Metal Detector, and easy Nail removal?

[Daburner87]

I have a 40" diameter white Oak that I brought down in my yard, and it has quite a few nails/screws in it.  Is there a cheap metal detector device I can buy to help pin point these items, and what is the easiest way to remove a nail or screw after finding them?  Is there an easy way removing a nail after sawing through one?

I know its probably a bad idea to make this my first log for my new mill when it comes, but this tree is somewhat special to my family so I want to do it justice and make an indoor and outdoor table top with two long slabs.

[HemlockKing]

They sell cheap metal detectors on amazon or eBay for as low as 50$

[btulloh]

None of the metal detectors are going to find every piece of metal. There's no magic bullet for removal. Depends on what it is and what can be exposed. There are a number of threads on here discussing this and the tools and techniques.  It all involves digging and pulling.

Be prepared to sacrifice some blades. The only thing guaranteed to find metal is a fresh blade. I wish I had better news for you, but you may as well be prepared to lose some blades. Any of the wand type detectors can help (lumber wizard, etc.) or the treasure type detectors, but you'll never get a 100% of the nails and other stuff.

[moodnacreek]

I  have 2 fisher coin finders, one I have  been using a long time. About 8" for a small nail, so that is a 16 "log. Larger objects it will find deeper. Yesterday I took put a set of teeth on a lag in the middle of a locust about 20" dia. On a really big log there is no hope if the metal is deep.

[Osterman.r]

Moodnacreek, did you find this metal with a circular mill or band? How much damage does a nail or lag do to a circular saw?

[WV Sawmiller]

  I saw a Crescent model 56 nail puller in use and I really liked the looks of the way it worked. I'd look them up and see what you think of them.

[firefighter ontheside]

A metal detector wand from Harbor Freight works very well for me.  If you scan on every cut, you stand a good chance to avoid most metal.  The trouble comes when your log or cant starts to get thin and the metal detector starts to read the mill through it.  For pulling the nails and screws I just have a chisel and hammer and pair of vise grips.  

[Dan_Shade]

 I saw a Crescent model 56 nail puller in use and I really liked the looks of the way it worked. I'd look them up and see what you think of them.

Crescent 19" Nail Puller - 56 - Crescent Nail Puller - Amazon.com
I keep one of these close by, along with a chisel and crowbar 

[zippski]

Yes, x 2 on the Crescent-style nail puller!  I didn't think these nail pullers were still readily available.  While  can't vouch for how well the chinesium version in the link will work/last, we have  one of the original usa-made forged steel units.  It's been floating around on the farm as far back as I can remember; like, way back in the early '60s when I was 5 years old and remembering watching my Dad use it while building the family home and thinking it was cool to see the slide hammer working.  It later became my job to de-nail some of the used lumber that always seemed to be floating around the farm.   These things will pull darn near any size spike out of any chunk of hardwood you want to tackle.

Leigh
zippski 

[Southside]

Metal is not the only reason that log is not a good choice to be your first log to saw.  Anchorseal the log ends, keep it off the ground and get some sawing time in before you go after that monster.  

[Nebraska]

Southside is spot on. Don't  make a special  log your first log.  Make some designer firewood first out of whatever you can find..   

[Tom King]

Not much of an answer to the question, but the best tool for getting a nail out, that's on the surface, is a slide hammer nail puller.  It has lots of leverage, and ruins the least amount of wood in the process.

Edited to add:  Sorry, I missed the earlier link to the Crescent slide hammer nail puller.  You don't have to tap the teeth down very far into the wood, for that kind to get a good bite on the nail.

[alan gage]

I've never tried one of the actual nail pullers mentioned here but have had decent luck using side cutters. They bite in a little (as opposed to pliers) so they don't slip as much or require as much squeeze pressure.

I chip out around the nail with a straight screw driver and hammer until I can get a grip on it. Often times I place the flat screwdriver blade under the side cutters to act as a fulcrum for better leverage.

Alan

[Tom King]

Skip to about 1:30 in this video:

Crescent Nail Puller - AMAZING WRECKING TOOL - YouTube

[maple flats]

Metal detectors can find lots, but not all metal.
One one job I was sawing a 5'+ diameter Box Alder and I was using my metal detector, even though the landowner assured me it would have no metal in it. My metal detector was just a middle quality one called an Ace 250. It usually found nails and anything bigger within 6-7" of the surface, This time it didn't. I hit an old porcelain insulator with a heavy galvanized screw (much like a lag) in it. As I recall I was cutting 4" deep, it was right in the wrong depth, it took out a few teeth on my Peterson swing blade mill. It seems the porcelain was shielding the metal from the detector.
It was then time to put on a spare blade, and back at the shop I had to braze on a few new teeth.
I found generally the first cut was the hardest to scan, one you have a flat surface it usually does better finding metal (if not hidden by porcelain).

[moodnacreek]

Moodnacreek, did you find this metal with a circular mill or band? How much damage does a nail or lag do to a circular saw?

I have replied twice and both posts disappeared.

[Brad_bb]

I recommend a Garrett Super Scanner V, a genuine one, not one of the chinese copies.

The crescent nail puller, also seen under the Ajax name sometimes on Amazon, is a very good tool and best at pulling nails where the head has broken off or you've sawed through the nail. Be aware that you occasionally have to sharpen the teeth as they wear and sometimes chip.  I use a Dremel with a coarse sanding drum and first do the underside of the teeth following the curvature,  then close the teeth and go over the outside of both teeth in one curved motion, which assures that the teeth tips meet at the same point.
Also, you may also have to drill around some of the nail shafts to get them to loosen enough to pull them.  I use 1/8" black oxide Ace Hardware branded bits for this.  These bits tend to beak less than many of the other brands.  It can still happen if you catch the nail with the bit, but happens less with the Ace bits.

When you have nailheads, sometimes a good catspaw works.  Here is one technique we occasionally use(last resort):
Johnnys Rocket Man - YouTube

I've cut a lot of Ash and some logs have had nails.  One log had probably 20 nails and fortunately they were more towards the outside of the log.  I could find them with the Garrett super scanner, then use my felling axe to chop on either side of the nail to expose the head.

[Magicman]

That guy in the video didn't impress me too much with his nail extraction abilities. 


 
My nail pulling arsenal shown above.  I wish that I had kept the pulled nails for my first ~15 years of sawing.