Woodworking metal detector

DenaliPilot · Post by **DenaliPilot** » Tue Mar 31, 2009 10:52 pm

Does anyone have experience to share with shop metal detectors? I am in the market for a quality one and would appreciate any recommendations.

This is for a specific project, involving 12"x12" Doug fir beams out of an old railroad tunnel. Mostly they contain large rod and bolts that are easily seen and driven out, but there is also the stray nail. There may also be some residual rust in the bolt holes.

A battery-operated detector would be most convenient, but corded could work.

Lumber Wizard seems to be widely carried and have a range of models.

Thanks in advance for any help,

-DP

mr douglas t · Post by **mr douglas t** » Sun Apr 05, 2009 9:00 am

I get limber from a reclaimed lumber yard. His main job is removing nails. They use those hand held metal detectors like you see at airport security. They have a 5 gallon pail full of them. I dont think they can cost that much, seeing that he has so many.

crzypete · Post by **crzypete** » Sun Apr 05, 2009 9:56 am

Not a review for you, but I give you my poor man's metal detector. I use rare earth magnets to probe holes that look suspicious. Works well for my limited encounters with reclaimed wood. Of course, it is only applicable for magnetic metals.

Pete

DenaliPilot · Post by **DenaliPilot** » Sun Apr 05, 2009 11:39 am

Well, Thanks Douglas T and Pete for responding- I thought this one was destined for the tumbleweed department like my previous thread. Maybe it should be...

Anyway, I ordered the larger Lumber Wizard from Lee Valley. Best price around, by $25 bucks. Looked all over town first, and found only one model by Zircon. All its marketing seemed to be aimed at finding rebar in slabs if you are performing building inspections. With the Lumber Wizard it is aimed at woodworkers, and all the testimonials are by woodworkers. It sounds like the same item that Douglas describes. I'll let you know how it goes.

Thanks,

-DP

DumDum · Post by **DumDum** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 10:05 pm

$25! That got my attention immedately as i knew what the lumber wizard was and had been putting off my purchase of one.

Turns out there are two models on the Lee Valley website, and the big one i was going to buy, is $75... so much for my short lived impulse to buy it tonight.

Can you tell me how the smaller unit works? Can it detect metal deep into the wood (i.e. logs going onto a sawmill)

Cheers

DenaliPilot · Post by **DenaliPilot** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 10:15 pm

Guess my meaning didn't come across clearly. I meant that Lee Valley had the Lumber Wizard III (the big one) for $25 less than anybody else I compared. They list it for $75, instead of $100 like everyone else seems to.

I did get the big one, and have been satisfied so far. The vibration alert turns out to be quite a useful feature, even if it does eat up batteries quicker.

If you look around online, you can find the depth of detection for the smaller unit. I recall seeing it somewhere. Around +/- 2 inches, if I'm not mistaken. The big one is said to detect to 6 inches.

Cheers,

-DP

DumDum · Post by **DumDum** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 8:12 am

DP, you're right. It does beat most competitiors by $25. I bit the bullet and bought it myself too as I have quite a bit of sawing logs that were cut down in close proximity to houses and may have metal in them.

Thanks for the legwork!

DumDum · Post by **DumDum** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 7:06 pm

DP,

I got my lumber wizard iii detector in the mail today and immedately started testing it. Sadly, it was a little disappointing. I had the fine tuning setting set as senestive as i could set it to, and yet couldn't detect a big, fat nail (the kind you could cruify someone with, with just one nail through both feet) in a vertical post in my house, at any distance greater than two inches.

While that kind of depth is perfectly fine for planing old 1" barn boards, it wouldn't serve me all that well when trying to mill down logs without hitting metal on the outside 4 or so inches before I checked again.

You were right, the advertised depth for this thing was 6 inches, over a range of 5 inches (the ribbed section of the bar to the end is the 5" detection coil).

It also does not detect very weak signals when it is on vib mode as good as it does when it is set to sound. I have to literally be on top of the metal item before the wand vibrates, whereas the LED light flickers a little when I am some ways away in sound mode (I'm deaf, so the vibrate feature is a way big must for me).

My wife has gone to the food store to pick up some groceries and will buy yet another new battery for me (I used a brand spaking new Energizer alakine battery and asked her to get a Duracell this time) and I'm wondering if that will have a effect on the quality of the unit.

I am thinking of returning this thing and buying a Garrett wand, the kind they use at airports. While this is not intended for use with lumber, I'd think it has to be better than this lumber wizard, and it is cheaper to boot...

Any feedback on your use to-date would be appreciated.

Matt