Lane Johnson wrote:

10 years ago I bought a Harbor Freight wand type detector on salethat I use often on recycled wood.  It works well, but I suspect it wouldn't do particularly great for deeply buried nails in beams.  It does great for finding anything within an inch of the surface.   Saved me a number of times...

Thanks! I’ll go get one and give it a try. I wasn’t sure if I could count on those types of detectors, so I appreciate you sharing your experience.

I have An 111 inch band saw blade that seems to find all nails in wood. It cost about $45.00. I suspect you are looking for a more sophisticated tool.

Hi, does anyone have recommendations for an economical AND effective device to detect nails and other metal in wood?

thanks!

Marcia