How to MD old gravel parking lot?

[cwe]

Old tavern parking lot covered with gravel...this
was a eating place and tavern since th 40's.

I got permission today ...any suggestions on
going thru gravel...thank God they did not asphalt
it.

cwe Patti

 

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[stoney56]

Sledge, chisel, and wrecking bar. Some get awfully hard packed over the years and is easier to get through asphault.

 

[kenb]

Hard packed gravel can be just as bad as asphalt, LOL. you may want to bring small hammer and chisel just to break the surface, good luck and HH.

kenb

 

[doyboy]

Your wasting your time. It would be too much work, plus "happy cuts and scrapes" on your knees. There are better areas out there that are not gravelled over.

 

[jeff of pa]

I use a Hand Pic

 

[Antny]

I've gone at it with a screw driver & small geologists hammer.

 

[Glenn-RI]

I think it all depends on how thick the layer of gravel is. I go to a place that was an amusement park from the 1920"s-1950's. Today it's used for other things but it still has the old dirt and gravel mix parking lot. That's probably what you have under the gravel. It's really hard packed when it's dry. However, after a good rain, it really softens up where the dirt is mixed in. I would try going after a good rain which would make the dirt easier to dig in. See how deep the layer of gravel is. If there's not too much gravel on top, you may be able to push the gravel to the side with a shovel first to get down to the dirt. If there's a thick layer of gravel, it probably isn't worth it.

Glenn

 

[jeff of pa]

one thing to Remember.

Coins that are shallow will be destroyed by the Constant Gravel
Action.

Only the ones Below the Gravel Level will be in Good shape.

 

[Dick from IA]

I've had pretty good luck in gravel parking lots, cwe. It is true the higher up coins can often be damaged. Old tavern parking lot=you bet, go for it

I follow only two rules.

Rule 1: Wait till it is very rainsoaked.

Rule 2. See Rule 1.


DFIU
aka Dick from IA

 

[gossunc]

Did this once (actually was a gravel driveway at a beach camp) and found quite few cents on the surface and a toll token...nothing at all deep. Driveway was fairly compacted and I wouldn't have done anything more than scraped the surface if it wasn't on top. I bet you'll find a bit on top. Good luck.

 

[stud564]

take a pick axe and a box of tnt. that should do the trick.

 

[Cannonman17]

I did that at an old bar for about an hour and a half one day, came to the conclusion that there has been a lot of layers of gravel put down over the years. My advice would now be go to the edge of the gravel driveway and work your way AWAY from it.

 

[jeremiah212]

i did a gravel parking lot once..worked it for 4-5 hours.. everything i pulled out was soooo damaged.

found my first buff in there, it was so scratched bent and knicked, it was nearly impossible to make out..same went for eveything else i found there.

 

[stud564]

i pulled out my first quater under three inches of packed gravel with a trowel I had to chop at and finaly got to it and it is so bent and out of shape.

Erik

 

[bk]

Your wasting your time. It would be too much work, plus "happy cuts and scrapes" on your knees. There are better areas out there that are not gravelled over.

Thats what I wish everyone would think!

Yeah, most graveled parking lots would not be very good, but I just dug up a key date Indianhead that was under a 3" layer of gravel under a sidewalk.
One of my best days ever for silver was at an old outdoor theater. Under the gravel in black dirt is where all the coins were.

I also detected a country church parking lot that was all gravel. That was the only place in the entire church yard where there were any coins left, And, they were all old ones. I suspect that was what all the other detectorists figured too.

Another area that was good for silver was an old baseball infield that was all pea gravel, but the gravel was only about 2" deep. All the coins were below the gravel in the black dirt.

Don't overlook graveled areas.

 

[Monty]

I've had some luck in gravel parking lots using one of those 4 prong scratcher type garden implements. They seem to seperate the gravel better than a solid instrument. It is tough work though, but if you have the stamina it could pay off. Monty

 

[minelab rick]

Don't forget knee pads

and one other thing

DON"T FORGET KNEEPADS

Final note to self

Don't Forget Knee pads

I worked an old Dance Lodge on memorial day - I forgot Knee pads - just now getting over it

 

[cwe]

Waiting and waiting for rain...will let you know
what is under the gravel.
cwe