Metal imbedded in trees (not "spiked)

[Dexter]

There are tons of beetl- killed lodgepole pine where I cut. It is ranch country, and some harvesting is near roads where the trees are sometimes used as fence posts, signposts, etc. Hence, I occasionally cut a nail or fencing staple. The chain usually re-takes sharpening, but not always. What a PITA.

I've never used a lumber metal detector. Are they very effective, and are they worth the money? Any comments welcome.

Regards,

Dexter

 

[smokinj]

any metal detector will work, but if your in a fence row it dont take a metal detctor to know its in there.Its a crap shot use your old chains frist or the ones that have alredy been hit. until you get higher on the tree

 

[Bigg_Redd]

There are tons of beetl- killed lodgepole pine where I cut. It is ranch country, and some harvesting is near roads where the trees are sometimes used as fence posts, signposts, etc. Hence, I occasionally cut a nail or fencing staple. The chain usually re-takes sharpening, but not always. What a PITA.

I've never used a lumber metal detector. Are they very effective, and are they worth the money? Any comments welcome.

Regards,

Dexter

Just skip the first 4 ft of the tree.

 

[mbokie5]

Would a good magnet work to detect metal?

I get some stuff like this, not pine though, it's usually maple. I have a piece now in my rounds with wire sticking out of it. It's too big to ignore and the wood is too good to waste. The wire is like bailing wire.

 

[smokinj]

Would a good magnet work to detect metal?

I get some stuff like this, not pine though, it's usually maple. I have a piece now in my rounds with wire sticking out of it. It's too big to ignore and the wood is too good to waste. The wire is like bailing wire.

you will find all kinds of stuff and some of it not until you take the ash's out. just watch out for it and cut around it.

 

[mbokie5]

Would a good magnet work to detect metal?

I get some stuff like this, not pine though, it's usually maple. I have a piece now in my rounds with wire sticking out of it. It's too big to ignore and the wood is too good to waste. The wire is like bailing wire.

you will find all kinds of stuff and some of it not until you take the ash's out. just watch out for it and cut around it.

That's how I'll work it.

I have found nails in some of the ash I've emptied. But so far, never hit one with the saw.

 

[smokinj]

Would a good magnet work to detect metal?

I get some stuff like this, not pine though, it's usually maple. I have a piece now in my rounds with wire sticking out of it. It's too big to ignore and the wood is too good to waste. The wire is like bailing wire.

you will find all kinds of stuff and some of it not until you take the ash's out. just watch out for it and cut around it.

That's how I'll work it.

I have found nails in some of the ash I've emptied. But so far, never hit one with the saw.

I haven't either, just very lucky I guess.

 

[JSJAC]

I was cutting in a 18 inch maple my folks had cut down and cut into a hook about 5 inches below the surface of the tree. I was shocked when I split it . It must have been for a drying line.

 

[DaveBP]

Wait 'til you hit one of the old cast iron maple syrup spiles. You'll be lucky if you can get through one. Either way, just toss the chain out.

 

[HeatsTwice]

At the chain saw shop where I use to get parts for my old MacCat, the guy said he once had a customer who, while cutting up an old oak, came across an imbedded cannon ball. It had been shot over a hundred years ago back when the Indian wars still raged in this area.

 

[zzr7ky]

Hi -

I've hit heavy spike nails and high tensile fence wire. The nials tookthe first tooth pretty well off the chain. I needed a grinder to remove the remains. I was running the Makita/Dolma 6400 wide open. Anyway I set that chain aside and use it dropping yard or fence row trees. I tell folks the first thing I hit is on me. Then next think I hit is $25 until I run out of loops... :how luck do you feel. I often end up cutting near the ground and again at about 6' and drag the 'suspect' section of the trunk away to a quite spot in the woods. It's not worth the risk to me.

Luck luck!
Mike

 

[Slow1]

I found a pair of what look like 1" eye hooks in the logs I recently cut up. They had been in long enough for the tree to grow around - lucky for me there was wire sticking into them and out of the tree so I knew 'something' was in there and cut well around them. When I was splitting was when the fun hit - I had a heck of a time getting it to split and it wasn't until I got it open that I saw that 4" long screw end deep in the wood that I realize why it was such a bear to split!

Anyway - sure glad I didn't cut into those with the chain. I now have two splits with a good chunk of metal in them that will just have to be burned that way and I'll know to fish the metal out of the ashes I suppose... unless there is a good reason not to? I assume there is no harm in letting the wood burn off the eye hooks eh?

 

[stee6043]

I now have two splits with a good chunk of metal in them that will just have to be burned that way and I'll know to fish the metal out of the ashes I suppose... unless there is a good reason not to? I assume there is no harm in letting the wood burn off the eye hooks eh?

I was having the same thought - especially with a gasifier. Depending on the metal I imagine there is a chance you could melt the hook/nail/etc in a gasifier. That could lead to some less than desirable results on your refractory. Anyone ever experienced this? Is it a non-issue?

 

[gzecc]

I remember the story down south outside of Gettysburg PA, there was an exploding shell found in a log destined for a wood fire.
Actually I just made it up, but it could happen!

 

[Wood Heat Stoves]

i live and work along an old stage coach path, we found 2 old steel wheel rims inside of 2 seperate 5' round black oak trees whne they were removed....we guesseg someone left them layin' early 1850's and trees grew up through the spokes. the rims were 6-7' off the ground totally grown over many decades ago

neat thread

 

[Gooserider]

One warning sign that you should watch for is to keep an eye on the ends of the rounds as you cut them - at least some metal will stain the wood black for quite a distance up the tree from the object, so if you see black streaks or splotches in the wood you should investigate further. Also if you see sparks coming out of the cut, unless you are in some of the varieties of tree noted for that, it is good to stop and investigate...

The most puzzling item I've heard of someone finding is a stainless sugar tapping sprue - in an OAK...

Gooserider

 

[Backwoods Savage]

That is the reason we would never buy a tree for logs that was in an old fence row or in somebody's yard. Just too great of a chance of hitting metal; not only with the chain saw but also the saw at the mill.

I'm in agreement with many but would leave the bottom 6'.

 

[Gooserider]

I now have two splits with a good chunk of metal in them that will just have to be burned that way and I'll know to fish the metal out of the ashes I suppose... unless there is a good reason not to? I assume there is no harm in letting the wood burn off the eye hooks eh?

I was having the same thought - especially with a gasifier. Depending on the metal I imagine there is a chance you could melt the hook/nail/etc in a gasifier. That could lead to some less than desirable results on your refractory. Anyone ever experienced this? Is it a non-issue?

I just posted a question about this over in the Boiler room. Since I am considering a gasser myself, it was an interesting concern. I got a lot of responses, from people with different brands of boiler, and all pretty much said it was a non-issue - including one or two that burned a lot of pallets. The only concern I saw raised was one user who said that you might get some scratching on the refractory if you had a split with nails, etc. sticking out of it, but that wouldn't be thermal damage, just mechanical. The same user said he'd had logs with embedded metal and no problems.

Everyone pretty much reported the same, finding stuff in the ashes in either the upper or lower chamber, sometimes fused together, and just pulling it out.

So doesn't sound like much of a concern.

Gooserider

 

[Apprentice_GM]

Can't speak about a gasifier, but certainly it's no problem burning wood with metal in it - we burn old hardwood fences and palings all the time with nails and gate hinges etc in them.

One trick to get them out of the fireplace easily is to get an old speaker that's being thrown out and remove the driver from it. These have large powerful magnets. Put it on the end of a scrap stick and pass it over the ashes - nails and other steel / iron bits will leap up out of the ashes and stick to it. I also wave the magnet around when I'm done cutting up the fence posts to ensure no screws or nails are left on the driveway - or they will inevitably end up in my car tyre which is an even more powerful magnet than an old speaker driver . . .

 

[DaveBP]

The most puzzling item I’ve heard of someone finding is a stainless sugar tapping sprue - in an OAK…

I put a tap and bucket on the telephone pole out in front of a friend's sugar house one night (we were getting pretty "creative" by dawn after tending the sap pans all night). It stayed there for the whole season and drew lots of grins. I used a plastic spile in case I forgot it there and someone cut into it with their chainsaw years later.

 

[HeatsTwice]

Can't speak about a gasifier, but certainly it's no problem burning wood with metal in it - we burn old hardwood fences and palings all the time with nails and gate hinges etc in them.

One trick to get them out of the fireplace easily is to get an old speaker that's being thrown out and remove the driver from it. These have large powerful magnets. Put it on the end of a scrap stick and pass it over the ashes - nails and other steel / iron bits will leap up out of the ashes and stick to it. I also wave the magnet around when I'm done cutting up the fence posts to ensure no screws or nails are left on the driveway - or they will inevitably end up in my car tyre which is an even more powerful magnet than an old speaker driver . . .

I do the same thing but with an old radar magnet. I put it in a 5 gallon plastic paint can. To unload the nails I just move the nails/paint bucket/magnet over the trash can and pull out the magnet. Nails/metal fragments fall into the trash; magnet stays clean.

 

[Apprentice_GM]

Can't speak about a gasifier, but certainly it's no problem burning wood with metal in it - we burn old hardwood fences and palings all the time with nails and gate hinges etc in them.

One trick to get them out of the fireplace easily is to get an old speaker that's being thrown out and remove the driver from it. These have large powerful magnets. Put it on the end of a scrap stick and pass it over the ashes - nails and other steel / iron bits will leap up out of the ashes and stick to it. I also wave the magnet around when I'm done cutting up the fence posts to ensure no screws or nails are left on the driveway - or they will inevitably end up in my car tyre which is an even more powerful magnet than an old speaker driver . . .

I do the same thing but with an old radar magnet. I put it in a 5 gallon plastic paint can. To unload the nails I just move the nails/paint bucket/magnet over the trash can and pull out the magnet. Nails/metal fragments fall into the trash; magnet stays clean.

Heatstwice, I think I understand your concept, and I like it - it's a clever improvement on my process

However, are you saying you can fit a 5 gallon plastic paint tub inside your firebox for this trick? If so, it must be a big firebox - and an even bigger magnet than my speaker drivers!