Metal Detectors

[Harold Burrell]

I am looking for a good little metal detector to find small nails/brads/ etc in lumber.

Any suggestions???

[Lee Schierer]

I have one of these.http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41EIajFzIhL._SL500_AA280_.jpg. Although it doesn't get used often, it seems to work pretty well and the sensitivity is adjustable.

[Bill Arnold]

I have a Wizard III that works great! I don't use it often but it saved a blade recently when it found a nail in the bottom of a door I was dis-assembling.

[Harold Burrell]

Thanks for the replies.

I have been looking at the Wizard III. But I am also looking at a Zircon m40. Actually...I would probably prefer the Wizard III...but it costs $90. :(

[Bill Arnold]

...I would probably prefer the Wizard III...but it costs $90. :(
It's $74.95 at Tyler Tools. Add a little to the order and it's free shipping. ;)

[Rod Sheridan]

I have the same model Lee has.

I works well, although mostly I just use a wire brush on my rough material unless I suspect a problem.......Regards, Rod.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I understand that the less expensive ones work best.

They have the same gear for emitting the signal and detecting it but they don't have the necessary - and expensive- circuitry for attenuating the signal to more delicate operations like you'd need if you were doing corporate security and didn't want the buzzer to go off every time a pack of gum passed beneath it.

So for woodworking the less you spend the better.
When was the last time you heard that ?

[Myk Rian]

I understand that the less expensive ones work best.
Yep. I have a CenTech from HF that works great.
Finds staples and anything else in the wood.

[Dave Sweeney]

Yep. I have a CenTech from HF that works great.
Finds staples and anything else in the wood.

+1 All I can say is that mine has never not found the metal if it was there and isn't that what they're supposed to do?

[harry strasil]

I use mainly salvaged wood and everything that goes thru the planer or TS get a once over from both sides. I have to be careful as my wedding ring sets it off if within 6 inches.

Ooops, I have the Handyman from Eagle America, it has a high and low sensitivity setting and 3 different frequencies if you get interference.

[Fred Belknap]

I have the Wizard III and it was suppose to detect metal 5" into wood. I wanted to drill some holes in a table top 1.75" thick and there was screws in the bottom. It would not fine the screws even when I knew where they were. It works ok with stuff close to the surface but don't buy into the deal that it will do what they say. Somewhere I read in a post that the newer ones were a lot better than the older ones, can't remember where. Sometimes I can't remember where I was last week.:rolleyes:

[Richard M. Wolfe]

I have the Wizard III and use it when running the mill. It's OK but has missed some stuff. It supposedly detects to a depth of about an inch. But the situation of metal detecting on the mill puts you between a rock and a hard place - not sensitive enough and it misses tramp metal and too sensitive and it would pick up the metal of the mill. I have not used it to check for nails, screws etc in dry lumber but would guess it might well work better in dry wood.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I have the Little Wizzard. It's on sale now (until 10/31) at Woodcraft. I can say it found a nail fragment in a recycled koa floorboard. It's cheap. It won't penetrate very deep, so I scan 4 sides of the board. It did find the fragment on either side though. I was impressed.

[Bill Arnold]

I have the Wizard III and it was suppose to detect metal 5" into wood. ...
Here's what the manufacturer says: "Unit can detect a solid piece of metal at approximately 5" deep, a large deck screw at up to 3", a medium nail at up to 1 1/2", and a paneling nail at up to 3/4"."

I laid a salvaged door on my bench to take it apart. As I was scanning it, there was a very strong indication in an area I didn't expect it. Then, I realized it was laying over a miter track! :o