A creeker visit with John and Eileen Keeton

[Ed Morgano]

I've been wanting to meet John for quite some time and after his heart attack, I decided not to put it off any longer. So, this weekend, I drove up to his place in KY and we had a SUPER visit. I can't say enough good stuff about John and Eileen. They were and are just plain great people. I got to John's place about 9:30 Saturday morning and after a brief visit, John took me out to his shop and we sort of went to work. (He did all the work and I watched.) I had brought some Maple burls that I wanted John to give me some ideas about what to make out of them. Well, even better, he said, "we can work on one of these if you want to." So, without further adu, John proceeded to show me his method of approaching and actually doing a hollow form. Here are a few pictures.
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John showed me a unique way of parting the top off the hollow form from the inside.
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We decided to add a walnut ring to the form which is something I wanted to do anyway.

John just went right to work on that without even slowing down.

[Ed Morgano]

This is the result:


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And, last but not least, a picture of the three of us as proof that I was actually there.

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[Ken Hill]

Looks like a nice visit!

[Steve Schlumpf]

Ed - I know John and Eileen - so I know you had a great time! Nice looking hollow form! Really decent of John to show how to fix things, should you ever have something unexpected happen to your turning! Thanks for sharing! Great photos!

[John Keeton]

Ed, so glad you made it home safely, and before the rain came! We had a great time with Ed. He spent the night with us, got treated to our hometown Christmas parade, complete with hot chocolate, followed by a great chorale program featuring a tremendous Celtic group of bagpipes and drums.

Twice I have failed to sufficiently tighten the cutter head on my Monster rig, and wouldn't you know the second time was when there was someone present with a camera!!!:o Actually, I did it on purpose just to show Ed what NOT to do!;):cool::D

Ed brought a beautiful Christmas ornament that he made for Eileen and I.

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And, I sent him back with some of my wood stash, including some flat stock so he can practice on those impromptu walnut collars!!

Hope you are able to make it back to KY someday, Ed! We will try to destroy another of your beautiful burls!!:D You are welcome anytime!

[Bernie Weishapl]

Well Ed I can say I do agree that John and Eileen are just super people. It looks like great meeting and sounds like a fun time was had. John the shop looks pretty much the same as when I was there except for the big Jet.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Congratulations to everybody!

[Ken Hill]

Seeing the images of the HF and its actual size is pretty neat.....I dont think ive ever seen one in person!

[David DeCristoforo]

Nice. The only guy I know of who has a shop so clean that a camera can be left uncovered!

[Allan Ferguson]

That would be a treat indeed. And one really clean shop.

[Tony De Masi]

Looks and sounds like a great visit. I told JK that a meeting with him was on my bucket list so I need to move in that direction.

Geesh JK. Did you rob the cradle?;)

[Donny Lawson]

Man, I am so jealous. I've been wanting to go to keetons house for a long time. Congrats Ed, now you need to head up to Kathy Marshall's in AZ. I'm glad to see your doing alot of creeker visits. Looks like you had a great time.

[Hayes Rutherford]

I like to see that happen and great shop pics.

[charlie knighton]

thanks for sharing, its what its all about

[Jim Burr]

And what a great time of year!! Can we gather a good time was had by all...It sure looks like it! Nice job you two!

[Jeff Nicol]

Ed, I know how you felt getting to meet John and his lovely wife Eileen, they stopped up here in WI on the way to the AAW symposium this last summer. We did not do any turning as I was getting ready to head out to the symposium later that afternoon, but Eileen was curious about all the tall and larger vases and HF I had sitting all over the shop. My shop is much dirtier and unorganized compared to John's and it is much worse now than it was when they visited.

Some day I will have to take a drive to Kentucky and see the "Keeton Operating Room" , my sister lives near Louisville so I could do a double visit.

Congrats on the great time you had,

Jeff

[Roger Chandler]

Looks like a great gathering.............sounds like the Keeton's hospitality is first rate! Thanks for sharing with the rest of us!

[David E Keller]

Sounds like a lot of fun! I'm sure it was great to meet John and his better half and to tour the shop! It would have been fun to see him turn. Just out of curiosity, what were his exact words when he 'parted off the top'? You can send them via PM if they're not fit for public perusal!

[Kathy Marshall]

Looks like a great visit! I'd love to visit the Keeton shop, but for some reason he decided to settle down half way across the country from me! Hopefully John and a bunch of other Creekers will make the next AAW symposium in San Jose and I'll be able to add some more "met another Creeker" notches on my handle!


Man, I am so jealous. I've been wanting to go to keetons house for a long time. Congrats Ed, now you need to head up to Kathy Marshall's in AZ. I'm glad to see your doing alot of creeker visits. Looks like you had a great time.
He beat you to it Donny! He was here a few weeks ago and I had a great visit with him and his daughter Vickie.

[Dan Forman]

Just out of curiosity, what were his exact words when he 'parted off the top'? You can send them via PM if they're not fit for public perusal!

I bet it was something along the lines of "I object". :D

Dan

[David DeCristoforo]

"...what were his exact words when he 'parted off the top..."

I believe they were "Gosh darn it! Gee whiz! Shoot!!!"

[Dan Forman]

Sounds like a wonderful time - sometimes I wish I lived a more central location to make such visits easier, but then I think heat plus humidity, and come to my senses. Looks like you picked a good time of year to make the trip. Nice pics too.

Dan

[Baxter Smith]

Looks like a great time with great pictures!

[Ed Morgano]

"...what were his exact words when he 'parted off the top..."

I believe they were "Gosh darn it! Gee whiz! Shoot!!!"
David,
Did you record our session? I believe those were his exact words. . . . . Actually, I believe John uttered some inaudables which came out as an agonizing groan. When the shock subsided he said," That's only the second time I've ever done that." He was shaken by the incident....I was just laughing. Sorry John, I couldn't help it. Inspite of all that, the HF turned out great. He is truly a craftsman and I learned a lot just watching him make the repair. All and all, I'm happy that it happened and that I got to watch him do his magic.