Do me a favor - Woodworking Talk

**Daren** · 04-07-2008, 09:26 PM

Don't drive nails into trees ! I am not sure how long this one was (seein' as I cut off both ends with the sawmill) The very first cut on a fresh log...ZINGGG. No biggie to my surprise, not much damage to the blade and the outer part went to the slab pile anyway. After I had it squared up I flipped the "nail side" down to saw some 2 1/4" thick X 12" wide cedar, figuring I had got the most of it and was safe to mill a couple more...ZINGGG. That hit messed up the blade (still finished the log though). We are talking 1/4" spike here, sawmills are made to cut wood not 1/4" hard nails...twice

. I was able to drive the spike out with a punch enough to pull it from the bottom side. But still, there was a nice 5 1/2" x 12" cant on the mill with a rusty hole right in the middle. I milled a little pile out of the log, one piece still has the the other end of the spike in it. That kinda sucks, I have a big yellow crayon that I mark metal in a board with (so it does not ruin planer knives too).

weirdbeard · 04-07-2008, 09:51 PM

Man!

I hate that. Why are ceder trees always full of metal? Time to invest in a metal detector. I think Harbor Freight sells one cheap.

**Daren** · 04-07-2008, 10:03 PM

[quote=weirdbeard;29799 Time to invest in a metal detector.[/quote]

Got one, use it often as an "urban logger" (in this case missed one, did not expect it in this log) But today I was cranking out cedar, nails aside.

**joasis** · 04-08-2008, 09:48 AM

I sawed a few huge ERC's a few years back, and one had nails within 8 inches of the center of the log...and this is on a 30+ inch diameter tree....so they had been there long before I came into the world. Didn't do my carbide tipped inserts any good either...but usually, they will chip only a few teeth.

stuart · 04-08-2008, 10:19 AM

ummmmm... I never drove any sharp point in trees Daren.

but I agree those spikes are a big issue..

raskgle · 04-08-2008, 08:23 PM

Daren maybe someone had a need for a close line. Will most always find something in yard trees.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daren

Don't drive nails into trees ! I am not sure how long this one was (seein' as I cut off both ends with the sawmill) The very first cut on a fresh log...ZINGGG. No biggie to my surprise, not much damage to the blade and the outer part went to the slab pile anyway. After I had it squared up I flipped the "nail side" down to saw some 2 1/4" thick X 12" wide cedar, figuring I had got the most of it and was safe to mill a couple more...ZINGGG. That hit messed up the blade (still finished the log though). We are talking 1/4" spike here, sawmills are made to cut wood not 1/4" hard nails...twice

. I was able to drive the spike out with a punch enough to pull it from the bottom side. But still, there was a nice 5 1/2" x 12" cant on the mill with a rusty hole right in the middle. I milled a little pile out of the log, one piece still has the the other end of the spike in it. That kinda sucks, I have a big yellow crayon that I mark metal in a board with (so it does not ruin planer knives too).

Weird Woody · 04-10-2008, 11:46 AM

I was re-sawing an old piece of white oak once and hit a musket ball!
Knocked about 4 teeth of my rip blade and some carbide hit me in the cheek. WEAR YOUR SAFETY GLASSES! I did!
sheered the ball almost in half. i dug it out and gave it to a buddy of mine who collect war trinkets