Are woodchips stashed with metal to keep us out?

[dustbuster]

I went to a few schools today to try my luck. One had fresh new chips with little balls of wadded up metal everywhere. My detector was constantly going off. I removed as many as I could, but eventually got tired and just went home.
Is anyone else finding this, or am I just luckly.
Dustbuster

 

[savant365]

I haven't ran into anything like you are talking about but one play area I detected had several bent, chewed up nails in it. I just assumed that when they chipped up the wood the nails were in the lumber. They were all the same size and type of nail. Maybe it was part of whatever they chipped up to use for the playground?

HH Charlie

 

[Digginman]

No conspiracy here. Wood can hold alot of metal. The shredder chops up anything put into it. I've found alot of that in new chips, also. Just find it and take it with you. Your hunting area will get better as you remove them.

DM

 

[DrGrip]

No conspiracy here. Wood can hold alot of metal. The shredder chops up anything put into it. I've found alot of that in new chips, also. Just find it and take it with you. Your hunting area will get better as you remove them.

DM

That is my thoughts EXACTLY! What goezinta the chipper comzouta the chipper....

I keep telling myself that one day I'll have all of the "scrap" pulled and help out EVERYONE that hunts the chips!

Keep in mind, you're also helping the kids that play in the park by removing the pokey things.

Grip

 

[dustbuster]

Thanks, everyone. You're right--I tried to pick out as much as I could. Eventually we'll start finding the good stuff!

 

[pyledriver]

Hang in there! I've cleaned a few lots myself in hopes of a future payoff!

 

[DrGrip]

I went to a few schools today to try my luck. One had fresh new chips with little balls of wadded up metal everywhere. My detector was constantly going off. I removed as many as I could, but eventually got tired and just went home.
Is anyone else finding this, or am I just luckly.
Dustbuster

Not sure if I was thinking about you last night or bad mouthing you for jinxing me while I was hunting!

I went to a tot-lot that I had never hunted before and as soon as I had finished balancing I got a hit on my first swing, showed as a penny with a +75 VDI (should have been a clue, but no). Dug it and it was a chewed up blob of aluminum! I started thinking about you after I had dug the 12th or 13th chunk of it!

All total I ended up with around 30 pieces of it so HOPEFULLY this lot will start to produce some goodies and not just aluminum rocks.

Grip

 

[dustbuster]

Sorry for the jinx. They are loading up the playgrounds with new chips so maybe we can clean it up pretty quick. It sure is frustrating though.

 

[Dimeman]

Those workers who operate those machines think nothing of throwing their empty drink cans in the chipper. I have seen some do just that.

Guess they don't realize that the woodchips get used for more than placed around new trees being planted.

 

[DrGrip]

Those workers who operate those machines think nothing of throwing their empty drink cans in the chipper. I have seen some do just that.

Guess they don't realize that the woodchips get used for more than placed around new trees being planted.

You are right on target, they have no clue what all this stuff is going to be used for and more than likely don't care. Now, if the boss were to see that I'll bet they would stop pretty quickly. The "bits" used for these are quite expensive to replace, and yes an aluminum can will work them over.

But, on a side note, in a couple of parks I hunt it I have seen LOTS of old light fixtures and such that were attached to a tree YEARS ago and the tree has "claimed" them for its own. The tree has literally grown around the fixtures and I'll bet most of the wood isn't scanned for metal prior to going in the chipper.

Grip

 

[4treasures]

I noticed a huge increase in the number of tot-lots getting new woodchips after hurricane Ike. Ike took out millions of trees and if you were anywhere near the coast you saw huge piles of trees, branches, etc piled in front of every house for pickup. My theory is that a LOT of those piles weren't pure organic material by accident or neglect and just ended up getting ground up with the tree material. I don't think there was any sort of screening being done due to the overwhelming amount of material.

Those workers who operate those machines think nothing of throwing their empty drink cans in the chipper. I have seen some do just that.

Guess they don't realize that the woodchips get used for more than placed around new trees being planted.

You are right on target, they have no clue what all this stuff is going to be used for and more than likely don't care. Now, if the boss were to see that I'll bet they would stop pretty quickly. The "bits" used for these are quite expensive to replace, and yes an aluminum can will work them over.

But, on a side note, in a couple of parks I hunt it I have seen LOTS of old light fixtures and such that were attached to a tree YEARS ago and the tree has "claimed" them for its own. The tree has literally grown around the fixtures and I'll bet most of the wood isn't scanned for metal prior to going in the chipper.

Grip

 

[mandad76]

I've seen tot-lots in my area that have shredded tires/rubber in them - almost impossible to hunt - they even color it - I've seen green and red - not a good thing!

 

[dustbuster]

I just take it in stride these days, and usually go home with plenty of good stuff too.
Keep up the good hunt

dustbuster