Watch out for hidden nails in reclaimed wood - I learned this the hard way last week in Denver

I was building a custom shelving unit with some beautiful old barn wood I picked up for $150. Everything was going smooth until I hit a rusty nail with my planer. The blade exploded into 3 pieces and one flew past my face close enough to feel the wind. Cost me $80 for a new planer head and a trip to urgent care to check my eye. Has anyone else almost lost an eye to mystery metal in reclaimed lumber?

3 comments

3 Comments

angela_patel7514d ago

Damn that's terrifying, glad you're okay. I actually read somewhere that running a metal detector over reclaimed wood before cutting it is a good habit. Sounds like a pain but beats losing an eye or destroying another planer. Some people even say to check the wood with a strong magnet first just to catch any hidden nails or screws. That blade flying past your face story is gonna make me double check everything from now on.

alice92814d ago

Oh man, @angela_patel75 you're totally right about that metal detector trick. It's funny how we get so comfortable with things and just forget the simple checks. I do the same thing with old furniture I refinish - I always forget to check for hidden staples or tacks until I'm sanding and hear that awful noise. Makes me think about how we rush through safety stuff in general, like not wearing gloves when dealing with chemicals or skipping the guard on a saw because it's "just one cut." That blade story really drives home how quick things can go wrong, makes me want to slow down and check everything twice from now on.

shanec6114d ago

Jokes on me I once spent an hour sanding a "clean" board only to find out it had a rusty nail buried in the middle when my sander threw it across the room. Took me a minute to realize my heart was still beating. I guess that's what I get for being too lazy to grab a magnet first. Now I keep a little magnet on my workbench just so I remember to check before I get started. Nothing like a near miss to teach you to slow down and do the boring stuff.