# My Old Beaver Tools



## stevemorris (Feb 2, 2012)

hi new member here, and after some requests im going to post some pics of my old beaver power tools

first is the cornerstone of my shop and my work truck

two 1940's beaver 3200 tablesaws

i started with three of them, rebuilt them into two really nice user saws. one drifts around between jobsites, the other is a permanent fixture in my shop

the body is a one piece aluminum casting, castiron top and massive castiron guts underneath. the worktruck saw has a modern fence system and router table, the shop one has the old beaver cast iron fence and a beaver castiron legged stand and the old guard setup

they both perform flawlessly, the jobsite saw gets plenty of appreciative looks from clients!!


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## BillWhite (Jul 23, 2007)

Nah! Ya gotta spend $6,000,000 on a complete new shop with everything.
Now, having said that stupid remark, work with what you've got.
I worked for years with a RAS without exploding any walls or fingers.
I have an issue with those who want to spend their way into excellence. Native guys/gals lived for centuries with good sticks and sharp rocks.
Now I'll go back to cleaning my dust collector.
Not tryin' to be a smart a$$. I just want to use what I have to the max.
Great job on the resto.
Bill


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## stevemorris (Feb 2, 2012)

thx bill, all three saws were unusable for various reasons when i got them, just combined the best of all three into two, built a nice cabinet for one, the other is on a cheapie modern stand(the work truck one)
both are used everyday
no warrentees, no service agreements, no waiting for repair guys, no crappy aluminum extrusions, no plastic bits to break, just plain old north american quality and knowhow
after 60 years all i had to replace was the arbour bearings for a total cost of 20 bucks per saw, one of them needed a new drive belt, cant remember which one, even the motors are 60 yrs old

wait till you see the bandsaws!!


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## stevemorris (Feb 2, 2012)

and my two old bandsaws, a beaver 15 inch and a craftmaster 12 inch

both were sold by MW stateside and the craftmaster was also sold as a portercable

the beaver is unique with its one piece aluminum body casting, and i mean one piece, four feet tall, the door is a three piece aluminum part, the wheels are lathe turned aluminum also, heavy as hell, lots of good aluminum in there. resaw capacity is 7 inches and it will do it easily in hard maple

the little henry/craftmaster was made in london ontario and also sold by portercable, almost jewellike in its details, great little saw for fine work, mostly cast iron, some details are aluminum not "pot metal"

both are powered by "period" motors, the beaver with a 3/4 hp leyland, the henry with a delco RI 1/4 hp

both date from the late 40's

the jointers are next as long as there is interest


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## timbit2006 (Jan 6, 2012)

These are all beautiful machines. Good job on the restorations.


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## DIYaholic (Jan 28, 2011)

Interest, Interest, Interest, Interest, Interest, Interest, Interest, Interest, Interest, Interest, Interest, Interest, Interest, Interest, Interest, Interest, Interest, Interest, Interest, Interest, Interest, Interest, Interest, Interest, Interest, Interest, Interest, Interest, Interest, Interest, Interest, Interest, Interest, Interest, Interest, Interest.

I just HOPE that I showed enough interest! Those machines are gorgeous, beautiful, sexy, awesome, amazing!

Yes, please post more photos & info!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## cjwillie (Sep 6, 2011)

Definitely want to see the rest of your tools. There's nothing like the old stuff. Glad to see someone that appreciates them and spends the time to save them. Great stuff!!!


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## stevemorris (Feb 2, 2012)

okay, here's the lathe, again late 40's. like the rest of the beaver tools, designed and built by the callander foundry(beaver), this machine was made for decades, there are many of them in use still up here in canada

all cast iron, shopbuilt stand, modern tefc motor, added a beaver/rockwell 2 speed jackshaft for 8 speed

done a lot of turning on the old machine, this is an older pic before some upgrades were done recently


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## stevemorris (Feb 2, 2012)

a couple more shots, a more recent overall view and the two speed jackshaft, the jackshaft pieces are old rockwell parts, available at the time

the outboard turning setup, is just an extra bed cut off and bolted to the stand

the stand is solid white oak, plenty stiff enough for outboard turning


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## kizerpea (Dec 2, 2011)

I have a flare for the old tools myself.after i did my big band, i have been looking for a old oliver table saw to redo…no luck yet…...you did a great job!


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## cjwillie (Sep 6, 2011)

I clicked on the "watch" button to follow this topic. As I was checking e-mail today and reading replies, I open one and find a young girl, 24 years old, looking for "love". When I clicked the link to go to this site, her post is not there. Was this deleted by those that run the site and this slipped through to my e-mail, or did I get contacted by someone not throught this site? First time I've seen anything like this on this site.


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## DIYaholic (Jan 28, 2011)

stevemorris,

MMmmm… Old Iron & saw dust….go ahead, fead the addiction!

Thanks, for more pics & info!


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## superdav721 (Aug 16, 2010)

A wonderful refurbish and welcome to the site. You have done a very nice job. And your thread has produced some wonderful pictures. Thanks for posting.


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

Nice that you have restored these fine old tools. The bandsaw looks like a really unique design.


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## dhazelton (Feb 11, 2012)

You obviously spend time over at OWWM. I love to go there and just look through the photo archives. I have mostly old Craftsman and Delta stuff, and a DeWalt MBF RAS. I was using a friends brand new RIDGID table saw and hated the plastic wheels and aluminum top. Nothing like a nice polished cast iron surface and a capacitor start motor. And the best part is that you can sometimes find the old stuff for a song. People look at it and scratch their heads and think new is better.


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## stevemorris (Feb 2, 2012)

gee i got one of those emails, "looking for love too", and i thought i was the special one, my hopes are crushed!!. the mods must have deleted the posting after the emails went out, rats

a little history next.

the callander foundry started way back in guelph ontario, canada before the second world war. during the war they made war stuff, tank and truck parts etc etc. after the war ended, they developed the beaver power tools line. in 1954, rockwell purchased the foundry and the beaver line and continued making the tools for several years. the lathe survived the longest, well into the eighties. rockwell also made many of the rockwell designs in canada, most famous of which was the unisaw and 37-220 jointer at the guelph facility. rockwell already owned delta, so many delta tools were made there too. unfortunately its all gone now


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## stevemorris (Feb 2, 2012)

next is my favourite, the 3800 jointer. its a short bed, 6 inch machine. all cast iron, it weighs a ton!!
the fence system is almost rube goldbergish in design with all kinds of linkages and strange barrel for the tilt function. the cutterhead is massive with integral tapered roller bearing and integral pulley, there is no shaft for it. the bed extensions are a very rare option. this jointer uses an older delco 3/4 hp induction motor


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## dhazelton (Feb 11, 2012)

The porkchop on that jointer is a work of art!!!!


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## timbit2006 (Jan 6, 2012)

How much do you have invested in the Beavers?

I always see them used and beat up for cheap, but they aren't as old as yours.


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## stevemorris (Feb 2, 2012)

ALL the castings are beautifully done, both iron and aluminum. that porkchop was busted when i got the machine, i had it welded then i filed and repainted. thats the nice thing about real aluminun vs "potmetal"

the callander foundry guys were masters at casting aluminum, remember the bandsaw body is one piece aluminum as is the tablesaw base

as far as cost?, none of them cost more than 100 bucks, most were closer to 50. average rebuild cost, between 50 to 100, mostly just bearings and paint. the cabinets are just beaver cast iron legs that came with some machines and plywood laminated with formica


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## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

They look like their good and solid for their size.

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com/


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## stevemorris (Feb 2, 2012)

a little history of each machine that i have

the first was the lathe, i was using a tiny poorly built old lathe and wanted to expand, so i found two of the beaver 3400's near me. what one didnt have, the other did. found a third, then a fourth all around 50 to 100 bucks, so i rebuilt them into one really nice user machine and rebuilt the left over bits into a couple more and sold them off and i continue to do that, buy a junky one, add parts as needed from my stash, replace bearings and belts etc etc

so a tidy little side business, parts and rebuilt machines, no money in it, just the pleasure of bringing an old neglected beast back to life and getting a new woodworker a nice machine for a bargain and a nice stock of parts for those that need them, thats all

the machine in the pics is from around 1948 or so, has mt2, mt1 and 7/8 thread in the headstock and mt 1 in the tailstock and is actually a combination of several machines, all from the same era

done a lot of turning on the old beast, from shaker cabinet door knobs to 16 inch diameter shaker tripod tabletops, pepper mills etc etc

the chuck of course is a modern addition


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## stevemorris (Feb 2, 2012)

here's one as received, nicely equipped for 50 bucks


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## timbit2006 (Jan 6, 2012)

How much are you reselling those lathes for?
Maybe I'll borrow your idea of restoring then reselling. There's ~3 Beaver Jointers for sale and ~4 Contractors saws for sale now.


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## stevemorris (Feb 2, 2012)

lathes with some nice accessories(no chuck) with decent motor, i sell for around 250-300. fulley rebuilt and painted
jointers are a different matter, the little 4 inch machines are virtually worthless and common as mud. the 6 inch machines are quite rare.
tablesaws are very common around here even the old 3200, the problem with them is the fence handle is usually broken. ive got a source for new handle castings and parts for two more saws, so thats the next project
i'll certainly never get rich doing them, justa paid for hobby!!


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## cjwillie (Sep 6, 2011)

I can't believe that in all my years of searching for old tools at auctions, flea markets, garage sales and now Craig's List, I have never run across a Beaver tool. I never heard of them till this post. I now have a new mission: find some Beaver tools!!! I love the quality of old tools and restoring them is very rewarding. The Beaver tools look like besides quality, they were designed to look good too! Thanks for the story and the pictures. This is what makes this hobby so much fun!!!


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## stevemorris (Feb 2, 2012)

yes they are very well designed and built tools, especially considering their size
the lathe is only 36 inches long and has an inboard capacity of 10 inches, but it weighs a ton
the 3200 tablesaw is smaller than a modern crapsman tabletop, but i can barely lift it. the cast iron blade shroud underneath it almost encircles the 8 inch blade, i'll post some more pics of it
they were made here in ontario but some where sold by montgomery-ward in the us
some of the detail work in the castings boggles my mind, particularly the porkchop jointer guard, the tablesaw blade guard(cast aluminum) even the cast iron legs to make your own stands
wait till you see the details on the scrollsaw


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## cjwillie (Sep 6, 2011)

I have a MW Powrcraft band saw from 1939, I think. It looks nothing like the one you posted. It had a decal with the name on the cast iron blade guard, it's barely readable now. I had to replace the upper wheel due to my own stupidity. A friend made it in a machine shop but it's steel and heavy, not like the cast aluminum of the original. If it was all original I'd restore it. It needs a thrust bearing, which I haven't looked for. I have since found a 14" Delta so I'll be putting it on CL soon. I don't see any name of who made this one. I just looked for Beaver tools and did not find much. I'm too close to Beaver Falls, PA. It keeps showing me ad from there. The hunt will continue!


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## stevemorris (Feb 2, 2012)

like this one? made by duro

searching on kijiji, the canadian classifieds, gets you all kinds of weird stuff when you search "beaver" 
but overall kijiji is a great classifieds site, much better than cl

if your saw is like the one i posted, let me know, i know someone looking for a wheel


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## cjwillie (Sep 6, 2011)

It's exactly like that one. The top wheel has been replaced but the rest is original. It had no motor when I got it so I put on what I had. I'd definitely be interested in selling it or trading it. It just sits unused. It needs a good tuneup and a thrust bearing and a little TLC and it should be good to go. It's all cast iron except for the wheels.


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## stevemorris (Feb 2, 2012)

cj, iwill try and contact the other owner, he's a new woodworker and in the montreal area. got his saw froma yardsale, tried to make a new wood wheel etc etc, pretty hopeless for sure
i believe the wheels are identicle, so i'll try to put you in contact with him
what you guys do after that, is up to you


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## stevemorris (Feb 2, 2012)

next is a henry tools aka craftmaster 4 inch jointer, ive owned and passed on several 4 inch jointers mostly to guys with small shops including a beaver/rockwell 2801(very common), national 4 inch and a coupleof these old craftmasters

the first photo shows an old national jointer that i built up as a portable, sold it to a fellow contractor, the craftmaster will look the same

nice little jointer for a small shop or a worktruck, great for hardwood flooring installs

this one is in rehab, getting ready for the worktruck, its gotta be ready for next week, gotta get the motor system ready and get it tuned up, it'll be totally portable, ie set it on the floor and plug it in


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## stevemorris (Feb 2, 2012)

so whats left?
well some real gems,imho
beaver/rockwell/delta radial arm saw
beaver/rockwell belt/disk sander
beaver drill press
parks planer
beaver scrollsaw

do i continue?


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## cjwillie (Sep 6, 2011)

I feel like a kid in a candy store with no money, but I still want to look! Great collection of old tools. Keep them coming!!! I think it's nice to know that all my old tools will be passed on and will continue to help another generation enjoy woodworking. We all leave memories behind but woodworkers leave more behind, something physical, that we created. Every project I build is done hoping that someday it will be someone else's antique!
Steve, thanks for spreading the word about my bandsaw. Hopefully it can help your friend put together a good working saw.


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## stevemorris (Feb 2, 2012)

i hope so cj, i did email the owner in montreal( his english is terrible), hopefully both of you will benefit

i really hope that my old tools will recieve the same respect i as have shown them, for homeshop use they are far superior to the modern plastic/aluminum crap sold today, granted there are plenty of good tools sold these days but there seems to be much more crap than there ever was

im just trying to promote the idea that old tools are not trashy worn out garbage, most of my old stuff has recieved little more than new bearings, a belt, maybe a pulley and replace a broken part or two

where is that harbour frieght tool gonna be in fifty years, bottom of the harbour?

ive been working on the old jointer for about 5 hours today, its ready for work tomorrow, rabetting 18 cabinet doors


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## cjwillie (Sep 6, 2011)

The only problem I have with new, quality tools is the price. There are a lot of good quality tools out there but not many that fit into my budget. I'd love to have a shop full of the top line tools available, but I know that's not going to happen. Restoring good quality OLD tools is the only way I'm going to get the kind of tools I want. I don't look at them as being used but rather as experienced and having proved themselves!


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## stevemorris (Feb 2, 2012)

next are the bandsaws

i have a couple, this is the henry tools craftmaster 12 inch from the 40's or 50's

henry tools also made this little gem for portercable

since this pic was taken, the saw has been setup similarly to the little jointer, ie as a portable bench top. it gets used regularly in the shop and on job sites

i use it for fine work, i also have a much larger beaver for heavy work


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## DIYaholic (Jan 28, 2011)

That is just a really pretty machine!

Again, thanks for sharing these with us.


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## stevemorris (Feb 2, 2012)

and here's the little jointer setup for jobsite use, the little bandsaw has a similar setup also for jobsite use

both will get some laminate(formica) and oak or maple trim, great for flooring installs and trim work and matching 1/4 hp RI motors

yes the tables look crooked, but the infeed table is set really low for rebate cutting


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## stevemorris (Feb 2, 2012)

the beaver 3300 bandsaw, my most complicated rebuild, shown during and after

its a 15 inch saw, 98 something blade. all aluminum castings, the body is a one piece casting about 4 feet tall
cast iron table with a plywood wraparound extension so that i can use the beaver tablesaw fence

cast aluminum wheels

this one required a lot of work including machining and bushing the wheels for a good fit on the axles

operates flawlessly now, resaw about 7 inches easily, still a work in progress, but just to the cabinet(doors. electrical)


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## stevemorris (Feb 2, 2012)

well there's lots more to show, including many pics during various rebuilds and several more tools

interested??


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## DIYaholic (Jan 28, 2011)

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I think I speak for everyone! Either that or ALL my personalities are comong out!!!


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## stevemorris (Feb 2, 2012)

well i have a huge inventory of pics taken during all the rebuilds, right from every bare nut and bolt to the completed machine

particularly for the beaver bandsaw, tablesaw, jointer and lathe, in fact each rebuild would be a complete photoessay for each machine

to be continued as requested


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## DIYaholic (Jan 28, 2011)

Have you considered a blog series?

I know doing a blog is (can be) very time consuming. There are several ways to approach a blog series. But a blog, with each entry of the series about a different machine would be wonderful. No pressure, these posts certainly work!

Thanks for posting ALL of this!


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## cjwillie (Sep 6, 2011)

Definitely enjoy all the pictures. I learn something new here everyday. Good thing about this site; makes me realize I don't know as much as I thought I did! Keep 'em coming!!!


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## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)

Please post more pictures SteveMorris, we appreciate the consideration.


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## stevemorris (Feb 2, 2012)

and here's my other favourite, a late 40's beaver lathe

origanally a beaver design, rockwell continued this model for decades after their buyout of beaver

this one is actually a combination of several machines, headstock has the morse taper 1 and 2 and 7/8 thread and tailstock has a mt 1

added jackshaft for 8 speed drive system. modern 3/4 hp tefc motor, soon to be reversible with a drum switch, modern chucks, white oak stand(just a big sawhorse), outboard turning setup

done LOTS of turning on this old beast!!


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## tuffruss (Nov 17, 2011)

You have some GREAT old machinery. I also have a lot of older stuff that I restored and also buy stuff to restore and sell. I really like using gool ole American iron beats heck out of the cheap China junk. Your equipment will still be running when we are all dead if the younger generation just takes care of it.


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## piloon (Feb 26, 2012)

I think that I must have beaten you to a few yard sales. LOL
My shop is kinda like yours, few swaps, sales, all to upgrade.
I just can't pass up a yard sale, never know what might be lurking with a 'buy me Bob' sign. 
Fortunately I weld, so my bases are real steady and HD. (old bed springs provide all the angle stock I need)
My latest 'find' was a General (Drummandville, not Int'l 16" planer.(about 400lbs) Just love it once I tuned it up.
Luck further continued resulting in a General cast iron 4" blower to suck out the chips from the planer.
The blower cost all of $10.00 but I needed to perform serious surgery to adapt a motor as the original was integrated, however I did manage with some fancy welding/adapting.
Those chips really fly to the outside and now need to be spread about.

Was doing a floor sanding job and kept bumping into a lathe that looked brand new, no motor and covered with dust. 6 knives still in their boxes.
Told the owner that I might be interested. 6 months later he calls me and says "$100. and it is yours! (The knives were worth more than his price!)
Couple of weeks later a hotel asks me to make a pedestal so that the maitre'd could display the reservation list in the dining room. 
The pedestal made me over 100% profit for my lathe investment.


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## stevemorris (Feb 2, 2012)

back to posting some more pics

this is my 1940's beaver 3100 scrollsaw, i picked this up just for the cast iron legs, scrolling isnt my thing

but the saw is so nicely designed, operates perfectly that it will get a rehab. the motor is 1940's leyland repulse induction motor with brushes, 1/3 hp

the ugly modern starter has to go course, certainly not required on this saw!!

more to come over the weekend

throat depth is 24, blade length? anything under 6 inches, you could even put a nailfile in the lower chuck

ive used it a couple of times, just with broken bandsaw blades


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## DavidBethune (Feb 9, 2009)

Hi Steve,
Welcome aboard… I Live in St. Catharines and am also a BEAVER Tool fan.
I sent you an email.. maybe we can hook up and swap restoration ideas.
David Bethune


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## stevemorris (Feb 2, 2012)

sorry for not keeping this thread up to date, there have been some new aquisitions since my last post, too many forums, not enough time!!

the most significant aquisition a 60 year old parks planer, very popular with the owwm crowd

us made, 3 hp 240 v, 12inch planer.

i rebuild and sell a few machines a year, the 3400 lathe is the most popular

ive also aquired a couple more old henry tools aka craftmaster tools, both beaver and craftmaster were sold by montgomery wards stores many years ago.

i'll post some more pics later


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## 905maxp (Mar 15, 2013)

I have acquired 2 saws a Beaver 3200 & 2200 they both are working , I posted them on kijiji Hamilton Ontario my wife wants them gone , any thoughts of who to contact regarding selling them before they end up in the scrap yard it would be a shame . ?? Photos in my ad just search in tools / power trools / Hamilton on kijiji


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