Metal Detecting

We recently started metal detecting.  It has turned out to be a great outdoor hobby that we can do as a family.  We started with the Garrett ACE 350.

The first place we started looking for things was in our own yard.  We found tons of buried rusty nails, soda and beer cans, a trash can lid, paint cans, and other assorted trash left by the guys that built the house.  They must of just brought some dirt in an threw it over the trash that was scattered throughout the yard.  We did find a few coins and an old shotgun shell in one part of the yard that hadn't been graded when the house was built.

We quickly figured out we needed a pinpointer.  We got one that came with the detector, but it didn't work very well.  We had a hard time finding things.  We dug a lot of holes where we didn't find anything.  Our neighbor loaned us his pinpointer, a Garrett Pro-Pointer, and we decided that we needed to pick one up and we did.  A pinpointer really helps in locating small objects, coins, etc.  We found that if something is close to the surface you can sweep the pinpointer over the area and locate it.   

After we go proficient with the ACE 350 we asked Santa for the Garrett AT Pro and he brought it to us.  It's a much more complicated machine, but I think once we master it we will find more items.

To date, we have found some interesting items including lost house keys, lots of current coins, shotgun shells (the brass ends from the old paper type),  horse shoes, railroad spikes and other railroad iron.  We found 53 coins at the end of a neighbor's driveway in a gravel area.  The oldest was a 1950 wheat penny.  The rough looking coins are actually newer pennies.  Those things pretty much rot in the ground.  We have also found a few coin spills where we have found 5 - 10 coins in one spot.  We haven't found anything silver yet.

We found a 30+ Pound Lead Block - We think this is a counter weight for something.  Maybe a hay lift?

We found several railroad spikes and they look like new knives or tomahawks to me.  I just need a forge.  We also found several other pieces of railroad iron.  I think the pieces to the left of the spike are used to hold the tracks down.  I am sure I can figure out something to do with them also.

We also "found" some old window weights.  We really didn't find these with the metal detectors.  They were at a house we went to metal detect at and they were stacked in several places around the yard.  We asked for them and the owner of the house let us have them.  These things look like large knives and tomahawks to me.  That is 4 pounds of iron.  We have several that are 7 pounds. Again, I just need that forge.

I will post some pictures of the other things that we found once I take pictures and get them uploaded.