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Metal Detector - Yeah or nah?

Started by AnthonyW, October 11, 2013, 07:48:24 AM

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AnthonyW

Metal Detectors. Do you use one? If you do, is it a wand for the longer treasure finding-style? Is it a name brand or HF special?
'97 Wood-Mizer LT25 All Manual with 15HP Kohler

ladylake


I have one but very seldom use it, just in old log house logs or telephone poles.  On logs I just saw through the nails, pull them and sharpen the blade.   Steve
Timberking B20  18000  hours +  Case75xt grapple + forks+8" snow bucket + dirt bucket   770 Oliver   Lots(too many) of chainsaws, Like the Echo saws and the Stihl and Husky     W5  Case loader   1  trailers  Wright sharpener     Suffolk  setter Volvo MCT125c skid loader

POSTON WIDEHEAD

Quote from: ladylake on October 11, 2013, 07:58:13 AM

I have one but very seldom use it, just in old log house logs or telephone poles.  On logs I just saw through the nails, pull them and sharpen the blade.   Steve

DITTO
The older I get I wish my body could Re-Gen.

Cedarman

Any cedar logs that come in and are suspect get a check for metal.  I use a regular metal detector.  Will find metal  up to 8" deep if you know how to listen for the whisper sound of deep metal.  Have saved a lot of blades and time.  Would not be without one.  Great for finding lost metal objects.  I have used it to find drag chains covered up on skid trails. 
I am in the pink when sawing cedar.

jdonovan

Customer logs are subject to my "foreign matter" blade damage fee. So no scans of them

My owned logs... yep, they get scanned. IMO 5 min of my time is worth it vs. a $40 band + down time.

ladylake

 
What size blade cost $40, I just got 30 Simonds 1-1/4  .042  12'  6"  for $12.71  each.  As mentioned I just cut through the nails and sharpen , most nails take about 2 minutes to pull.  Pole barn nails will ruin the blade, don't hit them very often.    Steve
Timberking B20  18000  hours +  Case75xt grapple + forks+8" snow bucket + dirt bucket   770 Oliver   Lots(too many) of chainsaws, Like the Echo saws and the Stihl and Husky     W5  Case loader   1  trailers  Wright sharpener     Suffolk  setter Volvo MCT125c skid loader

pineywoods

Cheap wand type. Won't find nails more than a couple of inches deep. In suspect logs, I scan after every pass of the head. Works well for finding small metal items I drop in the sawdust under the mill  ;D
1995 Wood Mizer LT 40, Liquid cooled kawasaki,homebuilt hydraulics. Homebuilt solar dry kiln.  Woodmaster 718 planner, Kubota M4700 with homemade forks and winch, stihl  028, 029, Ms390
100k bd ft club.Charter member of The Grumpy old Men

jdonovan

Quote from: ladylake on October 11, 2013, 10:03:27 AM
 
What size blade cost $40, I just got 30 Simonds 1-1/4  .042  12'  6"  for $12.71  each.

1 1/2 .055 for the LT70 - They are $32 each from WM. I bill for them at $40 when damaged.

ET

Oh yes I use one.   My Lucas blades are expensive, but last a very long time if cared for.  I have a Garret wand type and it easy on and off button, no setting required.  Finds nails 3" deep and heavier metal 6-8" deep.  Only takes seconds to scan, one nail will set you back half hour changing blade, so why not.

I use on all customer logs and not necessarily on my own woods logs.

Ernie
Lucas 1030, Slabber attachment, Husky 550XP, Ford 555B hoe, Blaze King Ultra, Vermeer chipper, 70 acres with 40 acres Woods.

Seaman

I am with Ernie, it is different with a Lucas. Much more critical to scan with each new depth setting.
Lucas dedicated slabber
Woodmizer LT40HD
John Deere 5310 W/ FEL
Semper Fi

landscraper

I use a Schonstedt ferrous metals detector while suspect logs are still on the ground - it will find a nail in a heartbeat, bigger objects are even easier.  It was about $500 but I bought it for my day job and just borrow it on the weekends.
Firewood is energy independence on a personal scale.

delvis

Before I start a job, I tell people the first nail is on me, after that the blade charge for hitting nails/metal is $25 and it is their choice whether to continue sawing that particular log or not.
If I never saw another board I will at least die happy having spent the last few years working with my dad!

manoverboard

Quote from: Cedarman on October 11, 2013, 08:08:13 AM
Any cedar logs that come in and are suspect get a check for metal.  I use a regular metal detector.  Will find metal  up to 8" deep if you know how to listen for the whisper sound of deep metal.  Have saved a lot of blades and time.  Would not be without one.  Great for finding lost metal objects.  I have used it to find drag chains covered up on skid trails.
I have to ask, why cedar specifically? I do not have a detector, just starting out, and I'm sawing forest trees for the next couple of weeks.
TimberKing 2000, 35hp Diesel, Kubota L3800 w/loader

maple flats

I have a Peterson mill, while the blades are expensive I still have my original 2 + 2 extras I had made. I use an Ace 250 (long handle type), which when I have it on "all metals" setting will find nails over 8" deep. It takes 20 minutes to change the blade and takes time to re-tip if a carbide tip gets broken, but running the detector every 4-6" in depth only takes about a minute on a 20" x 16' log, a 48" x 20' might take about 50% longer. The exception is the first test when the log has not been sawed any yet and thus is not flat on top.
logging small time for years but just learning how,  2012 36 HP Mahindra tractor, 3point log arch, 8000# class excavator, lifts 2500# and sets logs on mill precisely where needed, Woodland Mills HM130Max , maple syrup a hobby that consumes my time. looking to learn blacksmithing.

Cedarman

Quote from: manoverboard on October 12, 2013, 06:52:19 AM
Quote from: Cedarman on October 11, 2013, 08:08:13 AM
Any cedar logs that come in and are suspect get a check for metal.  I use a regular metal detector.  Will find metal  up to 8" deep if you know how to listen for the whisper sound of deep metal.  Have saved a lot of blades and time.  Would not be without one.  Great for finding lost metal objects.  I have used it to find drag chains covered up on skid trails.
I have to ask, why cedar specifically? I do not have a detector, just starting out, and I'm sawing forest trees for the next couple of weeks.
Cedar and walnut are the most notorious for nails and fencing.
But cedar particularly for us because just about all we saw is cedar.  We saw our own poplar for pallet material, but 95 per cent of the cedar is bought from others.
Some cedar logs just about proclaim I have nails in me.  You learn through experience.  Butt logs with no limbs or places where you can see limbs have been cut off, sometimes 3 faint lines about 16" apart where barb wire was once attached are some clues.
I am in the pink when sawing cedar.

backwoods sawyer

Quote from: delvis on October 11, 2013, 11:54:08 PM
Before I start a job, I tell people the first nail is on me, after that the blade charge for hitting nails/metal is $25 and it is their choice whether to continue sawing that particular log or not.
Same here!

I have hit metal on several occations when the customer has held up sawing to check the logs over with a metal detector, one customer had a circle saw with a top saw and he spent over half the day spreading out and checking over all the logs in the log deck with his metal detector, he found two nails, I pulled six nails out of the cants and changed saws once, I never charged for a saw as I was getting over 1,500 bft out of the saws even with hitting nails.

space in the truck is limited as I pack my whole operation with me and if "I" scan the logs I would not feal right charging for blades.

If logs are suspected of having metal I use resharpened saws rather then new saws.


Backwoods Custom Milling Inc.
100% portable. . Oregons largest portable sawmill service, serving all of Oregon, from our Backwoods to yours..sawing since 1991

bandmiller2

I use a cheap workshop detector usally only on the butt log, unless something look suspicious, on the band mill.My old Diston 48" saw doesn't cut  anything that hasen't been scanned  with a good detector, Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

backwoods sawyer

When you arrive and it is obvious that the top log has metal in it and the customer wants it milled.

What do you do?

Pull out the metal detector and confirm that there is metal in the log before milling it?

Or just mill the log till you find the 12" gate hinge then remove it.

After all the customer is after as much log length lumber as possible and he is buying the damaged saw.



  

 
Backwoods Custom Milling Inc.
100% portable. . Oregons largest portable sawmill service, serving all of Oregon, from our Backwoods to yours..sawing since 1991

Peter Drouin

I always use one. a nail or two I will pull out if there's more I cut the log into 4' pieces and go to the next log. ;D I tell the customer that and if he don't like it he can get someone that will cut steel  :D :D :D
A&P saw Mill LLC.
45' of Wood Mizer, cutting since 1987.
License NH softwood grader.

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