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Ernie Conover

Emiliano Achaval

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Last month I was contacted by one of my woodturning heroes, the one and only, Ernie Conover. He told me that while doing his research on the Hawaiian Calabash, my name kept popping up. He wrote an article for Woodworkers Journal, and every article now has a video that goes along with it. I don't have the magazine yet, but he sent me a link to the interview on YouTube. I was thrilled that I spent some time with such an influential great guy. His Conover Lathe was years ahead of the rest. He is an all-around woodworker and turner. He thank me and called me his new old friend. Just in case that someone wants to see it:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJaEruTRmIk
 
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Couple funny stories about Ernie. In the late 80s I went to a woodworking show in downtown Chicago, can't remember the convention center. Ernie is giving a demo and has this large cherry bowl that is reading for the second turn. The bowl keeps going into a resonance and no matter what he attempts it just keeps chattering. I can see he's really getting frustrated and after one particularly bad few minutes he shuts off the lathe and inspects the bowl. He discovers a big crack, looks up at the audience and tells us, then uses the large scraper he has in hand like an ax and smacks the bowl. It breaks off the lathe and the crowd gasps. Tough to keep going after that!
Second demo I sit in is at Springfield, IL at the State Fair Grounds. This time he has a frozen drive spur on the demo lathe. Again, no matter what he tries, it's stuck. Finally new equipment is produced and still the drive spur remains. Finally in frustration the amount of force applied is rewarded with equal reaction to that force. The drive spur shoots across the stage like a hobby rocket.
Demonstrating is hard! LOL
 

John Jordan

In Memorium
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Last month I was contacted by one of my woodturning heroes, the one and only, Ernie Conover. He told me that while doing his research on the Hawaiian Calabash, my name kept popping up. He wrote an article for Woodworkers Journal, and every article now has a video that goes along with it. I don't have the magazine yet, but he sent me a link to the interview on YouTube. I was thrilled that I spent some time with such an influential great guy. His Conover Lathe was years ahead of the rest. He is an all-around woodworker and turner. He thank me and called me his new old friend. Just in case that someone wants to see it:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJaEruTRmIk
That's cool, Ernie's a good guy. I made a whole lot of nice pieces on a Conover lathe, it was my first real lathe.

John
 

Emiliano Achaval

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Website
hawaiiankoaturner.com
Couple funny stories about Ernie. In the late 80s I went to a woodworking show in downtown Chicago, can't remember the convention center. Ernie is giving a demo and has this large cherry bowl that is reading for the second turn. The bowl keeps going into a resonance and no matter what he attempts it just keeps chattering. I can see he's really getting frustrated and after one particularly bad few minutes he shuts off the lathe and inspects the bowl. He discovers a big crack, looks up at the audience and tells us, then uses the large scraper he has in hand like an ax and smacks the bowl. It breaks off the lathe and the crowd gasps. Tough to keep going after that!
Second demo I sit in is at Springfield, IL at the State Fair Grounds. This time he has a frozen drive spur on the demo lathe. Again, no matter what he tries, it's stuck. Finally new equipment is produced and still the drive spur remains. Finally in frustration the amount of force applied is rewarded with equal reaction to that force. The drive spur shoots across the stage like a hobby rocket.
Demonstrating is hard! LOL
Those are some great stories. More than once I have felt like hitting the piece on the lathe with a hammer, LOL
 
Joined
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Penrose, NC
Couple funny stories about Ernie. In the late 80s I went to a woodworking show in downtown Chicago, can't remember the convention center. Ernie is giving a demo and has this large cherry bowl that is reading for the second turn. The bowl keeps going into a resonance and no matter what he attempts it just keeps chattering. I can see he's really getting frustrated and after one particularly bad few minutes he shuts off the lathe and inspects the bowl. He discovers a big crack, looks up at the audience and tells us, then uses the large scraper he has in hand like an ax and smacks the bowl. It breaks off the lathe and the crowd gasps. Tough to keep going after that!
Second demo I sit in is at Springfield, IL at the State Fair Grounds. This time he has a frozen drive spur on the demo lathe. Again, no matter what he tries, it's stuck. Finally new equipment is produced and still the drive spur remains. Finally in frustration the amount of force applied is rewarded with equal reaction to that force. The drive spur shoots across the stage like a hobby rocket.
Demonstrating is hard! LOL
My inspiration for the popular phrase: "life is too short to turn crappy wood".....:D
 
Joined
Mar 31, 2014
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Location
TX
Great story, I have been in woodworking about 50 yrs.Tuurning only a shotr tine but he has alwYs been a great author
 
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