Nails, nails, and more nails!

[johnnyllama]

Had a customer drop off 2 walnut logs about 6 1/2 ft. long x 14-15" a couple weeks ago. They wanted whatever I could get out of them. I sawed them last week and about 2/3 way thru the first log found a couple small nails, looked like roof nails from a posted sign. I dug them out and finished the log. Got almost thru the second log and found a few more. When they came to pick up the lumber I showed them what I'd hit and they were ok with being charged for sharpening 2 blades. They also brought 2 more logs, hickory, that they said were from back in their woods, not near the walnut. I cut them up tonight and sure enough, both had more small nails, not roofers but like a #4 box nail. I guess I need to buy a metal detector! What brands are the current favorites by you experienced sawyers on here?

  

 

[Chuck White]

That's a lot of nails, Johnny!

It helps a lot when the customer understands why his bill will be bigger!   ;)

[drobertson]

Not only nails, but a pain in the rear as we'll,

[red]

If you put one nail in a tree you might just as well put a few more nails in it .

[Magicman]

You are much more tolerant with nails than I am.  Damaged blades are $25 each whether they can be resharpened or not.  I have lost time backing out of the log, changing the blade, and then drilling and pulling the nail.

I have a Garrett 250, a Nail Finder wand, and a Lumber Wizard but they are for the customer's use.  I do not look for nails because not finding a nail(s) would/could transfer the responsibility to me.

Maybe I am hard-nosed about metal strikes, but so be it.  They ain't my nails and I am not going to spend my time looking for them.  I'll demonstrate the detector and then hand it to the customer.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Well said Lynn. Very well said. 

In fact, I'm gonna hang this up at the mill.....the customer can read it. 


 

[Peter Drouin]

If you cut trees you will cut nails.  :D :D
I have a Garrett 250, Works good.
With a 250 you can scan their log in front of the customer. I like to wait till after the customer tells me There is no nails in his logs. :D
Pull out the 250 and the thing plays jingle bells over the log.

One time I got 8 hits with the 250, Told the customer that will be $240 in blades then .30 a bf for the log. What do you want to do. :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D   

[johnnyllama]

Magicman, I'm not sure if it's that I'm more tolerant of nails, or I'm somewhat mentally challenged, but I do like your solution. Still, even for my own use I'd like to get a decent detector. Most of my cutting is for our own use in the cabinet shop and as we sometimes work with re-claimed lumber, I'd like to double check wood before it makes it to the next stage. My 24" planer blades are a lot more expensive than my bandsaw blades and a lot more work to change out. I'll have to check out that Garrett 250. Thanks for the info everyone!

[WDH]

My metal detector is a woodmizer double hard, 1 1/4" 4° bandsaw blade  :-\. 

Another reason that I quit custom sawing.  Customers can bring you some awful stuff. 

[4x4American]

My metal detector is a woodmizer double hard, 1 1/4" 4° bandsaw blade  :-\ . 

Another reason that I quit custom sawing.  Customers can bring you some awful stuff.

Almost every time someone brings me logs, they are like a -4 face log that wouldn't have even made pulp, and the thing is always wearing earrings (read: iron)...

[johnnyllama]

Sometimes I can't blame the customer. I just finished up quarter sawing the big sycamore logs I posted photos of a while back on here. This tree was in a heavily wooded area, no fences nearby. Almost done and hit a big 3" spike that still had orange surveyors tape embedded with it. Was about 6" in from the surface. Other than that, the wood was sweet looking. Glad I took the extra time to quarter saw.

[Magicman]

Oh, I am not quite as mean as I sounded and I do look out for the customer's interest, but the bottom line is still $25 per blade.  I recently hit nails that were fully 6" below the bark in a SYP log and they showed no indication of being there.  Stuff just happens.

Another reason that I do not scan is the time involved to roll logs and do a thorough check.  I can't do it on the sawmill because of the sawmill, and then I end up finding my steel toe boots on the ground.  It's the customer's responsibility.

Nails are really not the villain that we sometimes make them out to be.  Yes, when we hit them it's bad, but there are usually many Mbf sawed between nail strikes.  At least that is my experience.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

For the record, I'm at 30 dollars for a damaged blade. Been that way for a year.

[ncsawyer]

I am at $30 for a metal strike as well.  That's what it cost me to get a new 4 degree and 0.055 blade to my door from Woodmizer.

[4x4American]

I'm at $35 now, I remembered that I'm in business to make money, not break even!  And $15/ blade used

[kelLOGg]

I use a Cooks MP32 to detect nails ;D. I also have a Bounty Hunter IV which is just about as good.
Bob

[Bluejay27]

My brother deals with nails the easy way...



He hit 14 nails in just one cut, although he'd nicked a few on the cut before. To be fair, this is with a 0.055" thick 196" long blade, and they still don't like hitting nails the wrong way.

[GAB]

For metal strikes I charge $10.00 for lost production and the cost per blade based on the last box I purchased.  Currently I'm at $33.00 per nail or 1/2" lag bolt.

One customer got a deal as I hit 3 nails in the same pass.
Gerald

[50 Acre Jim]

I have a Garrett 250, Works good.

So much to buy, so little money...  anyhow, just ordered a Garrett Ace 250 Metal Detector on Amazon.   Expect delivery next week. 

[TKehl]

And on short logs to boot!   >:(  Being close to the end, I'd have been tempted to make them shorter.   ;D

At least it's walnut.   ;)

[WV Sawmiller]

   My fee is $25 if I hit metal. Does not matter if new or used blade to me.

   I do not yet own a metal detector. A customer handed me one to use on a job last Fall and I told them to use it if he wanted to protect himself but that I did not know how to use it nor could I certify it was working or used properly. I see no reason to take on that responsibility or waste my time.

   As to digging out nails, I will slab deep with the same blade to try to miss it (I will make a shallow trim cut with a new blade to clean up the cut if we get below the nail) or the customer can cut off the end of the log to remove the nail.

[Peter Drouin]

The 250 is nice to have and use. Your best defenses is knowing where the logs came from.

[ToddsPoint]

The 250 is nice to have and use. Your best defenses is knowing where the logs came from.

I usually get yard tree logs from the local log dump and get my share of nails.  Right now I'm milling walnut crotches left over from a timber pro loggers cut.  Not a nail to be found.  Love it.  Gary

[Darrel]

I like to hit nails with my framing hammer it I hit your nail with my saw, it will cost you $30.00.

[mike_belben]

Has the industry still not produced a saw blade that can handle nails?  I mean nails have been around as long as lumber.. Id expect it to be addressed by now. 

I worked a decade at smith and wesson.  We had CNC amada saws that mowed through iron and had TPI comparable to a wood saw.  Why arent these going onto sawmills?   Other than lost revenue at lenox.