Cleaning a find

[sleo573]

Good Morning Everyone!

I'm new to the site and to Metal Detecting. I found what appears to have been a fork or a spoon maybe but the end of it was broken off. It is rusted and sand is caked on to it. I was wondering if anyone could tell me of a solution to try and break down the rust and sand. Something I can let it sit in for a while...Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[Tom_in_CA]

depends on what the spoon or fork was/is made out of. Ie.: stainless steel? copper or brass? silver? etc... And it also depends on the type of corrosion. For example: salt water beaches will produce a different type of crustation/corrosion than in-land soil will. And other factors are: how aggressive do you want to be? If all you wanna do it just get the crud off, to see a mark or design, but the piece has no real value, then you might use one method. But if it's a valuable piece (like an heirloom, or antique silver, or like a collectible coin, etc..), then you would want to use methods that take much longer soaking, more delicate handling, etc..

So your question needs to be refined more.

 

[sleo573]

Well I can only see a very small part of silver metal on the top edge everything else is covered. So I really have no idea if it's valuable or what type of metal it is. It's some type of silver. It's definitely marine crustation/corrosion not a soil corrosion. I have no problem letting it soak and handling it with care I'm very patient and I'd rather be safe then sorry. How can you tell if it's an heirloom or something of value as opposed to an ordinary object?

I will post a picture of it tonight after I get off work to better show what I'm dealing with.

Sorry if my terminology is off like I said I am as beginner as beginner can be haha This is my first real find, tons of aluminum can pieces I should bring a bag and recycle it all as I dig it. What's a good book on metal detecting?

Thanks so far...

 

[sleo573]

Here's the pictures...Any ideas on how to get all this stuff

 

[lostcauses]

Were was it found? Salt water?
Looks interesting. It appears to have been encased in rust.

 

[MRBeyer]

Try using an espresso machine to clean it with steam. As long as it isn't of natural fiber or has oil in it you can use the steam from the frothing nozzle to clear items without rubbing them.

 

[sleo573]

Yeah it was found on the beach in Florida on the Atlantic Side. I was so excited all I've been getting has been the classic pull tabs bottle caps and pieces of aluminum.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

sleo, that is most definately modern stainless steel. Simply someone's fork or spoon handle from a picnic. Material for the trash can. But if you want to clean it, electrolysis would work. But I bet when that sand corallized stuff comes off, so too would the surface of the item. Stainless steel just doesn't hold up in salt water like copper, silver, gold, etc...

As for the reams of aluminum, you might want to start learning the nuances of the swells, directions, tides, etc... and work the wet sand when erosion is occuring. After a good erosion period, there will be ZERO (0) aluminum items left on the wet, since mother nature takes it all away (in a natural riffle-board sluice-box effect), leaving only the heavier items. Once you've been on a good storm erosion day hunt, you'll NEVER go back to dry sand hunting again

 

[sleo573]

Thanks Tom! When I get down by the wet salt water sand I get a lot of false signals. Is it because of my Metal detector (Tesoro Cibola) or does it happen to all detectors?

 

[Tom_in_CA]

I don't believe that Tesoro is well-suited for mineralize wet salt beach hunting. You can try turning down the sens, and/or try hunting in all metal (but you will not be able to discern nails and iron if you go all-metal). I believe that machine, like most Tesoro's of that class, are better suited to ow to moderately mineralized land sites, and excell in seeing in and around iron. Like for relicky type ghost towns, old-town-urban demolition sites, dry sand, etc... There are other machines that are better suited to the wet salt by a long shot.

 

[sleo573]

Cool Thanks! I'll look into one of those once I can get together some mulah! This one was a gift but heard good things about it after looking it up once I got it. Def better Dry Sand which is why my collection of aluminum is growing so fast haha.

Thanks for all the advise and help. I look forward to getting more seasoned in this hobby.