So

[ChrisNJ]

A recent thread got me thinking, they mentioned using a metal detector to find nails in a tree, I did that before so they could make oak flooring out of reclaimed beams from a barn. Trees I think are different as I had this large maple round in my driveway and these trees my tree guy dropped off had tons of nails several hit with their saws.

split in half to see this in almost the very center.

just missed this monster.

I have been seeing nails so far into a tree they could never be detected at least not with my cz6a.

 

[chuckie5fingers]

Holy crap chris, I would hate to hit that with my saw... that bolt in your last pic looks huge

be careful, have fun
chuck

 

[ScotO]

There are limits as to what the average metal detector can do. What you can do if you are milling a tree is go over the log every so often to find the nails (like after every so many boards go over the log again etc). As far as a really big tree being cut up for firewood, if it's near an older house you almost gotta assume it has metal in it. Some companies make detectors just for the timber industry made just for finding metal in logs...see the link below.


http://wizind.com/rensindex.shtml

 

[Blue Vomit]

https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/screw-001-jpg.58764/
I know what you mean. I'm glad I didn't hit this one.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

To find the hardware in the trees takes a very good detector, one that most folks won't want to spend that amount of dollars on.

 

[BobUrban]

X2 on BS's comment. you will have way more invested in the detector than a few replaced chains now and then. Also, the "super detectors" that will penetrate that deep will be less useful for fun stuff because they do not have the adjustments for different metals so really just used for the one purpose. I guess the moral is be careful with trees from fence lines, near old homes or whatever. Unfortunately with wood delivered to your door you may never know where it came from so being carful is probably just part of the process for you. The up side is you can justify a few chains if your wood is being delivered(depending on what, if anything, you ar paying for it.)

 

[ChrisNJ]

There are limits as to what the average metal detector can do. What you can do if you are milling a tree is go over the log every so often to find the nails (like after every so many boards go over the log again etc). As far as a really big tree being cut up for firewood, if it's near an older house you almost gotta assume it has metal in it. Some companies make detectors just for the timber industry made just for finding metal in logs...see the link below.


http://wizind.com/rensindex.shtml

Wow they are cool, I just remember the tedium long ago of digging out nail fragments with my coin shooter, those detectors are quite different.