perimeter by a few thousandths to make sure it is a friction fit.

Nice and snug....

...not pressed in completely so I can get it out again!

Unfortunately, I was trying to make some progress before work and wound up rushing, which is when I always screw up! The first board is under-sized by about 1/8" and is now scrap.

Take your time and double-check your work! I guess I need to learn that lesson over and over again...

I do have another chunk of bocote...

...I will try to get a couple of boards out of that.

 

[AK4570]

I'm totally guessing and thinking out loud here…. But could that undersized board be brought to the proper dimension with the addition of a layer of veneer? Since you're inlaying, it might serve as an accent stripe.

Ok… back to my corner.

They are looking great by the way!
John

 

[BishopJP]

I'm totally guessing and thinking out loud here…. But could that undersized board be brought to the proper dimension with the addition of a layer of veneer? Since you're inlaying, it might serve as an accent stripe.

Ok… back to my corner.

They are looking great by the way!
John

Thanks!

I did think about using accent veneer to make it fit, but...

It seemed like that would require heat/steam bending and I am a little daunted by trying to learn that skill! I figured it would be quicker to just make a new fretboard.

I may still try it, just not for this build.

 

[BishopJP]

Ok, fixing the fretboard issue...

I had another piece of bocote about 52" long, more or less, with a little bit of a twist in it. For this bass, I need a fretboard blank about 24", so I cut it in half lengthwise...

...and stuck it to a plywood sled with hot glue and some shims. Sent it through the planer to flatten the boards.

I used the table saw to re-saw the boards; after flattening, the stock was about 3/4" so I was able to get 2 boards out of each piece, with a scrap left over to use as veneer.
I also milled a couple wenge boards while I was in the process...

...the grain in these bocote boards is more flat where as the original was more vertically oriented. They turned out kinda wild!

Like the previous boards, I cut fret slots into one of the new ones and let my robot helper cut out the perimeter...

...now I have two necks, ready to go. I think i like the new board better!

I need to make some brass bars (Bruce Bars) before I can proceed with the necks, so I will switch to working on the body, for now.

 

[BishopJP]

Making a body from barn wood...

The "barn wood" in question are 8' planks that are about 13" wide +/-, rough sawn and fairly well cupped. They are around 1" thick, so I need two pieces (top and back) to make a body blank, which means I need two flat mating surfaces. So, the pieces go onto an MDF sled, shimmed and stuck down with hot glue and sent through the planer.

Also, the blanks get attacked with a wire brush to clean them a bit before going through the planer...

...after the planer.

After flattening one side, we are left with a curved top and back...

...making almost an airfoil shape in cross section. One edge tapers to 1-1/4", the other around 1-3/8". The center is right around 1-5/8".

Clamp-henge...


I forgot to get a pic, but I also flattened most of the back, so I have a flat reference surface.