What will happen if I hit a nail with my band saw?

[tjr]

Got an old pallet that I was thinking of ripping into garden stakes. Pretty durn sure I got out all the staples and nails, but what if I missed a broken off one? Am I likely to break my blade or might something even worse happen?

I'm using one of those newer Craftsman 10" saws with its stock blade - think it's a 4TPI 1/4" width.

[BigguyZ]

You'll get kickback and/ or mess up your blade?

Honestly, I know that a lot of bandsaws cut metal, but I don't know the differences in the machine and the blade...

[Popeye]

Unless you are using a metal working blade the biggest thing that will happen is you'll get a dull blade in a hurry. Can't figure how you'd get kickback unless the stock is round. Pat

[SARGE..g-47]

You'll generally ruin the teeth or there set. If you are going to cut pallets up on a regular basis I would suggest a bi-metal blade as I use to re-saw. But.. I really don't think your 10" BS can tension it as it does require more tension. So.. with that said and you continue to do pallets on a steady diet I would invest in a small metal detector as it will pay for itself with a steady diet of pallets.

[dbhost]

I would suspect that at worst, you would bend a blade tooth or two, and any damage that could cause. I could see the following damage occouring from this...

#1. Guide blocks getting a nice hunk taken out as it stops the saw.

#2. Tires getting chewed up.

Other than that...

Do you have a metal detector? I have the HF cheapie and it works fine. Let me know every bit of metal in the wood I have been working with so far...

[pecker]

Buying some wood garden stakes might be cheaper than new bandsaw blades.

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[Alex Franke]

I was going to suggest that hitting a nail would open up a mini black hole that would immediately consume the nail, your saw, and finally you -- but now that I see some of the other answers, I agree that they are probably more likely.

I'd probably do the same thing though. I avoid wasting anything at all, so if I had the scrap wood and I needed garden stakes, then I would (and I have) make them myself...

[sweensdv]

You will more than likely use a few salty terms to describe the experience and expense.

[warrenp]

I think the biggest thing to consider is that you will may get some sparks...so make sure there is no sawdust in the path.

[MilDoc]

Uh, been there, done that. Blade broke, scared me to death as it flew around a bit. And, of course, many, many teeth bent AND ripped off. Maybe that was just my experience, but ..... get a metal detector!

[Kristofor]

I was going to suggest that hitting a nail would open up a mini black hole that would immediately consume the nail, your saw, and finally you

No Alex, that was the Large Hadron Collider, at least before it was sabotaged by those heroic French/Swiss physicists

I haven't hit metal with a band saw, but I did hit a nail (entirely encased on all sides in a board) with my dado set when cutting a rabbet. Sparks, carbide chips, loud racket, sad dado blades. The cheap metal detector I bought later cost less than the dado blade. Live and learn... Or, alternatively, listen to the advice and save a step...

[shoottx]

I was thinking you will grow horns, a tail and smell bad!

I use the planer and jointer for finding nail. It makes you say the darnest things, then go buy new blades.

[cabinetman]

Uh, been there, done that. Blade broke, scared me to death as it flew around a bit. And, of course, many, many teeth bent AND ripped off. Maybe that was just my experience, but ..... get a metal detector!

Yep, have had blades break and it makes certain muscles pucker right up. If nothing else, it can bend teeth and kink the blade. You'll know instantly when you hit metal. I've run across similar problems cutting hardwoods on the TS and having the blade finding a litany of different foreign materials, like screws and nails that the tree grew around, and even various firearm projectiles.

Bad case scenario, carbide tips can come off a table saw blade, and I've found them under the saw on the floor inside of the cabinet. They usually will go there (hopefully), during a cut. Grapevine reports from one of my suppliers tells of an operator took a hit in the forehead with a tooth. The report was that it felt like a bee or wasp sting. don"t know if the guy lived or not, or what surgery was performed, or if they ever got the tip out.
.

[tjr]

Thanks for all the replies - is this the cheap metal detector at HF? If so, it is pretty cheap protection.

[cwsmith]

Well, first thing that will happen with be that you'll hear a much louder sound/screech from your bandsaw.

If you're feeding too fast you'll probably break the blade, but otherwise you'll quickly ruin the blade and it will be more than just a couple of teeth.

Beyond that, the main impact will be on your wallet (and of course your pride).

A few months ago, I was slicing a piece of 2 x 4 from my scrap box and hit a nail... all of the above occurred in those couple of seconds. I now take a much more careful look before I put a piece of wood in the scrap box.

CWS