Nails in trees, nails in logs, I do not like them, please

Dr. Seuss could have had fun with this one. Having to watch out for nails in logs that I'm sawing is a perennial problem. It seems that many people mistake trees for living fence posts, among other things that cause them to have nails anywhere from the surface to the center, (those poor little trees that had nails pounded into them :( ,)

Cedar and walnut are the most likely trees to have nails or other metal in them. Any tree that is made of wood, is also a likely candidate for having a nail in it. Cedar, because they make such good living fence posts and walnut, because they are just there and someone comes along with a nail and they need somewhere to put it.

Sometimes I have taken my portable sawmill to saw for someone who declared that there is no way that there can be any nails in any of their logs because of this or that, and zing, in the first log the blade will saw through a nail. Then he will look at me as if to say that it is my fault. I'm sympathetic, saw blades are expensive, (over $2000 in new blades and sharpening in 2008).

So, please keep this one thing in mind. If you have a nail, or other metal object that you feel must be put into wood, find a piece of wood that has already been converted into a board or a fence post, and then pound it in. You and your sawyer will be glad you did.