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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Kalbarri, Western Australia
    Posts
    106

    Default Best hand held nail locator please.

    Hi Guys and Gals,
    There is probably this info here already but I cannot find it.
    The Kalbarri Men's Shed is looking for a hand held nail detector so we don't bugger our nice new Planer/Thicknesser.
    Any help will be greatly appreciated.

    Thanks.
    Bob Wemm.

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Perth
    Posts
    27,756

    Default

    Our shed and I have a carbtech detector
    https://www.carbatec.com.au/workshop...with-carry-bag

    There's no problem with the detector, the problems
    - getting the members to bother to use it and
    - getting them to use it properly - slowly and carefully - not on top of the thicknesser, and after removing a mm or two of wood, look again for bits of metal.
    One of our members have gone through out timber stocks and turfed out anything that even looks like it has nails in it.
    This will probably save more agro than the detector.

    A while back I looked into the guts of metal detectors. There are lots of hoary claims which are basically bollocks and from what I was able to glean they all used the same basic circuit - just packaged into different shapes and sizes. The security type detectors are not as sensitive because they are looking for weapon size objects.

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Sydney Upper North Shore
    Posts
    4,464

    Default

    I use one from Wizard Proucts - Little Wizard Metal Detector. As BobL says, slow and steady and recheck at intervals.

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Mornington Peninsula
    Posts
    2,741

    Default

    Early this year I had a need for a detector and bought a $14 one inc delivery from HK. The delivery time was circa 21 days from memory. During this period I had an urgent need for one and went to Carbatec to buy it. It cost $80 plus my time, fuel etc to get there and back.

    The upshot was, they are effectively identical visually and operate the same!

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Berry
    Posts
    6

    Default

    Hi Cava,
    Do you have a brand/model number (or an eBay supplier) for the HK version?

    Greg

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    Brisbane
    Posts
    182

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by GJM400b View Post
    Hi Cava,
    Do you have a brand/model number (or an eBay supplier) for the HK version?

    Greg
    I found this......https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/134mm-Me...oAAOSwDEtaMIGC

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Mornington Peninsula
    Posts
    2,741

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by GJM400b View Post
    Hi Cava,
    Do you have a brand/model number (or an eBay supplier) for the HK version?

    Greg
    Visually the metal detector is effectively the same as the one that Carbatec sells with the ring sensor.

    happeyleuckky is the eBay seller that I bought from.

    Hope this helps.

    George

  9. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Perth WA Australia
    Posts
    828

    Default

    I too have the Carbatec's metal detector and agree with Bob's comments. The "best hand held dectector" is one that gets used.

    I have tested mine and have found that they do have quite a limited depth of penetration, i suspect <1cm (depends on wood) so if you're planing/thicknessing more than a few mm its a good idea to recheck every now and then. If you're re-sawing then inspect the wood for nail/screw holes before sawing.

    Also like every test equipment,before use test it and make sure they work before relying on it. its a simple case of scanning an object with a known metal object embedded.

  10. #9
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    melb
    Posts
    1,125

  11. #10
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    Loomo
    Posts
    36

    Default

    Just reading through this and wondering whether a stud finder set to metal detect would do the job any better. I have a Bosch unit that's a classic to get right as a stud finder but it could/should work for nails. Will try it over the weekend

  12. #11
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Little River
    Age
    77
    Posts
    1,205

    Default

    The problem with all small metal detectors is that you have to have them near the nail to find it. The larger the detecting coil is, the better the chance that it will have the nail within its locating zone.

    The best would probably be a coil that you have to pass the timber thru it, as it would guarantee that the metal is within the coil.

    My preference is a rare earth magnet hung on a long thread above the timber. As you move (zig zag) the timber past the magnet any metal will cause the magnet to deflect.

  13. #12
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Melbourne
    Age
    34
    Posts
    6,127

    Default

    We have a Garrett Super Scanner at work (the one you see at airport security) and it does a pretty good job; we can't use it on the floor as it tends to pick up the rebar in the slab . Not cheap though...

  14. #13
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    melb
    Posts
    1,125

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Bohdan View Post
    The problem with all small metal detectors is that you have to have them near the nail to find it. The larger the detecting coil is, the better the chance that it will have the nail within its locating zone.

    The best would probably be a coil that you have to pass the timber thru it, as it would guarantee that the metal is within the coil.

    My preference is a rare earth magnet hung on a long thread above the timber. As you move (zig zag) the timber past the magnet any metal will cause the magnet to deflect.
    How deep can a rare earth magnet detect?

  15. #14
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    Perth, Australia
    Posts
    1,813

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by qwertyu View Post
    How deep can a rare earth magnet detect?
    Depends on the size of the magnet. Sky is the limit but past a certain size they get quite expensive and quite dangerous.

  16. #15
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    melb
    Posts
    1,125

    Default

    do you have a recommendation on which I should look at that is suitable for what we are doing here?

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