I have a Conover lathe... John Jordon's old Conover, to be precise.

The basic, 4-speed, 16" lathe did indeed sell for $1500 just before it was
discontinued in 2002. It came with the headstock, tailstock, tool rests, a
face plate and drive/dead centers, but no stand and no motor. The idea was
that you could build any stand you wanted and use it as a bowl-turning
lathe, a huge spindle-turning lathe (porch columns are no problem for this
guy), or a general-purpose lathe for everything... like mine. The spindle
nose (1/2"-8) and the Morse sockets (headstock: #3, tailstock: #2) are
bigger than what are considered "normal," and it can be a pain to find
accessories to fit. There were two different styles of securing the tool
post: originally it was just a simple handwheel and later was redesigned to
a cam-lever lock.

The manual is pretty basic, and doesn't really say much other than how to
build Ernie's (Conover) idea of a stand, to be careful of the speed, and
gave basic directions how to tear down and lube the bearings.

As with all auction sales, it depends on how old it is (important for which
style of toolpost lock), what condition the cast iron parts are in (the
bed/stand is of no real consequence, especially if someone knows what they
are looking at), and what accessories are packaged with it. In great
condition, the headstock, tailstock, tool post/rest, faceplate, drive/dead
centers could fetch $750 from the person looking specifically for a Conover.
If it also came with a motor, a second tool post, a live center, 4-jaw
chuck, etc., then even I might bid on it for that price.

Michael Latcha - at home in Redford, MI

"David F. Eisan" wrote in message
...
Hello everyone,

I usually hang out around rec.woodorking or Sawmill Creek, but I thought
this would be the best place to ask.

I have come into a Conover lathe that I am looking to sell. It is the 4
speed version on an all wood stand, including wooden legs.

I can find very little out about this lathe on the Net. I tried to find a
users group for Conover lathes, but I could not.

I am guessing this lathe sold for around $1500 new.

I am thinking about putting it on Ebay and I think I should be able to get
around $750 for it.

Can anyone guess at a value? Any idea where I can get a manual?

Thanks,

David.

Hello everyone,

I usually hang out around rec.woodorking or Sawmill Creek, but I thought
this would be the best place to ask.

I have come into a Conover lathe that I am looking to sell. It is the 4
speed version on an all wood stand, including wooden legs.

I can find very little out about this lathe on the Net. I tried to find a
users group for Conover lathes, but I could not.

I am guessing this lathe sold for around $1500 new.

I am thinking about putting it on Ebay and I think I should be able to get
around $750 for it.

Can anyone guess at a value? Any idea where I can get a manual?

Thanks,

David.

Here are some pictures of the lathe,

http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/conover1
http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/conover1

Here are some pics of the lathe,

http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/conover1.jpg
http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/conover2.jpg
http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/conover3.jpg
http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/conover4.jpg
http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/conover5.jpg
http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/conover6.jpg
http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/conover7.jpg


Thanks,

David.