How to dig in frozen ground

[Mooa182]

Ok I started detecting recently and am having problems getting deep with the frozen ground. I am using brute force trying to just get 1" into the ground. What are you all using to dig heavily frozen ground?

 

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[mlayers]

Re: How do dig in frozen ground

I just wait for the ground to thaw. Or if you can not wait you could take out a blow torch to help you. Or you could try sandy soil to dig in as that will not freeze as bad....Matt

 

[Lookn4Seated]

Re: How do dig in frozen ground

I simply just don't dig in it. I also don't dig through concrete, as it seems the ground is like in the winter. This is a good time to do some research and to really get to know your detector. Come spring, you'll be popping out neat finds left and right. Welcome aboard HH!

 

[MayberryMonte]

Re: How do dig in frozen ground

I've had trouble breaking through wood chips at playgrounds when they're frozen and I use a pick-like digger. Just wait and it'll be a piece of cake. You might want to mark your best signals with a spot of spray paint and come back. Good luck.

 

[Slingshot]

Re: How do dig in frozen ground

I have used a cold chisel that was about a foot long, and a ballpeen hammer. My brother broke his nose digging in frozen ground when his hands slipped off his digger throwing him off balance and he fell face first into the frozen ground. OUCH!!

 

[crazyjarhead]

Re: How do dig in frozen ground

Muscle Just kidding. A regular trowell won't work. You need something to break the crust. Once you break the crust the ground under that will be workable. Maybe a narrow shovel, not a regular shovel but one used to dig 5- 6 inch hole. You can buy at hardware store. They are skinny and long. I don't know the exact name for them but you can figure it out. Once you use the heavy machinery, then the digging trowell will work fine. The ground here in Ohio only freezes down about 2-3 inches max all winter. You can detect in the winter
My finds today

 

[Paul in WA]

Re: How do dig in frozen ground

it's called an irrigation shovel.

 

[Lowbatts]

Re: How do dig in frozen ground

If it isn't on the surface I won't dig it this time of year. There's no good way to patch up the holes you make in frozen ground.

 

[BuckleBoy]

Re: How do dig in frozen ground

Good question! I wish I could figure that one out.

 

[sasnz]

Hey have you ever thought to use a rock hammer? you should be able to get under the crust and lift it up with this if you are dead set keen. Just my thoughts.

sasnz

 

[Clad 2 meet u]

They are called trench shovels. They work wonders in the frozen ground. You do have to break a sweat to dig but you will break through.

 

[Ray S ECenFL]

Step one:

 

[deepskyal]

The frostline in Western Pa. is 32" or there-abouts.....all water and sewer lines have to be deeper than that so they don't freeze.

Do you really want to dig in that? No crust here...when the ground freezes...it's concrete. And I surely don't want to be lugging a hammer and heavy, steel chisel on my Md'ing trips when it's that cold.

In the house it's nice and warm...I'm surfin the net, hitting the library, finding new sites for when the ground is workable.

Al

 

[Mooa182]

Yesterday it got above freezing for a few hours and melted half of our snow. It didn't affect the ground as much because there is still a small layer of snow, which I hope will melt off and start thawing the ground. Temperatures should normalize for the rest of the week and slowly thaw the ground more each day. The only problem is that snow acts like a layer of insulation and helps prevent shield the ground from the colder night air temperatures.

In the meantime I have been snooping around on the web and looking at some local places. There is 2 parks and a old railroad trail (now a running path) which look very promising.

 

[UncleVinnys]

Just wait 10 years, and Global Warming will thaw everything out.

Al Gore.

 

[Mooa182]

I spoke too soon... we just had a small layer of freezing rain and 2in of snow dumped on us... with more on the way.

 

[Massbaycolonist]

Use a pnuematic core drill and a couple sticks of dynamite. And remember to backfill your blast sites.

Ok I started detecting recently and am having problems getting deep with the frozen ground. I am using brute force trying to just get 1" into the ground. What are you all using to dig heavily frozen ground?