Are you sure there's no nails?

[BandsawWarrior]

Well I cut some reclaimed barn beams today...I knew I was in trouble when I saw the timbers.  I asked if they had any nails and he assured me everything had been pulled.  Ten minutes later I asked again are you sure there's no nails?...not to worry he said I've gone over everything lets saw these up and see how many boards we can get!

Third cut I hit the first nail...it was just a small one so I was able to keep cutting.  Then on the second timber I hit 3 nails in about 2'.  The client didn't seem too concerned and I new my blade was toast so I figured we'd try to finish.  Next piece I hit a nail on the diagonal and sent the blade swooping up, pulling on the guides and smoking like crazy.

I told him that blade cost $40 and that I could put another one on but we might hit another nail on the first cut and wreck another $40 blade.  At that point he said oh wow maybe we should be more careful....lol. 

On the last timber which I didn't cut I found two 1/2" metal rods that were used as pegs.  He was so surprised to see those and couldn't believe they were there. 

What a nightmare.  Anyways watch out for salvaged timbers and yard trees folks!

 

[weisyboy]

there is never any nails, until you hit them.

some logs would be worth more as scrap metal than timber.

[Brucer]

Me to Customer: "Have you checked these logs for nails?"
Customer: "There won't be any nails in those logs!"
Me: "OK. Every time I hit a nail that isn't there, it'll cost you $40 extra."
Customer: "Ha, Ha."

Customer (3 minutes later): "What was that?!!!"
Me: "Sounded like 2 small nails and a spike."
Customer: @#$%^&*

Happens at least twice a year.

[kelLOGg]

A sawmill is an expensive metal detector  ;D

It's sorta like when my brother was having house renovations done and the contractor hit a water line with his trencher. Brother: "Why didn't you use a utility locator service?". Contractor: "Didn't need no locator. I found that pipe in 10 minutes by myself". He had a sense of humor in spite of his loss.

[sigidi]

Oh an another thing, no-one ever uses one nail  :( >:( ;)

[paul case]

those bands have a way of leaving no nail unfound.  pc

[red oaks lumber]

2 things customers have...
1) their logs are always clean and veneer
2) there is never any hardware in them

[bugdust]

I always feel a cold chill go up the back of my neck when they say the tree came from the front yard of an old house. There's a hemlock grove below my house that I can't muster enough courage to saw because I remember driving tons of nails "building" something. I guess I could cut off the first 5' or so, but I'm not that hard up for logs yet.

[nas]

I just finished a re-sawing job where I'm sure I hit more than 50 nails over the four days of work >:(.  This was after the owner of the beams went over them with a metal detector.  I also hit one lag bolt, and a couple of small stones.  The customer paid, but it sure gets frustrating changing all those blades :( >:(.  It makes you understand why flooring made with reclaimed lumber is so expensive.

Nick

[woodbe]

I just had farmer line me up with some used timbers (fir). He gave usual answer no steel. So I stop by to take a look and No steel? There were nails about every 3" and big pins and steel chuncks bolted on here and there. So he said no problem he will go threw them and clean them up. Three days and 3 guys later he's back with half the timbers and no nails. So I pull out my little metal wand and look there are more nails. So at this point he is getting the picture. I explained to him about $25 an hour weather pulling nails or cutting and there is a cost for blades.

Woodbe

[Magicman]

I sawed some scrappy Red Oak this past week.  He had cleaned them very well and removed all of the hardware.  I loaded the last log on the mill and there was a Phillips head looking at me.  Two deck screws.  He said, "oh I forgot about the squirrel feeder".

I didn't hit anything, but he was uneasy about that $25 per pop.

[toploader Ford]

I resaw old salvage timbers all the time for an outfit that makes flooring out of it. Their men pull the nails, screws, lag bolts and any other hardward that the timbers might contain.  It must be a boring job chisling and pulling nails all day long! I go over all the timbers again with my metal detector and I still find stuff professional nail pullers miss. And yes, I still every once in a while hit a nail.  I hit a stainless steel nail shot in with a helty (sp?) gun once. Stopped that blade right there ! I charge the same for sawing or checking for/ pulling nails.

[Banjo picker]

I have had folks bring in a white oak log that may be 125 years old or more and tell me there ain't no metal in it....I gave one of them half of a minnie ball that I found in his metal free log...there is no telling what was going on in the vicinity of that tree when it was a baby....Tim

[ohsoloco]

those bands have a way of leaving no nail unfound.  pc

I once managed to completely miss a nail while cutting some 4/4 material...until I edged the flitch    Better than hitting it with the planer I guess  :-\