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Nails

Started by Qweaver, October 28, 2012, 07:27:25 AM

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Qweaver

I sawed an almost perfect 24" poplar yesterday. Practically no knots or stress.  It made great rafters.  But 3 16p nails cost me a blade.  They came out easily and I did not lose any wood so it was still worth the resharp cost.  I hate the sound of hitting metal.  I guess I need to use the metal detector more.
So Many Toys...So Little Time  WM LT28 , 15 trailers, Case 450 Dozer, John Deere 110 TLB, Peterson WPF 10",  AIM Grapple, Kubota 2501 :D

ladylake


You're right it was worth a lot more than 1 resharp, with my own sharpener nails don't bother me too much unless a lot of them or hardened ones.  Steve
Timberking B20  18000  hours +  Case75xt grapple + forks+8" snow bucket + dirt bucket   770 Oliver   Lots(too many) of chainsaws, Like the Echo saws and the Stihl and Husky     W5  Case loader   1  trailers  Wright sharpener     Suffolk  setter Volvo MCT125c skid loader

Solomon

I got pretty lazy about using the metel detector for a while till I hit a couple of big chunks of metel.  One was a fish plate from a rail road track.  I still wonder how THAT grew inside a tree.   It was about. six inches deep in a piece of willow oak I was cutting for chaulking dunnage.   The other one was a triple pully , appearently part of what was a block an tackle.  Who knowss for sure.   Subsequently I use the metel detector more diligently now.   :P
Time and Money,  If you have the one, you rarely have the other.

The Path to Salvation is narrow, and the path to damnnation is wide.

Magicman

Generally you will spend a lot more time with a metal detector than the blade sharpening would cost.  At least that has been my experience.  Knowing where the log came from will determine whether a detector is necessary.  Just running every log would be very costly time wise.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

POSTON WIDEHEAD

I don't even use a metal detector anymore. I bought and used a Lumber Wizard for a short period of time. But in my opinion, they're all useless. The L.W. would only detect metal down to about 4 to 6 inches. But I quickly learned if I would just look closely, on a lot of logs you could see where metal was embedded.

A large dia. tree that has metal DEEP inside, a detector is not gonna pick it up anyway. Once you have a cant sawn down so far and you start checking it again, you start picking up the metal on the mill.

The best way I have found to defeat metal......I started buying logs from logging tracts vs. yard trees. I have sawn so far about 6,000 BF of logs from a timber tract.....no metal. When I used to saw logs from tree trimmers, just about every butt log had at least 1 nail and if that log was beside a well house......boo coos of nails, eye hooks, etc.

If a customer brings a log, I just explain the above. So far, 100% of my customers understand.

Metal Detectors? A waste of time at my mill.  :)
The older I get I wish my body could Re-Gen.

drobertson

In my opinion, there is no way I could run a metal detector on every log.  Know where they came from, as mentioned, look for signs, stains, ect. and just cut.  Time is money, whatever that is, haven't seen it in awhile.
only have a few chain saws I'm not suppose to use, but will at times, one dog Dolly, pretty good dog, just not sure what for yet,  working on getting the gardening back in order, and kinda thinking on maybe a small bbq bizz,  thinking about it,

logboy

QuoteI got pretty lazy about using the metel detector for a while till I hit a couple of big chunks of metel.  One was a fish plate from a rail road track.  I still wonder how THAT grew inside a tree.   It was about. six inches deep in a piece of willow oak I was cutting for chaulking dunnage.   The other one was a triple pully , appearently part of what was a block an tackle.  Who knowss for sure.   Subsequently I use the metel detector more diligently now.   

I learned that the hard way too. A metal detector doesnt work well if you leave it sitting in the truck. If I know they are yard trees, I scan every log as it goes into the mill. It only takes a few seconds. I explain that to the customer too. A few seconds with the metal detector costs them a lot less than a blade retip or a replacement blade.  Mine will generally pick up stuff a few inches into a log, 8-9 inches deep max. When I'm slabbing big logs, I scan after every other slab. Again, it only takes a few seconds and is cheaper than $120 replacement of a slabber chain. My detector has paid for itself many times over in found metal and saved blades/chains. Now if only someone would invent a rock detector...

I like Lucas Mills and big wood.  www.logboy.com

Magicman

Don't get trapped into a situation where the customer feels like since you used a metal detector that you are responsible for the nails.  I will hand the Wizard to the customer and let him do the scanning and sometimes they will actually find something.  The nails belong to the customer just like the logs.  When I hit them they cost $25....period.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

logboy

QuoteDon't get trapped into a situation where the customer feels like since you used a metal detector that you are responsible for the nails.

I'm very clear about that. A detector helps, but it isnt perfect (nor am I). You pay the retip/replacement fee regardless. And I'm not responsible for the amount of slabs/lumber you lose or the time it takes while I'm carving into your logs with the chainsaw, digging the metal out of your highly valuable super duper 12" diameter walnut yard log. If you want it sawed, then you pay the price. If I scan it and its full of metal, I tell them to cut it up for firewood and go to Home Depot and buy lumber.  ;D
I like Lucas Mills and big wood.  www.logboy.com

Nomad

Quote from: Magicman on October 28, 2012, 10:33:55 PM
Don't get trapped into a situation where the customer feels like since you used a metal detector that you are responsible for the nails.  I will hand the Wizard to the customer and let him do the scanning and sometimes they will actually find something.  The nails belong to the customer just like the logs.  When I hit them they cost $25....period.
X2  I have a metal detector and won't normally even bring it to a job.  I explain the blade costs to a customer and suggest to him that he beg, borrow or rent a metal detector and scan his logs himself.  Haven't had one do that yet.  I guess they figure the cost of the band is worth it not to make the effort.  And on yard trees, about half the time they end up owing me for at least one band. ::)
     With retipping costs for the Lucas blades though, or the price of a new slabbing chain, they look a little more nervous. :D
Buying a hammer doesn't make you a carpenter
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Lucas DSM23-19

drobertson

I have to agree with MM, flat rates on hitting junk,  And if we consider the entire job, say 1000 bd/ft, 25 bucks more is still a very reasonable price for the service.  After all allot of these yard trees have some sort of sentimental value to the custormer. 
only have a few chain saws I'm not suppose to use, but will at times, one dog Dolly, pretty good dog, just not sure what for yet,  working on getting the gardening back in order, and kinda thinking on maybe a small bbq bizz,  thinking about it,

dboyt

Rens has a pretty good metal detector.  The'll scan the entire log, but they're pricey.  We use one for the Portable Sawmill Shoot-Out to make sure that no one hits metal, and has been perfect, no matter how deep in the log the nail is.  Even pinpoints the metal to where we could cut it out with a chain saw.  If I did a lot of urban logs, I'd consider one.  Hard part is false readings from my size 12 steel toe boots!
Norwood MX34 Pro portable sawmill, 8N Ford, Lewis Winch

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