Mayo South Elgin
Sr. Member
Today I was feeling like I HAD to get out and dig but after not feeling well during the previous evening, I didn't really want to be someplace outdoors without quick access to a toilet, if you know what I mean. So I hung around the house all day and to appease my need to connect with metal detecting, I went through a few bags of finds from my trip to Australia. It was cool picking up each coin and remembering where I was when I found them.
Well that was fun for only a short time so I decided since I was sticking around the house, might as well clean up the detector and give the coil a bath. I sponged off the control housing and took off the coil cover. There was lots of grit built up on the inside of the coil cover so I'm glad I took the time to wash it out. When I was done it looked almost like a new detector.
Then I decided to modify the little stand on the back end of the detector.
The problem I've had with it is that the aluminum marks up the walls in the house wherever I lean it and when I'm putting the detector in the truck, it scratches up the paint or the side window. So I had some sheets of foam that I got a while ago - it's about 1/8 inch thick (3mm) and I cut two pieces slightly larger than the wings on the detector stand and affixed them with carpet tape. It worked great! But my need to dig - especially with a nice clean detector - kept gnawing at me like my bad stomach from the night before.
So around 4:30 or so I decided to go to a local park for about an hour or two since I had to be back to make dinner. As soon as I got in the truck, it started to rain. Too bad I said to myself - I'm detecting no matter what! The park is located only about 10 minutes from my house and when I got there it was just a very slight drizzle on and off. I get everything ready - knee pads, goodie pouch, gloves, digging tool, detector, and walk into the grassy area I had intended on detecting. Within 16 seconds I had 3 mosquitoes drawing blood. Too bad I said to myself - I'm detecting no matter what!
I put down the detector, went back to the truck and got some Deep Woods OFF wipes and got myself all deeted up and went back to detecting.
Within 30 seconds I got a loud signal. It was the kind of loud and the depth was the kind of depth that makes you think surface coin - probably mem cent. It was the first target and I figured what the heck see what it is. Hidden in the grass - not even under any dirt, was the big honkin gold ring with a big stone in the center. WOW that was a surprise. Quickly dropped it into my goodie pouch and moved on, hoping that it was real gold and a real stone.
Got a few coins here and there, (all clad) some can slaw masquerading as nickels, and a piece of what was probably a cross. It's heavy but examining the broken metal end, it appears to be junk metal. I dug everything within 10 feet of it trying to find the rest of it but couldn't locate any more pieces of it.
It was approaching the time I should leave but I had the urge to look by a row of pine trees so I headed over towards them. When I got in between two of them I got a bouncy signal that was near the numbers for nickels so I decided to dig it thinking it was probably a pull tab or can slaw. It turned out to be one of those kids rings with a birth stone.
I'm glad I got out to hunt even though it was a short one. And fortunately I didn't need to find a bathroom but I almost cr***** my pants when I found the first ring! When I got it home and cleaned it up, inside it was stamped 18k and some other letters I couldn't read, and what could be an A inside a circle. Looking at the stone through a 10x loupe, there are a couple of scuff marks on it so I suspect it's glass or CZ. And the weird way the stone is held in place is another indication it's not real.
Well that was fun for only a short time so I decided since I was sticking around the house, might as well clean up the detector and give the coil a bath. I sponged off the control housing and took off the coil cover. There was lots of grit built up on the inside of the coil cover so I'm glad I took the time to wash it out. When I was done it looked almost like a new detector.
Then I decided to modify the little stand on the back end of the detector.
The problem I've had with it is that the aluminum marks up the walls in the house wherever I lean it and when I'm putting the detector in the truck, it scratches up the paint or the side window. So I had some sheets of foam that I got a while ago - it's about 1/8 inch thick (3mm) and I cut two pieces slightly larger than the wings on the detector stand and affixed them with carpet tape. It worked great! But my need to dig - especially with a nice clean detector - kept gnawing at me like my bad stomach from the night before.
So around 4:30 or so I decided to go to a local park for about an hour or two since I had to be back to make dinner. As soon as I got in the truck, it started to rain. Too bad I said to myself - I'm detecting no matter what! The park is located only about 10 minutes from my house and when I got there it was just a very slight drizzle on and off. I get everything ready - knee pads, goodie pouch, gloves, digging tool, detector, and walk into the grassy area I had intended on detecting. Within 16 seconds I had 3 mosquitoes drawing blood. Too bad I said to myself - I'm detecting no matter what!
I put down the detector, went back to the truck and got some Deep Woods OFF wipes and got myself all deeted up and went back to detecting.
Within 30 seconds I got a loud signal. It was the kind of loud and the depth was the kind of depth that makes you think surface coin - probably mem cent. It was the first target and I figured what the heck see what it is. Hidden in the grass - not even under any dirt, was the big honkin gold ring with a big stone in the center. WOW that was a surprise. Quickly dropped it into my goodie pouch and moved on, hoping that it was real gold and a real stone.
Got a few coins here and there, (all clad) some can slaw masquerading as nickels, and a piece of what was probably a cross. It's heavy but examining the broken metal end, it appears to be junk metal. I dug everything within 10 feet of it trying to find the rest of it but couldn't locate any more pieces of it.
It was approaching the time I should leave but I had the urge to look by a row of pine trees so I headed over towards them. When I got in between two of them I got a bouncy signal that was near the numbers for nickels so I decided to dig it thinking it was probably a pull tab or can slaw. It turned out to be one of those kids rings with a birth stone.
I'm glad I got out to hunt even though it was a short one. And fortunately I didn't need to find a bathroom but I almost cr***** my pants when I found the first ring! When I got it home and cleaned it up, inside it was stamped 18k and some other letters I couldn't read, and what could be an A inside a circle. Looking at the stone through a 10x loupe, there are a couple of scuff marks on it so I suspect it's glass or CZ. And the weird way the stone is held in place is another indication it's not real.
Congratulations!
