Came up silver but it feels like iron

[Felinepeachy]

What the heck is this thing. It's about 8 inches long but has been broken off. It's heavy like iron and it looks like iron but it didn't come up iron.

Any ideas?

 

[Bramblefind]

Cast Iron seems to do that to me. But I thought it was just b/c I don't have a very good metal detector.

It shows strong silver starting at a few inches but it I put the coil right on the artifact it will say iron.

Don't have any input right now on what that thing is but I will bump you

 

[IronSpike]

Looks flat on one side. Maybe an iron brace for a wooden door?

Iron can show all kinds or readings on a detector (not sure if it's the rust process causing it). Usually the false reading will be an inconsistent signal.

 

[Felinepeachy]

Yes, it is flat on one side.

 

[oldsledz]

on all of the detectors I have used the ID meters have only been accurate on coin sized targets.

 

[Felinepeachy]

Good point!

 

[Felinepeachy]

I want a Minelab

 

[72cheyenne]

My MXT (DFX too, but not as much) tends to read anything that is very large and rusting in the 80-84 VDI range (Quarter in the coin jewelry mode)

The M6 will do this as well, it is a defect common to that specific circuitry and frequency range.

Yes, I started to say I have a White's 6000di/pro from the 80's that does the same thing. It's more to do with White's frequencies and circuitry than anything else. My Etrac doesn't do it as bad, but still does on occasion. I like calling big iron a "White's Silver Dollar". Not knocking White's, I use them and Minelab. lol

 

[72cheyenne]

I want a Minelab

It won't help much. If you are only going after coins and smaller items, use the pinpointing size to determine if you dig it but......you may miss some real good stuff by not digging larger and even iron targets.

 

[Felinepeachy]

You're right. I dig it all mostly anyway. Just to be on the safe side.

 

[Felinepeachy]

I like my MXT I just like new toys.

 

[Wayupnorth66]

My minelab safari reads alot of old iron in the silver range......like someone said..it is either the deterioration ,rusting process...or a weird mixture of metals used in alot of old cans I find..along with iron objects as you have found here. I actually found a double bit axe today that was well deteriorated and it also jumped in and pout of the silver range.

 

[Felinepeachy]

I think it's safe to say we ALL have a love hate relationship with our detectors, at least from time to time.

 

[Felinepeachy]

It's just crap!

 

[Felinepeachy]

No, it's never junk. But it can be junque.

 

[Chug And Red]

That happens alot here where there used to be ww2 ship building yards along the columbia river!! they were torn down after the war was over you will get a strong silver signal than as you dig down the signal changes, I fing large iron objects that Are down a foot or more most of the time!!!!! sometimes they are 1 foot long spikes striaght down like they were driven into the sand!!! HH Chug

 

[wan]

I'm thinking perhaps the arm part of an old balance scale. The flat side would then be due to a stand pole with a peg for the hole. Some where mounted from above like this:
http://www.antiqbuyer.com/images/ARCHIVE_PICS/scientific/scale/hudsonscale.jpg
Some from below like this:
http://www.malleries.com/images/89_shop_images/24569-iID.jpg

Essentially all farm related trade required some kind of simple balance scale in the past, and depended on reference weights on one side. Cheating sometimes took place by using under-weighted reference weights.

 

[Lucas]

Not like any scale parts I have seen. The details just aren't right. Those big beam scales were all hand forged.

This reminds me of the all too common farm machinery bits that come to the surface every spring on old farms. Those bits are really tough on lawn mowers. :P