Osthoff Guitars - Shop 2024

[John Osthoff]

Hello all. I have been very busy in the shop but not really active with the forum and taking photos. I have a bunch of guitars in process, a few for the Artisan Show and many for clients. I will try to gather some photos of the guitars and post them.

I have never liked the way my binding tools worked. I have built and bought many different ones over the years. Each one has had it issues and all shared one thing in common is the router. Although I have purchased good routers the biggest problem I encounter is with the height adjustment. It seems that the different locking mechanisms don't return the router bit with accuracy.

A few years ago I purchased some materials to make a new binding jig. I got busy and put the project on the sidelines. I finally took some time to get my binding jig together. I still have some tweaks to make and add some dust collection but I have tried it out on one of the guitars, a Size 1 for Artisan and it worked well.

Here are a couple of pictures of the over-designed binding jig.

[joe white]

That's a nice looking tool John! Well done.

[Racerbob]

That looks very "high tech" with the dial gauges and machined parts. And I like the precision slots in the table top to keep the working area clear. Well done John Sorry you don't appear to be able to make BIG this year

[sevenpalms]

Wow...thats awesome! Congrats. I love my Osthoff AS-C...its as good or better than anything I've played! Youre doing wonderful work.

[John Osthoff]

Originally Posted by joe white

That's a nice looking tool John! Well done.

Hey Joe!

Thanks man. I was doing some finish work recently and doing some shading. My gun spit out something (now I know it was a water bubble). The otherwise very nice color was ruined by the bubble as when I scuff sanded a spruce colored spot showed up.) No way for this guy to blend it in.)

My cheapo (but very quiet) air compressor was acting up so I took some time to rebuild my air system and added my own air drying system. It starts with an oil transmission cooler.



The fan runs on 12VDC, so I added a powersupply to convert the 220VAC to the 12VDC to run the fan. I also added an hour meter. The air coming directly from the compressor (big black hose on top) is quite warm (after a while) and the radiator brings the temps down quite a bit, I think the delta T was about 50 degrees F.



The output from there goes to an oil/water separator and then back to the compressor tank. The separator has an automatic drain that drains when the system gets below 5 PSI. I have a slow leak or two in the system that I have not chased down yet, but it actually works out as when I am done for the day and shut down the compressor within a few hours the pressure reaches less than 5 PSI and it drains.



Out of the compressor tank, I feed it into a homemade condenser (the galvanized pipe with copper mesh inside.) That feeds into the "buffer tank" which was left over from my other compressor that was acting up.



From the bottom of that tank I have another separator and then finally feed the guns.



I wasn't really being paranoid by adding those last two filters, I had them hanging around and since I am not all that concerned with flow, I threw them in there. Also the big one acted a nice manifold.

I have only done a little spraying with it but so far so good. No water.

[John Osthoff]

Originally Posted by Racerbob

That looks very "high tech" with the dial gauges and machined parts. And I like the precision slots in the table top to keep the working area clear. Well done John Sorry you don't appear to be able to make BIG this year

Hi Bob,

Thanks. I really enjoyed our conversations. I don't know anything about BIG this year, I guess I didn't make the cut.

[John Osthoff]

Originally Posted by sevenpalms

Wow...thats awesome! Congrats. I love my Osthoff AS-C...its as good or better than anything I've played! Youre doing wonderful work.

Thanks Jeff.

I am glad you are enjoying that AS model. I stopped making that model when I started the SJ model as they were so close in size. Since then I have had a few requests for them and who knows, maybe it will be time to put another one or two of them together.

[srick]

I’m laughing with you, John. That has to be the “world’s greatest binding jig!” It looks VERY impressive.

And it works like a champ - good for you!

[sevenpalms]

Originally Posted by John Osthoff

Thanks Jeff.

I am glad you are enjoying that AS model. I stopped making that model when I started the SJ model as they were so close in size. Since then I have had a few requests for them and who knows, maybe it will be time to put another one or two of them together.

Thats great! To me, the AS-C feels like a jumbo OM... way more sound and bottom end than a standard OM.

[John Osthoff]

Originally Posted by sevenpalms

Thats great! To me, the AS-C feels like a jumbo OM... way more sound and bottom end than a standard OM.

Yeah the AS model was pretty much what you describe as an oversize OM or 4-oh (0000.) Martin had a model M that is similar. Perhaps I will reintroduce these maybe as part of my Vintage Series.

Speaking of the Vintage Series, I have a Size 1 on the bench. I didn't take any photos along the way but below are a couple shots of it as it sat last week. Since then I rebuilt the neck (I didn't like a couple of things about the original.) I hope to have this one ready for the Artisan show, which is a tall order since I still need to carve the neck and get it into finish.

I created this little guy since I had a really nice set of Brazilian that was too small for a bigger guitar. I tried to stay close to the style 40 of early 20th century.

[iim7V7IM7]

Beautiful guitar John. I look forward to seeing you at Artisan next month…

[Steve Kinnaird]

Originally Posted by iim7V7IM7

Beautiful guitar John. I look forward to seeing you at Artisan next month…

Yeah, John, what Bob said. That is a lovely little thing.
Now, that air drying system… how do mere mortals think of such things?
Too cool.

Steve

[John Osthoff]

Originally Posted by Steve Kinnaird

Yeah, John, what Bob said. That is a lovely little thing.
Now, that air drying system… how do mere mortals think of such things?
Too cool.

Steve

Well for this mortal, I did garner many ideas from that thing they call the internet. I put my own spin on it trying to use things I already had kicking around. When it was all said and done, the cost of the fittings, hose and radiator (not to mention my time) I should have probably just purchased one.

[John Osthoff]

Here are a couple of shots of the all koa OM from the finish booth. Hopefully I will have this one with me at the Artisan Show and that is plan as of today. Still have to make the turquoise tuner buttons and of course make a nut and saddle and get her set-up. More on this one soon (I hope.)

[TomB'sox]

Another stunner John, congrats, with the tuning knobs, that is going to jump right off the table into someone's arms!