High amount of shallow trash, deep goodies

[rockhound]

Just my two cents, but I would try one of two options. Either a detector with an Iron reject
option or better yet, an older higher frequency machine (Compass 77 or similar) that will not
pickup small iron and nails. They will actually detect a coin under a hand full of nails. Not sure
about the depth though, or if you can still find one.

 

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[Skrimpy]

That's just it, when you turn on an iron reject, any signal coming in at the same moment is also filtered out, and I would tend not to believe someone if they told me that a machine could stop one signal and not the other. If it could there would be no reason for smaller sized coils. You would just need 9 inch coils and larger.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

That is my understanding. An iron mask will also hide anything below the iron. The detectors that have a fast recovery speed and a Double-D coil (which has a long, narrow field instead of a round one, may be able to spot something "peeking" out beside the iron as the coil passes. But you certainly have to interpret the signal carefully. It will look about like a mashed aluminum lid and unless you're observant to spot the hop in the depth meter (assuming it is reliable to begin with) it would not be a high confidence hit.

 

[rmptr]

This sure is a good thread!

I sure do need help, so came over here for technique improvement...

At this picnic ground, especially with a fluffy soil, a fresno would work very well to scarf off surface layes from strips at a time.
EZ enough to make one, simple to operate, and it could be pulled by a couple guys, or an ATV.
rmptr

 

[Skrimpy]

I thought about taking one of those small tillers and grinding it up a little, then dragging a strong magnet through it a few times to try and reduce some of the iron but in the end I thought the easiest way would be to sift a layer and then detect the clay. Unfortuneately, I haven't had the time to get back to this site, plus it ain't my site. It's my buddies...and I'm not in the business of stealing sites. Like you said Charlie it's like taking someones fishing spot if you go without them.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

And I ain't been, even still.

'Course, I'd need dynamite and a jackhammer at the moment . . . 16º

 

[Skrimpy]

Finally got back. We dug 4 trenches about 10-15 feet long about 2 feet wide and about a foot down. The magnet didn't work as well as I thought it would. It did pull some nails but the dirt stuck to it so bad that it wasn't too effective one or two nails but it didn't do the job we needed it too...and we got down about a foot and found we weren't looking at hardpan, we were looking at sand. We are inclined to give up on the site for now. We've been looking into building a sifter for a very promising farmhouse and if it works well maybe we will give it a go at this picnic area.