My FIRSTS excavation using a Rare Earth magnet.

I started with a 5' x 2' hole and continued to take layers down and running the magnet through the dirt ALOT. I found the dirt to have several nails (mostly halfs, and rusted bulbs, and pieces, and points, and alot of flakes of rust) I wiped them into a separate container. Throughout the process I had the Deus closeby and I would often swipe the hole and the dirt pile. I took the hole down to about ten inces where I ran into hard pan and ran out of ferrous (or non-ferrous signals). Out of that hole, I retrieved one small white piece of camp lead that I had missed while detecting. I then dug three smaller holes 2' x 2' by slowly going down with a hand held three prong heavy duty cultivator. Every time I raked the soil with it, I would loosen about a little over an inch of soil in the hole. I would then swim the magnet throughout, VERY thoroughly. Took out several nails, very few whole nails. And still more rust flakes. The nails in this location are really degrading. I found no non-ferrous signals after sanitizing the three smaller pits. Again, digging down to where hard pan started and all signals stopped.
I left the yard as I found it, except there are 4 bare spots of fresh earth. The ground there was very sparsely grassed with costal bermuda. I told the owner the other day that I would re-seed or re-sod. He said that he wasn't worried at all about it. But I will reseed them anyway. The contour of the yard (It's NOT a manicured yard at all) is the way it was before I got there this morning. I worked my fanny off. Alot of work for one peice of camp lead. But it lets me know that I must have been pretty thorough with my detecting and that the detectors that I used were doing a good job of seeing around or through those omni-present rust flakes. (That's what I THINK they are....the magnet just LOVES them).
I was able to pull this off without mashing fingers with magnet. I just put it back in it's well lined shipping container when not in use. I wish that I had went higher than 350 pound pull weight now that I know what's going on. You pretty well have to get real close to the iron, or even touch it, while in the loose soil, for it to adhere. But still...it is plenty powerful. I DID get it stuck to the tines of my little three pronged hand digger. I had to slide it off. There was NO pulling it off. It was still a good day. I kept all the rusty detritus for detector testing. I may make my OWN rusty nail bed and bury goodies within it. I might learn something.
I'd like to see if my detector's ability to see a dime, or button, is affected by a teeny weeny flake of rust. I'll go back friday, and make some more holes. Ya know, I could see how a rototiller could really make short work of the digging. But I bet that it wouldn't be button-friendly!!! Or....a rototiller with magnetic tines!!!!!!!!!!!! Now we're thinking!!!!!!!! Can I get a shout out!!!!! .....kidding

Kevin,

I've often wondered if those iron flakes are the real cause in why detectors don't perform well here. I have taken strong stereo magnets over the ground here....far away from any houses or any sign of dwellings...and still find the iron flakes. I think they are just natural in our soil. So not only do we have man made iron to deal with (nails, horse shoes, etc) in masking non ferrous items, but we have natural iron to deal with on top of that.

Interesting, let us know how it goes in other spots!

I will Sailorman. If all goes well around the house today, I am going back and digging a quick 2'x2' pit layer by layer and sanitize it with the magnet. I have a 5" coil coming today for the F5 and it will make sweeping the holes easier. And the F5 with the 5 inch coil ain't no sissie from the research I've done.
@Daniel: Daniel....last night, before bedtime, I typed out a reply to your post and this morning it's not there. I must have not hit: Post Message button. What I was saying was: Yes, I tend to agree with you. I located an area of ground here in my yard that is free of metal. It registers two bars on the F5 iron index. Ground phase is 51. I dug a deep hole and then bored smaller, 3/4 inch holes 8 inches into the sides of the big hole. I then super-glued a clad dime onto a small wooden dowel that I had grooved the end and then slid the dime in the groove so that the dime is laying flat when I stick it in the hole. At 8 inches, the F5 will do one way hi tone hits on it. (11 inch DD coil) The Deus will hit it in 8 or 12 or 18 khz. 12 or 8 khz is better. At 9 inches, only iron grunts from the F5. I can get the Deus to hit if I slow the reactivity to 1, sens at 98, 12 khz, 0 disc. The Deus will air test a clad dime to almost 13 inches. The F5 to 12 inches as long as I do my air testing outside. I have kept the F5 far longer (had it just over a week) than I thought I would LOL. I have digressed from the topic. I just wanted you and anyone else who has a dirt masking problem to see what these two units will do in my dirt, and in my limited testing. And with my limited knowledge. Of course, when I put the F5 in Auto Tune ( All Metal) it will hit all the dimes even when threshold is quiet. That's one reason I keep it. I can't never tell when I am going to get an invite to some of the farms next to the battlefield.
EDIT: Well, the reason I mentioned the hole here in the yard is to say that I am gonna run this powerful magnet through the loose dirt that came from the hole and see what sticks. I wouldn't be surprised if I get some detector-stifling flakes stuck to it. I will start with a clean magnet. I'll post a pic.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/06/2012 02:23PM by Kevin B.

With all the iron junk in the ground makes one wonder how we find anything with all the masking scenarios....not to mention all the EMI possibilities especially with the poweful units of today.

Well I excavated two more holes. 2ft by 2 ft roughly. Retrieved lots of nails and flakes and globules with my rare earth mag, but unfortunetly, no non-ferrous remained. So far; one 5'x3'x8" yielded a piece of camp lead. Four more 2ft by 2 ft pits, revealed nothing but iron. No non ferrous target. Surely one of my pits will yeild a button. But I must admit, it takes the wind out of your sails when you dig these pits and all the while magnetizing each layer. Ther eis one good thing that has come from this: I used to not be able to ground balance in this campsite. Now, as long as I'm over my pits, I can ground balance easily. The abundance of iron made it nye impossible to ground balance before the pits. Problem is, I believe that I have actually detected most of the goodies out. Oh well, won't give up. Dig another pit this afternoon. IT might be the ONE!!! Who knows.

Please post some pics of the iron junk and flakes. I would be interested in the amount and size.

goldmanjace Wrote:
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> Please post some pics of the iron junk and flakes.
> I would be interested in the amount and size.


Okay. Here are three pics. One pic is the container that I use to wipe the stuff into, one pic is the rare earth magnet after I eased it into the container, and one is also of the magnet after I wiped some of the bigger stuff off. It really holds fast to a nail; you have to wipe them off quickly and keep your hand moving way from the magnet or the nails will turn in midair and come back. LOL

Thanks for the pics! That is amazing to see how much iron is in the ground!