Checking for metal in wood

The metal detector will work OK but it will be a bit clumsy if you plan on using it a lot. A smaller metal detector, like the ones that they use on you at the airport when you fail the walk through scan, are available. The ones that sell for around $100 work fine, but the smaller and cheaper ones aren't very good. Woodworkers Supply and Rockler carry them or you might find them at a local security and police supply store.

Charley

The device you're looking for is called "Lumber Wizard."

Lee

I recommend the Wizard III. It easily finds the screws in my left leg or a tidbit in pallet wood. I bought mine at Woodcraft but there are other retailers.

dollar price is justifiable given the amount of work I do, the amount of work I'll do in the coming years, the cost of possible blade replacement, &c.

S.

A new Forrest WWII or Freud blade works well for that too...

John ...who once, with the first cut with a new Freud blade in a 7 1/4" saw, destroyed all the carbide on two embedded nails. ;~(

IMHO, no. The "Wizard" detectors just aren't very good.

I'm using a mixture of a mil-surplus mine detector (which isn't very good - a cheap treaure-hunting metal detector works better), but mainly I use blades I don't care about too much. Unless you're encountering hardened drywall screws, most nails and woodscrews are actually pretty soft.

How about one of the magnetic dry wall nail finders that were used? Or a compass direction finder. Of course this would not show a brass screw.

Of course, you don't really have to worry that much about brass screws.....

Also, I don't think studfinders (if that's what you were talking about) work on magnets, they detect changes in density to show where the studs are.

I got hit twice last night on some old poplar I recovered from a job site. Those 15" planer blades still found a screw after I used the "Wizard" brand scanner. I hate changing planer blades.