Wherefore Beaver?

Someone in Canada in search of parts has inquired which model of Beaver lathe most closely resembles the Rockwell/Delta 46-140. It is the Beaver 3400 lathe. They have inboard and outboard spindle thread sizes in common, thus faceplates and drive centers will be interchangeable. Just from looking at the photos over at OWWM it is almost certainly the case that the bed ways, headstock and tailstock of the later models will be interchangeable with the 46-140 as well. Look up the Beaver 3400 lathe on OWWM and you'll find considerable information there, including a manual that describes the procedure for removing the spindle from the headstock. The most significant difference (from reading the manuals -- I do not own a Beaver nor have I ever touched a living, breathing 3400) is that the headstock spindle of the older models from the early 50's would accept #2 MT tooling, whereas later ones were solid. I have no idea whether the spindle from one will fit the other or vice versa.

Owner's Manual

The OWWM site has scans of the 22 page owner's manual, parts schematic, and safety sheet that accompanied these lathes.

Other Sources of Information

If you are new to vintage cast iron woodworking machinery, or "old arn" as it's called, then you absolutely must familiarize yourself with the Old Woodworking Machines web site (a.k.a. the "Mother Ship") and its related forum/support/classified ads site. These sites are the preeminent places on the Internet for those interested in researching, restoring, or buying and selling vintage equipment manufactured in North America. It is impossible to say enough good things about these two sites and the people that frequent them.

When searching OWWM for information about the 46-140 lathe you will have to consult the "photo index" and "publication reprint" pages under the headings of four different companies: Beaver Tools, Rockwell International of Canada, Rockwell Manufacturing Company, and Delta Manufacturing Co., owing to the corporate buyouts that occurred over the years. There are 46-140's out there that are badged by each of these entities apparently, and OWWM relies on its members to categorize their submissions accordingly.