Further reason to ignore ferrous targets

[Warrington]

Here is today's "take" from 3 square feet, at least 40 feet removed from any building. The quantity of nails is amazing. The nuts and carriage bolts mixed in do not suggest colonial origin. Includes 4 more of those 9" "spikes" which keep turning up. My scale tells me that I have taken 8 pounds of iron out of 8 square feet. I dig them because I know this to have been a colonial farm and would be interested in implements. Also found a table spoon, of Art Deco design, didn't think it deserved a picture.

I have yet to find anything colonial. Although, when I was a kid, a former owner showed me a cannonball he had found in a field. My only real "find" is a sterling baby spoon, engraved with the name of the owner ca. 1860. that I found by kicking a clump under a barn.

 

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[Warrington]

It has been suggested to me that those "spikes" are teeth for a harrow. Could very well be.

 

[Elvis]

Got to dig them all to get the good stuff.

 

[Digger RJ]

Nice!! Congrats!!

 

[ToddsPoint]

That's about typical of the farm fields with old house sites I hunt here in IL. They burned the old buildings and every nail is still laying right there. We need one of those cranes with a huge magnet on it to clear the area! Gary

 

[pepperj]

Fencing wire and round nails is an indication that you're digging 20C barn/fencing line stuff. Need to start digging square nails (Rose heads is a great thing to see)
Time to move further out till the signals stop and then start figuring out the perimeter of the site.
The direction of tilling/discing of the soils will drag the scatter more in one direction, one can figure it out by the backside of the iron patch.

 

[pa plateau hiker]

If you know your detector, you should be able to tell the difference between nails and implements you are after. I have an Ace 250 and don't dig the tones nails give off, only low tones for old iron.

 

[smokeythecat]

My last "ferrous target" was a frag from a CW 10 pound parrot shell.

 

[ticndig]

you better think twice on not digging iron , the target was so long I thought for sure this union sword would be a tee post. I was shocked .

 

[HunterMF]

you better think twice on not digging iron , the target was so long I thought for sure this union sword would be a tee post. I was shocked . View attachment 1921083

That is amazing! Dig every signal!!

 

[Warrington]

Fencing wire and round nails is an indication that you're digging 20C barn/fencing line stuff. Need to start digging square nails (Rose heads is a great thing to see)

Most of the nails are square although extremely deteriorated. The few round nails and the carriage bolts with nuts do suggest late 19th century. The large 9" "spikes" are called "spikes" only in a descriptive sense. The remaining buildings are mortise and tenon, not using nails of any substantial size. It has been suggested to me that the "spikes" are teeth for a harrow. That makes sense. Fairly nearby I found some "teeth" for a mechanical scythe.

 

[Warrington]

If you know your detector, you should be able to tell the difference between nails and implements you are after. I have an Ace 250 and don't dig the tones nails give off, only low tones for old iron.

As I mentioned, I took 8 lbs of iron out of less than 8 sq ft. It is so dense, the signals are difficult to separate.

 

[Truth]

OK that’s it I’m Diggin everything

 

[HunterMF]

Hey Warrington, where ya at? I can come help dig some of the goodies out!

 

[Hunk-a-lead]

thats a lot of grunts in a small space

 

[islamoradamark]

The good stuff could show up at any time nice finds

 

[pa-dirt_nc-sand]

Sometimes it is better to trust the technology in your detector and sweep some serious square footage. Sometimes if you are sure about a small area it can warrant truly digging every signal. Some iron targets are cool relics... but looking for a quieter area with clean signals may give you a better chance at some keepers.

I have spent 6 years swinging lost 1800’s farm sites. Usually only a few areas contain the good stuff. So many old barn and out buildings create a plethora of iron residuals. Need to find the homesite and where their carriage loaded. Best chance of sweet finds there... but you never know when that modern nail is masking a colonial coin. Good luck!