Metal Detection

[CDMR]

I've just finished milling a Lime tree that was outside what transpires to have been a farriers. It looks like the farrier would bang a few nails into the tree then shoe the horse by the tree, pulling the nails from the tree as he went. The nails were all at a similar height and on one side of the tree. Obviously some got left behind until lucky old me, or rather some of the teeth on my 36" bar found them. I have been using a small metal detector designed for checking timber before it goes through a planer but it doesn't 'see' very far into the wood so thought I might invest in something better. It should pay for itself in saved chains and files. Any recommendations as to kit and/or ways of working around the problem of metal?

[Stubby]

It will always be a problem . I found a nail about one inch off centre in a 2 foot dia Holly . Must have been Victorian !  Farriers nails are relatively soft I think  the way he bends them and files them back .

[Gary Prentice]

So the term 'hard as nails' isn't actually that defining as a category? 

[Stubby]

Glass is hard . Iron is tough .  Hardness is resistance to abrasion . Toughness is resistance to breakage .

[treequip]

28 minutes ago, Stubby said:

 Farriers nails are relatively soft I think  the way he bends them and files them back .

They aren't particularly soft but the ends are thin enough to be bent over or "clenched"

[Stubby]

Clenched is what I was going to say but not sure if anyone would know what I meant !

[spudulike]

Get a good make metal detector but a few years old to save a few ££££. Most of them are discriminators and will tell you if there is ferrous metal 4-6" relatively easily, larger items deeper.

Whites, Garrett, Minelab, CScope to name but a few. The Garrett Ace 150/250 seem pretty well received machines.

Got an old Cscope from the 80s you can have for £50 delivered if you are interested! Will test its air depth on anything you ask if you like.

[openspaceman]

1 hour ago, Gary Prentice said:

So the term 'hard as nails' isn't actually that defining as a category? 

Apparently shoe nails were used to forge blades from as it was thought the constant pounding of the hoof gained them something, which was actually lost when they were reheated.

 

Are limes associated with farriers or blacksmiths? We had 5 outside our local farriers before it was redeveloped and the one nearest the door was riddled with iron, I managed to fell it but gave up crosscutting it and half burien it elsewhere for a stag beetle to find.

[Gary Prentice]

27 minutes ago, openspaceman said:

Are limes associated with farriers or blacksmiths?

I don't know, but I have heard this asked before. My memory fails me as to the answer. 

 

 

 

This is now going to gnaw at my mind all day, considering why they would be

[treequip]

29 minutes ago, openspaceman said:

Apparently shoe nails were used to forge blades from as it was thought the constant pounding of the hoof gained them something, which was actually lost when they were reheated.

 

Are limes associated with farriers or blacksmiths? We had 5 outside our local farriers before it was redeveloped and the one nearest the door was riddled with iron, I managed to fell it but gave up crosscutting it and half burien it elsewhere for a stag beetle to find.

Hmmmmmmm

 

that sounds a bit urban made up to me, hoof grows and shoes wear out and are replaced regularly, the nails aren't re used so they aren't in use anything like long enough for any work hardening to take place. It would also be a PITA to forge weld something as small as nails in a meaningful billet and the losses to scale would be huge unless you went to the trouble of canister welding it all, in short,  nice story but unlikely