From Members of the Austin Metal Detecting Club

Metal Detecting Tips

What Metal Detector Should I Buy/Use??

We’ve all been there. Ready to take the plunge to buy our first metal detector, but having no clue where to look or what kind to get. Here are just a few ideas to ponder:

1. Get several current books and or treasure hunting magazines on metal detecting and detectors and read them thoroughly. You can get some good ideas from the articles and even from the ads.

2. Decide on the maximum amount of money you're willing to spend, use the Internet to find all the detectors within your budget that are offered by the major manufacturers, and make a simple list for each of its features.

3. If you know what you want to use your detector for, coins-jewelry, relics, or prospecting for gold, use that to select the detectors from your list that have descriptions stating that they are geared toward that specific task.

4. Check with members of your metal detecting club to get their ideas. Most members are more than willing to let you try out their detector(s) so you can get a feel of how they operate.

5. Finally, select the one from the short list generated by following the above steps that you think will be the most fun to learn and easy to use. Check with any local dealers as well as on the Internet for prices and services and owning a detector will become a reality.

66. Where to Detect?

This is a question both new and experience detectorists always ask. Where can I go and have the possibility of finding something cool?

Many of us get our first detector and head straight for the little town park, only to be disappointed. If you are lucky, you might find some clad coins there, a variety of pull tabs and beer tops, but let's face reality. These public lands are just that...open to the public. That means that Joe Blow was there with his detector 25 years ago and he hit it hard. Detecting clubs have held group hunts and detecting enthusiasts passing through have also hit it. You might find treasure in the old parks, but the pickings are pretty slim.

An alternative is to detect in old yards. Any yard with a home prior to 1950 might hold good treasure. But these yards are usually private property. It is important to get permission to detect these properties.

More Ideas - Where to Detect?

This is probably the most burning question we all have! Where or where can we go detecting??? OK. Here are a few ideas to keep you hopping!

(1.) Check alongside boat ramps. Whether you have a water detector or not, there are frequently many coins, knives, rings etc. lost as folks are launching and retrieving their boats. Check alongside the ramp as it goes down, and even on shore. A kid came up to me and said he saw a gold ring in the water at the boat launch

(2.) Detect around your motel/cabin. If you travel, detecting on the grounds of your motel/cabin can produce many treasures! If you have the opportunity and time to choose - select older units to stay in when you travel. I have located Barber dimes and turn of the century coins at these older motel sites, as they often have never been detected!

(3.) Be visual. We can’t detect at Travis County Parks or LCRA parks, but we can visually scan for treasure! If you are at the water’s edge, look for dark circles. Both coins and silver rings look black in the water. You can also find paper money and items to turn in i.e. lost keys that fall out of swim trunks! Pick up trash and dangerous items as you go. Everything positive we do helps us promote the hobby and show that we really are “good guys!” (4.) When detecting at an old school yard, church or the like... Check the edges of the sidewalks very carefully... I have found many old coins right up against the sidewalk at these type sites that are supposed to be hunted out!

(5.) Review old maps for the surrounding counties and villages. First, look for and mark the old schools, churches, railroad stations, parks etc. to actually go locate and verify. Sometimes they still exist which is great and sometimes they are now a vacant field which is BETTER. Remember to seek permission on private lands.

(6.) Look at road names as you are going through towns - i.e. - Church Street, Railroad Ave., Old Bridge Rd, Academy St., Grove St. Along these roads is likely the site of an old depot, bridge, school etc the road was named after!

(7.) When scanning fields and empty lots, look for rows of trees, flowers or shrubs that may have been planted years ago. This could be the site of an old home. Anything that does not appear to be “natural” may be the sign of some good detecting possibilities!

And more ideas for “where to hunt”…

Parks Military Installations Motels

Athletic Fields Winter Sledding Areas Drive in Theaters Carnival Sites Lookout/Overlook Sites Vacant Lots Schools Church Supper Groves Bus Stops Circus Grounds Fishing Holes Old Taverns Picnic Groves Resorts Old Inns Homesties Fishing Camps Canal Towpaths Swimming Holes General Stores Construction Sites Swimming Beaches Outhouse Areas Barns & Other Out Buildings Scout Camps Battle Sites Front/Back Yards Ghost Towns Band Shells Railroad Stations Play Grounds Racetracks Fence Rows Campgrounds Rural Boundary Walls (Stone Walls) Hiking Trails Rodeos Roadside Stands Trailer Parks Roadside Rest Stops Farmstands Old Gas Stations Sidewalk Grassy Strips College Campuses Highway Cafés Rural Mail Boxes Under Seaside Boardwalks Lovers Lanes Revival Meeting Sites Near Telephone Booths Town Common Amusement Parks Around Parking Meters Town Square Rural Dance Areas Flea Markets Fort Sites Reunion Areas Your Relatives Homes Ski Slop More Ideas – Where to Detect?

It’s summer, it’s hot, and most of us have the same issue. Where can we detect? Schools are closed; parks are either “off limits” or hunted regularly by others. We have quite a challenge living in the Austin/Travis County area with detecting on Public Lands, because it is not allowed!

I know that a number of club members are very proficient at asking for “permission” to detect on private property. Personally, I am rather shy when it comes to this, and know I have missed opportunities. But the older I get, and the more we need new and interesting places to go detecting, I am willing to give it a try. A real good resource is talking with older persons in the community. Whether it is in Austin, or a smaller town you are visiting, this is a great way to learn about the past and potential hot spots.

Back to asking permission: Give it a try. All the person can say is “No”. But they could say “Yes”. Or the next person could say “Yes” and open up a whole new world for your detecting experience. I have one success story in that I have gained permission to detect a 1700’s home site in N.H. this month. I made a point to visit with the locals, joined the Historical Society, and it opened up a whole bunch of places to go. Will keep you posted!

AMDC is Going Green!

Save money, save resources and try a few new ideas this month:

This issue features ideas we might consider in an effort to Go Green. You may already be doing some or all of these, but if not, give them a try!

 Printers and Copies. Before printing all those pages, ask – “do I really need these?” When possible, opt to receive bills, newsletters etc. on line. This includes our AMDC newsletter. Recycle printer cartridges. Most come with post paid packages you can send them in, or donate them to the many sites (Pet’s Mart etc.) that recycle. You can also save money by refilling your cartridges. Walgreen’s, Office Max etc. provides this service at a nominal cost.  Batteries – Bring you spent batteries and batteries you find detecting to the AMDC meeting. We will have a box to collect them and we will bring them to an appropriate recycling site. Please pick up all batteries you see when you are out detecting. They are a definite hazard.  Recycle aluminum cans for cash. Save your cans and even pick up cans you find when detecting. There are several sites in the Austin area that pay money for your aluminum, as well as for other metal materials. One site I use is DNT on St. John’s. There are many others listed in the Yellow Pages.  Recycle papers. If you don’t have a recycling option with your trash pickup, take your old newspapers, magazines etc. to most any public school. There are large dumpster type recycling containers on the property and the recycling raises funds for the schools.  Thermostats – turn your thermostat down (or up) just one or two degrees to save both costs and energy. If you will be gone from home for several hours or more, turn your thermostats to a higher (or lower) temperature depending on the time of the year. Install a programmable thermostat.  Water – turn off the water while you are brushing your teeth. Switch to cold water washing for clothes and do not fill the machine higher than you need to for the size of the load. Collect rain water at the end of gutters etc. to water plants and gardens (what rain!?)  Unplug! When not using appliances etc., unplug them. Even a cell phone charger uses electricity when not connected to the cell phone.

Going Green Tips:

 Don't get bottled water - Instead of bottled water get a reusable container to carry water. Also you can get a filter to make your home tap taste more like bottled water. It is definitely more cost efficient.  Get rid of junk mail - There are many services that can help you get rid of junk mail. That will lead to a lot less trees being cut down to take up room in your mailbox  Pay your Bills Online - If every house in the US did this then we would save 18 million trees every year  Wrap Presents Creatively - Without going out to get wrapping paper you can use newspaper, an old map, or anything else. It would look a whole lot more creative  Buy Rechargeable Batteries - Even though it will take a good investment to buy these you will find yourself gaining it back in no time.

Battery Note:

Art Tiemann called something to our attention. According to Art, there is concern about Duracell batteries – that they are now made in China and have a thin cover which is more susceptible to exploding.  Batteries – Bring you spent batteries and batteries you find detecting to the AMDC meeting. We will have a box to collect them and we will bring them to an appropriate recycling site. Please pick up all batteries you see when you are out detecting. They are a definite hazard

Ideas – Things to Bring Detecting

Save film canisters and/or pill bottles to take with you when you go detecting. Fill them ½ full with water and add a few drops of detergent. When you find coins and items, put them in the containers to start the cleaning process. It makes it a lot easier to clean when you get home.

If you are not already using them, consider buying a pair of kneepads. They will save you discomfort while kneeling down on the ground to retrieve targets. They also save wear and tear on your clothing and prevent your getting "Stuck" with something painful or dangerous. "Gel" pads or probably the most comfortable although there are many other types, sizes available. Quit affordable considering what protection they offer you and do not take long to get used to. Some are as low as $5 a pair and available at Harbor Freight, Lowe's, Home Depot and other hardware stores

Scouting Out New Places

I call it "Scouting", and it has really helped me to zero in on caches of coins and other items. I spend a weekend day going to parks, soccer fields, etc. Any place that has a large area of grass. I check to see where the most people are playing, or picnicking etc. Sometimes I will even take a picture of these locations. Having a digital camera on hand is great for refreshing the memory the next day. One soccer field I visited yesterday had a temporary shelter set up where they sold refreshments. This morning I made out in the coin department by going in front of and around this tent. Finding rings

Where are some good places to find RINGS?? Probably the best chance of finding a ring – and a good one, is in the water. Rings tend to fly off when people are splashing and swimming, and sun screen makes fingers slippery. Since the swimmer may not know when they lost the ring, and they are often hard to see at the bottom, many go unfound.

On the beaches and around swimming pools can also produce jewelry, since swimmers often take off their jewelry before going in the water, forget about it, or it drops out of a towel, etc.

Think about the many places where people are throwing things. Frisbee’s to dogs, basketballs, volley balls, etc. Rings fly off, often unbeknownst to the thrower. Dog parks might be a good hunting ground.

It is always good karma to attempt to locate the owner of any jewelry you find. It is often easy to track down the owner of a found Class Ring – by contacting the school, the ring company, or post on Class Ring Lost and Found. Other rings may have engraving, or have been reported to have been lost at the location.

Water Detecting

It seems that folks either love to detect in the water, or they have no interest in taking the plunge. Water detecting is definitely a different animal!

Of course, to do any justice to hunting in the water, you need to have a water machine. Although most land detectors will work in shallow water, the controls cannot get wet without causing damage to the detector, so one is limited to the depth they can detect. You also need a long handled scoop to retrieve targets from the bottom.

Water machines do not have digital displays, but all have audio discrimination of some type. The headphones are attached and are submersible.

What can you find in the water? Depending on the area you hunt, you can find coins, fishing weights, jewelry, and other odds and ends – one never knows. Swimming areas usually produce some coins, items i.e. sunglasses and an occasional piece of jewelry.

We are limited and challenged in the Austin area in locating sites to water detect, since the LCRA Highland lakes are off limits to detectors, and now the Travis Co. Parks on the lake are also off limits. The Army Corps of Engineer parks do allow metal detecting on the beaches and swimming areas, however most of those lakes are quite a drive from Austin.

I have noticed that each year, the targets become fewer in the lakes. Why? A number of other water detectorists search the lakes regularly, and perhaps there are not as many people recreating at the lakes. But one never knows, and that is the lure of the water detecting hobby.

Being a “water person” I personally enjoy just getting out into the lakes, early in the morning for the peace and solitude. And sometimes, a treasure will be found! Beach Hunting

More and more detecting enthusiasts are hitting the beaches. The competition is fierce, and it is not unusual to see several others detecting on a popular beach. Are there other, less crowded areas of the beach nearby? If so, try those. Also, many detectorists come out first thing on a weekend morning. If your time can be flexible, try detecting toward the end of the day when people are leaving and/or on a weekday

Technique

I was teaching a new person how to detect, and noticed that she swung the detector like a pendulum, with the coil going up in the air, to and fro. This is a common practice for beginners. It takes practice and a conscious effort to swing the coil level to the ground – close to the surface, but not touching it. Naturally, when the coil goes up in the air, it cannot detect targets. It also seems that when detectorists get tired or in a hurry (as in competition hunts) they also resort to swing the coil up in the air. Just something to be aware of.

Playground Detecting

The first tip is in the "learned the hard way" category. When you are crawling around under the equipment to find that elusive item, remember that you are indeed under that equipment. A couple of times I stood up too soon, and ended up with abrasions on my back from scraping an edge. The other item is, I have found that sometimes the woodchips or pea gravel will spill outside of the "box". Hunt that also. A couple of times I found more on the outside than on the actual playground area.

Do a Thorough Search!

If there is a park, school, or other property where detecting is allowed that is not too far from your home – plan several visits and detect the entire grounds! “Dig” every target, (excluding iron) even though you might think it is trash. Many detectorists just go quickly around, looking only for the high range coins and miss nickels, gold and other goodies. It is amazing that you can find old coins and even gold rings in the grass – away from the areas where most people would quickly detect and leave.

Remember, when you hunt in grass, the best method is to use your probe and screw driver, to avoid any signs of “digging”.

Treasure Can Be Anywhere!

As metal detecting enthusiasts, most of us are always looking for Treasure, even if we are not conscious about it. We see coins on the ground when we walk, and check out item glimmering in the sun to see if they might be gold, etc. In addition to finding treasure with our detectors, some good items can be found in Thrift Shops and garage sales. Last month I was bumming in a thrift shop, and noted a display of bracelets hanging – all were $2.00 each. One bracelet caught my eye. It was a gold colored chain link bracelet, that I was just sure was real gold. I could see a stamp on the clasp, but it was too small to read with the naked eye. I took my chances, and bought the bracelet. When I got home, I could see that the bracelet was 14K! After weighing the bracelet and checking on gold prices that day, the value of the bracelet was $18, raw gold! Now I carry a jewelry loupe in my purse, to be able to read jewelry markings.

Watch for Poison Ivy

It’s that time of year – and believe me – (I’ve learned the hard way twice) that poison ivy lurks out there! Wear disposable gloves, and above all, don’t wipe your face or forehead with your hands, as the poison ivy will get all over! Even innocent looking mowed grass in parks can have poison ivy plants among the grass blades.

Cleaned Out Spots

If you know of someplace that has been well hunted or overhunted, try detecting it after a big rain when the ground is soaked. The wet ground has more conductivity, and you may find deeper stuff. If you ever have the chance to detect in the cold county note that after a hard winter the ground shifts after it thaws, so there may well be targets that might not have been noted prior to winter. .

Seeking Permission

If possible, it is best to ask permission in person. It is easy for a land owner to say “no” over the phone, or disregard a written request. Be pleasant; explain that you enjoy the hobby and locating interesting items that may be forever lost. If you are interested in history, you might expound on that. You might offer to show the owner what you find, or even ask if he/she is interested in keeping some of what you find. If the answer is “yes” – you are on your way! If the answer is “no” for whatever reason, be sure and ask if they know of alternative places in the area where you might detect.

Make Use of Technology!

If you have a navigation system in your car, or a GPS, or a GPS on your Smart Phone, use it to find places to detect when you are traveling, or even find places in your own area. You can plug in Recreational areas that will give you parks, athletic fields etc., and schools to hit playgrounds. Taking advantage of technology saves a lot of time looking at maps and driving around. The article below was provided by Lee Presley, and was printed in an old AMDC newsletter:

Nails: Clues to a Building's History

Thomas D. Visser Hand-wrought nail, before circa 1800

Type A cut nail, circa 1790-1830

Type B cut nail, circa 1820-1900

Wire nail, circa 1890 to present

Nails provide one of the best clues to help determine the age of historic buildings, especially those constructed during the nineteenth century, when nail-making technology advanced rapidly. Until the last decade of the 1700s and the early 1800s, hand-wrought nails typically fastened the sheathing and roof boards on building frames. These nails were made one by one by a blacksmith or nailor from square iron rod. After heating the rod in a forge, the nailor would hammer all four sides of the softened end to form a point. The pointed nail rod was reheated and cut off. Then the nail maker would insert the hot nail into a hole in a nail header or anvil and form a head with several glancing blows of the hammer. The most common shape was the rosehead; however, broad "butterfly" heads and narrow L-heads also were crafted. L-head nails were popular for finish work, trim boards, and flooring. Between the 1790s and the early 1800s, various machines were invented for making nails from bars of iron. The earliest machines chopped nails off the iron bar like a guillotine, wiggling the bar from side to side with every stroke to produce a tapered shank. These are known as type A cut nails. At first, the heads were often made by hand, but soon machines were developed to pound a head on the end. This type of nail was made until the 1830s. By the 1820s, however, an effective design for a nail making machine was developed: it flipped the iron bar over after each stroke. With the cutter set at an angle, every nail was chopped to a taper. Nails made by this method are known as type B nails.

Cutting the nails leaves a small burr along the edge as the metal is torn apart. By carefully examining the edges for evidence of these burrs, it is possible to distinguish between the earlier type A nails and the later type B nails. Type A nails have burrs on the diagonally opposite edges, while the type B nails have both burrs on the same side. This kind of evidence can be used to establish the approximate period of construction or alteration of a building. Type B cut nails continued to be the most common through most of the greater part of the nineteenth century. With the rapid development of the Bessemer process for producing inexpensive soft steel during the 1880s, however, the popularity of using iron for nail making quickly waned. By 1886, 10 percent of the nails produced in the United States were made of soft steel wire. Within six years, more steel-wire nails were being produced than iron-cut nails. By 1913, 90 percent were wire nails. Cut nails are still made today, however, with the type B method. These are commonly used for fastening hardwood flooring.