From American Woodworker Magazine

American Woodworker, August 2001, P30. Metal Detector that's Good and Cheap Reprinted with permission from WOODEN BOAT Magazine. Copywright 2001. All Rights Reserved

If you're planning to use recycled lumber, or harvest your own, you've gotta check it for hidden metal. A submerged nail or screw will ruin a $100 saw blade quicker than you can say "IknewIshouldaspent$20onaLittleWizardmetaldetector!"

This battery-powered unit scans for metal up to 2-1/2 in. below the surface and signals with LED lights and an audible tone when it finds some. The business end is only 2-in. wide, so it takes time to check a board completely. The best way to cover the surface is to establish a grid, working from end to end, first with the grain, then across.

The Little Wizard may not be the fastest metal detector to use, but for the money, it can't be beat.

Little Wizard Metal Detector, #37539; $20
Hartville Tool, (800) 345-2396. www.HartVilletool.com
Reprinted with permission from AMERICAN WOODWORKER Magazine, Home Service Publications, Inc. an affiliate of Reader's Digest Association, Inc., Suite 700 2915 Commers Drive, Eagan, MN 55121. Copyright 2001. All Rights Reserved