http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...5125&cat=1,240

I borrowed my friend's Little Wizard II. It hardly seems to work at
all. I've got an edge band around my router table screwed into place. If I
hold this device right on the surface where I know the screws are, I can
detect them. Most of them. It seems like it'll only detect through about
1/4" of wood, maybe 1/2" if I already know where to look, and that's with
the sensitivity screw dialed up as high as it will go without perpetually
signalling.

I didn't replace his battery, but he told me he thought it was still
good. Would a weak battery make any difference to how well this thing could
detect metal? I'm not going to risk my blades after assessing wood with
this thing, so I'm wondering if the Wizard III (the larger one pictured on
the above website) could do the job well. I've got a pile of reclaimed pine
with thicknesses as large as 2" strong to assess.

What have your experiences with metal detectors been?

Thanks.

- Owen -

Weak battery was my first thought even before you mentioned it. Yes, that
could do it.

"Owen Lawrence" wrote in message
...
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...5125&cat=1,240

I borrowed my friend's Little Wizard II. It hardly seems to work at
all. I've got an edge band around my router table screwed into place. If
I
hold this device right on the surface where I know the screws are, I can
detect them. Most of them. It seems like it'll only detect through about
1/4" of wood, maybe 1/2" if I already know where to look, and that's with
the sensitivity screw dialed up as high as it will go without perpetually
signalling.

I didn't replace his battery, but he told me he thought it was still
good. Would a weak battery make any difference to how well this thing
could
detect metal? I'm not going to risk my blades after assessing wood with
this thing, so I'm wondering if the Wizard III (the larger one pictured on
the above website) could do the job well. I've got a pile of reclaimed
pine
with thicknesses as large as 2" strong to assess.

What have your experiences with metal detectors been?

Thanks.

- Owen -

I have the Wizard III and it works great as long as you don't forget to shut
it off and let the battery run down.

I wish it had and auto shutoff.

---------------------------------------------
"Owen Lawrence" wrote in message
...
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...5125&cat=1,240

I borrowed my friend's Little Wizard II. It hardly seems to work at
all. I've got an edge band around my router table screwed into place. If
I hold this device right on the surface where I know the screws are, I can
detect them. Most of them. It seems like it'll only detect through about
1/4" of wood, maybe 1/2" if I already know where to look, and that's with
the sensitivity screw dialed up as high as it will go without perpetually
signalling.

I didn't replace his battery, but he told me he thought it was still
good. Would a weak battery make any difference to how well this thing
could detect metal? I'm not going to risk my blades after assessing wood
with this thing, so I'm wondering if the Wizard III (the larger one
pictured on the above website) could do the job well. I've got a pile of
reclaimed pine with thicknesses as large as 2" strong to assess.

What have your experiences with metal detectors been?

Thanks.

- Owen -

In article ,
Owen Lawrence wrote:
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...5125&cat=1,240

I borrowed my friend's Little Wizard II. It hardly seems to work at
all. I've got an edge band around my router table screwed into place. If I
hold this device right on the surface where I know the screws are, I can
detect them. Most of them. It seems like it'll only detect through about
1/4" of wood, maybe 1/2" if I already know where to look, and that's with
the sensitivity screw dialed up as high as it will go without perpetually
signalling.

I didn't replace his battery, but he told me he thought it was still
good. Would a weak battery make any difference to how well this thing could
detect metal? I'm not going to risk my blades after assessing wood with
this thing, so I'm wondering if the Wizard III (the larger one pictured on
the above website) could do the job well. I've got a pile of reclaimed pine
with thicknesses as large as 2" strong to assess.

What have your experiences with metal detectors been?

Thanks.

- Owen -





I've got the Little Wizard and have found quite a few nails with it,
but if I'm trying to get usable stock from pallets or other used
lumber, I still make my initial cuts with a $5 harbor freight blade.
Incidentally, while I've hit -and cut- some nails, the blade is still
OK and hasn't lost any teeth.


--
No dumb questions, just dumb answers.
Larry Wasserman - Baltimore, Maryland - lwasserm(@)charm(.)net

"Owen Lawrence" wrote in message

I didn't replace his battery, but he told me he thought it was still
good. Would a weak battery make any difference to how well this thing
could detect metal?


Since you know where the metal is, change the batteries, try it out, then
get back to us.
Thanks,

Owen Lawrence wrote:

I borrowed my friend's Little Wizard II. It hardly seems to work at all.

IMHE none of the Wizards are any use. They certainly can detect things,
but they seem unreliable. If you move the wand around relative to the
target then the indication comes and goes. Some of this is inevitable,
but the Wizards were too poor to contemplate using seriously.

I use a mil surplus mine detector. Cheaper too.

Tried a new one. Same experience. Junk. I don't like being that direct but I
have to tell it like it is.


"Owen Lawrence" wrote in message
...
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...5125&cat=1,240

I borrowed my friend's Little Wizard II. It hardly seems to work at
all. I've got an edge band around my router table screwed into place. If
I hold this device right on the surface where I know the screws are, I can
detect them. Most of them. It seems like it'll only detect through about
1/4" of wood, maybe 1/2" if I already know where to look, and that's with
the sensitivity screw dialed up as high as it will go without perpetually
signalling.

I didn't replace his battery, but he told me he thought it was still
good. Would a weak battery make any difference to how well this thing
could detect metal? I'm not going to risk my blades after assessing wood
with this thing, so I'm wondering if the Wizard III (the larger one
pictured on the above website) could do the job well. I've got a pile of
reclaimed pine with thicknesses as large as 2" strong to assess.

What have your experiences with metal detectors been?

Thanks.

- Owen -

"tdup2" wrote in message
...
Tried a new one. Same experience. Junk. I don't like being that direct but
I have to tell it like it is.

Okay, I just bought a new battery and tried it out. Pretty much the same
result, except the sensitivity set screw seemed to work a little better.

Even with the new battery and fiddling with the set screw I couldn't detect
every screw I put into my router table's edge band. I'd be surprised if any
of the screws were more than 3/8" below the surface. I started to wonder
if they were using cheap Hall effect sensors so I had to pop it open. Nope;
there's a pair of coils on a coil form inside. But it's so poorly mounted
you're probably losing at least 1/4" distance to the coil just to get
through the case.

Surprisingly it worked much better after I put it back together. But its
performance is so poor I'm doubting even the Wizard III has a chance of
working well enough for me. I was trying to be smart by being willing to
pay money for a commercial product designed for the job. I succeeded in
being smart by trying before buying. But there it will end; I'm likely
going to try making one now instead.

Guys, thanks for confirming my results, however disappointing they may be.

- Owen -



"Owen Lawrence" wrote in message
...
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...5125&cat=1,240

I borrowed my friend's Little Wizard II. It hardly seems to work at
all. I've got an edge band around my router table screwed into place.
If I hold this device right on the surface where I know the screws are, I
can detect them. Most of them. It seems like it'll only detect through
about 1/4" of wood, maybe 1/2" if I already know where to look, and
that's with the sensitivity screw dialed up as high as it will go without
perpetually signalling.

I didn't replace his battery, but he told me he thought it was still
good. Would a weak battery make any difference to how well this thing
could detect metal? I'm not going to risk my blades after assessing wood
with this thing, so I'm wondering if the Wizard III (the larger one
pictured on the above website) could do the job well. I've got a pile of
reclaimed pine with thicknesses as large as 2" strong to assess.

What have your experiences with metal detectors been?

Thanks.

- Owen -

Buy a Bounty Hunter! I've had one for 3 years and it works fine, up to about
14" or so. (low end model)]
muzzleloader
"Owen Lawrence" wrote in message
...

"tdup2" wrote in message
...
Tried a new one. Same experience. Junk. I don't like being that direct
but I have to tell it like it is.

Okay, I just bought a new battery and tried it out. Pretty much the same
result, except the sensitivity set screw seemed to work a little better.

Even with the new battery and fiddling with the set screw I couldn't
detect every screw I put into my router table's edge band. I'd be
surprised if any of the screws were more than 3/8" below the surface. I
started to wonder if they were using cheap Hall effect sensors so I had to
pop it open. Nope; there's a pair of coils on a coil form inside. But
it's so poorly mounted you're probably losing at least 1/4" distance to
the coil just to get through the case.

Surprisingly it worked much better after I put it back together. But its
performance is so poor I'm doubting even the Wizard III has a chance of
working well enough for me. I was trying to be smart by being willing to
pay money for a commercial product designed for the job. I succeeded in
being smart by trying before buying. But there it will end; I'm likely
going to try making one now instead.

Guys, thanks for confirming my results, however disappointing they may be.

- Owen -



"Owen Lawrence" wrote in message
...
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...5125&cat=1,240

I borrowed my friend's Little Wizard II. It hardly seems to work at
all. I've got an edge band around my router table screwed into place.
If I hold this device right on the surface where I know the screws are,
I can detect them. Most of them. It seems like it'll only detect
through about 1/4" of wood, maybe 1/2" if I already know where to look,
and that's with the sensitivity screw dialed up as high as it will go
without perpetually signalling.

I didn't replace his battery, but he told me he thought it was still
good. Would a weak battery make any difference to how well this thing
could detect metal? I'm not going to risk my blades after assessing
wood with this thing, so I'm wondering if the Wizard III (the larger one
pictured on the above website) could do the job well. I've got a pile
of reclaimed pine with thicknesses as large as 2" strong to assess.

What have your experiences with metal detectors been?

Thanks.

- Owen -