Nail finder

[Jeremy Nako]

Can anyone recommend a decent, reasonably priced nail finder unit ?

I have some salvaged rough timber which I'd like to 'scan' for any hidden nails before I send it through the thicknesser.

Thanks in advance

J

 

[Ollie78]

Small neodynium magnet on a bit of string.

 

[Trevanion]

I find if you burn the timber you'll find the nails and any other nasties left behind in the pile of ashes.

 

[AJB Temple]

Seriously. You are planning to put nail infested salvaged timber through a thicknesser?

 

[Ttrees]

I haven't tried one of those neodymium magnets, so cannot comment on performance.
I will say though, that it sounds like it would be harder to find a cap iron screw when it rolls under the bench with a magnet on a string, than a swipe with a device.

I have a secondhand security wand by Adams, it's not the fanciest.
The only thing I can compare it to, was the cheapest wall scanner you could buy, probably 15 year old, so they are probably better nowadays.
I tested both using a brand new battery, and the security wand was giving a reading from further away than the 10 quid device.

It's never too far away from the bandsaw, maybe not as close these days since my saw is running well.
Before that, it was absolutely essential to have it close by the saw, as you only do testing with a box full of reclaimed offcuts that ain't worth the time to de-nail
and you will most certainly hit one if you've just installed a new blade.

A question about the magnets, do they work in the same regard as the scanners?...
as in,
Will they be more effective in finding a nail on end, standing vertical,
rather than horizontally, the same as the scanners?

Thanks
Tom

 

[Ged S]

I've used a 'Little Wizard' metal detector from Rutlands for the last 5 years or so. It has worked well for me on salvaged demolition timber. Currently £30, but out of stock at Rutlands.

 

[Jeremy Nako]

I've used a 'Little Wizard' metal detector from Rutlands for the last 5 years or so. It has worked well for me on salvaged demolition timber. Currently £30, but out of stock at Rutlands.

Thanks.

There are a few on the market.. but looking for some first hand experience of a unit before I buy it.

 

[scholar]

I don’t know about the Little Wizard, but I have a Lumber Wizard (what’s good enough for Norm Abram....). I have found it foolproof and completely reliable - it will find tiny fragments of rusty nail embedded deep in the wood.

I bought mine about 20 years ago and don’t know if they are available here.

Cheers

 

[Oddbod70]

Brand new blade, they'll find any metal faster than anything.

Seriously I've never had a lot of luck with them, probably 'cos I got a cheapie and gave up. I can usually tell if it's rough stuff from inspection, and I don't put anything dodgy through the machine. It's the blasted staples that always catch me. I once found a copper pipe in the middle of a tree I was felling. (I've never found a hollow tree filled with concrete Apparently it was not that uncommon in some places.)

I like the idea of the little wizard or lumber wizard tho. If it saves one blade or a couple of chains it's worth it.

 

[Ged S]

Brand new blade, they'll find any metal faster than anything.

Seriously I've never had a lot of luck with them, probably 'cos I got a cheapie and gave up. I can usually tell if it's rough stuff from inspection, and I don't put anything dodgy through the machine. It's the blasted staples that always catch me. I once found a copper pipe in the middle of a tree I was felling. (I've never found a hollow tree filled with concrete Apparently it was not that uncommon in some places.)

I like the idea of the little wizard or lumber wizard tho. If it saves one blade or a couple of chains it's worth it.

I use reclaimed timber almost exclusively: I first deal with any obvious nails, screws bolts etc etc, then go over it with a coarse belt sander or angle grinder to remove finish, embedded dirt or grit, then use the Little Wizard to pick up any remaining metal. It’s not perfect but it does for me.

The worst thing I’ve seen was when a tree surgeon cut up an old ash (about 3ft diameter) that had blown down across my brother in law’s drive. He destroyed a new chain on his chainsaw when he cut into a lock and chain that had apparently been fixed around the tree was less than 2ft diameter! It was fully embedded in the wood with no sign of it on the surface. I hadn’t known that was even possible!

 

[Oddbod70]

I use reclaimed timber almost exclusively: I first deal with any obvious nails, screws bolts etc etc, then go over it with a coarse belt sander or angle grinder to remove finish, embedded dirt or grit, then use the Little Wizard to pick up any remaining metal. It’s not perfect but it does for me.

The worst thing I’ve seen was when a tree surgeon cut up an old ash (about 3ft diameter) that had blown down across my brother in law’s drive. He destroyed a new chain on his chainsaw when he cut into a lock and chain that had apparently been fixed around the tree was less than 2ft diameter! It was fully embedded in the wood with no sign of it on the surface. I hadn’t known that was even possible!

Ouch!

It happens more than you might think. I don't do anything like a serious amount but a season won't go by without it happening once or twice. If it happens when you are milling it's a real PITA, 'cos the chains are longer that the ones you typically use for felling and bucking. I bet TopChippyLes would have some real horror stories.

Bullets and shot are quite common. WW2 shrapnel around where I hailed from too - according to the local folk law anyway.

 

[Trevanion]

Planed through some lead shot the other day in some local Douglas Fir, quite big balls too at around 5mm in diameter in quite a tight group so I have no idea what they were shooting at... maybe they were hunting the Gwyllgi.

 

[Oddbod70]

Planed through some lead shot the other day in some local Douglas Fir, quite big balls too at around 5mm in diameter in quite a tight group so I have no idea what they were shooting at... maybe they were hunting the Gwyllgi.

LOL At least it Makes for a neat talking point if you can include in whatever you are making tho.

 

[Trevanion]

LOL At least it Makes for a neat talking point if you can include in whatever you are making tho.

External cladding, it'll probably will be cut off and chucked in a skip.

 

[Oddbod70]

Not mine, from Albion, Virginia. A bullet embedded in the handle. I've seen it done a few times.