Metal detector recommendation?

[Alex Franke]

Can anyone suggest a decent detector suitable for screening stock wood? Something that would catch a random fragment of a staple perhaps? (I'm posing this question while picking tiny bits of carbide out of my hair )

It looks like harbor freight has a wand for $40 -- with a 20% off coupon, that one might be a good deal. Rockler's wand is >$100 -- any experiences with these?

[Alex Franke]

Speaking of -- check out the product image for the Rockler one: http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?O...Select=Details

Ya think he really needs to run a detector over that board on the way into the planer? I think a visual inspection might be enough to get started :lol:

[LCHIEN]

i have one of the $100 Lumber wizard products and I have to say, if it breaks forget it, their service and warranty and support is worse than zero.
If you look on the internet all their links now point to an internet distribution comapny and I tried for weeks calling all their numbers and emailing them to get an address to return and repair the unit, no luck. I'm very disappointed.

they make the little wizard, lumber wizard (big loop scanner) and the hand wand one shown.

[sweensdv]

I bought that HF unit a few years ago when it was on sale for $29. I seem to recall seeing it for that price a few times since then.

I have no complaints with this unit. One point I should make is that it will not scan as deeply as the Wizard unit will. About an inch deep is the max for the HF scanner. So far, that limitation hasn't caused me any problems.

I think this subject has come up a few times in the past. Try doing a Search for other threads.

[Alex Franke]

I bought that HF unit a few years ago when it was on sale for $29. I seem to recall seeing it for that price a few times since then.

I have no complaints with this unit. One point I should make is that it will not scan as deeply as the Wizard unit will. About an inch deep is the max for the HF scanner. So far, that limitation hasn't caused me any problems.

Cool. That was good enough for me, so I went ahead and picked one up. Thanks for the input!

[LCHIEN]

Cool. That was good enough for me, so I went ahead and picked one up. Thanks for the input!

BTW, small skinny staples will not present much challenge to a carbide tipped blade. I start to worry if its bigger than an 18 ga brad.

going thru an 18 ga brad makes a spark but hasn't damaged anything yet. I've done that when I miscalculated where I was going to make a post-assembly trim cut on the table saw.

[LinuxRandal]

I bought that HF unit a few years ago when it was on sale for $29. I seem to recall seeing it for that price a few times since then.

I have no complaints with this unit. One point I should make is that it will not scan as deeply as the Wizard unit will. About an inch deep is the max for the HF scanner. So far, that limitation hasn't caused me any problems.

I think this subject has come up a few times in the past. Try doing a Search for other threads.

I must say it works fine for a home planer (unless your Tim Taylor). With large pieces of framing nails thought, and cutting off bad sections of boards (table saw), long term, you will want a better one.

[shoottx]

Can anyone suggest a decent detector suitable for screening stock wood? Something that would catch a random fragment of a staple perhaps?

I have had real good luck with both the thickness planer and the jointer. But the real key to success in finding metal with either tool is to install new blades and spend the time to get them set correctly. Once you have new blades installed you will find a nail or a staple usually within 2 or 3 boards.