I dont have a clue... do you? 2 whats it found on a beach whle detecting.

SeaninNH · Jan 16, 2011

I don't have a clue... do you? 2 what's it found on a beach whle detecting.

First one came up as iron and was about 6" down.

Second one was down about 14" and registered as a nickle.

Bigcypresshunter · Jan 26, 2011

Re: I don't have a clue... do you? 2 what's it found on a beach whle detecting.

Oh geez.

SeaninNH · Jan 26, 2011

Re: I don't have a clue... do you? 2 what's it found on a beach whle detecting.

Ok I just checked out the rock a little more. The staple type things don't lign up with each other and are at different angles. One of the end staples is squared off and the others are rounded. They are all clearly into the rock, There are depressions on each of the contact points as well.

Best suggestion I've heard is the lobster trap balast, but why the staples and why a rock with rocks and cement poured into it? Wouldn't they just use a brick or a solid rock?

Bigcypresshunter · Jan 26, 2011

Re: I don't have a clue... do you? 2 what's it found on a beach whle detecting.

SeaninNH said:
Ok I just checked out the rock a little more. The staple type things don't lign up with each other and are at different angles. One of the end staples is squared off and the others are rounded. They are all clearly into the rock, There are depressions on each of the contact points as well.

Best suggestion I've heard is the lobster trap balast, but why the staples and why a rock with rocks and cement poured into it? Wouldn't they just use a brick or a solid rock?

Concrete is a combination of rocks and cement. Its called aggregate I believe. The rocks are mixed in with the cement to make it stronger. Buy a bag of premix concrete and you will see the rocks. The wire mesh is also to make it stronger or it may be part of the cage. Wave action and tumbling appears to have "squared off" or flattened the ends. If its staples, I cant explain that. It makes more sense that the wire, or whatever it is, was inserted into the concrete before it hardened.

As far as the melted blobs, they are most likely melted aluminum pieces. How old are the rich homes? It wasnt always a private beach you know unless the homes were built before aluminum. Its also a possibility that they are melted pieces of solder from construction but its more likely that they are aluminum. Its a very common beach find. The texture could come from hardening against a textured object. If I get a chance Ill post some links. If you think it could be silver you can take it to a pawn shop. They will tell you. We are just speaking from experience and looking at a pic. If you want post a few more pics of the melted alum to be absolutely sure.

Bigcypresshunter · Jan 26, 2011

Re: I don't have a clue... do you? 2 what's it found on a beach whle detecting.

I see now that you posted new pics. Thanks. :icon_thumright:

They are definitely melted pieces of aluminum. There is no mystery here. Very common find. The texture comes from being melted against a textured surface such as dirt or coarse sand. They could have been in any type of fire, not just a campfire.

SeaninNH · Jan 26, 2011

Re: I don't have a clue... do you? 2 what's it found on a beach whle detecting.

Cool, thanks for the input.

I'll break the rock apart this week and see if they are staples or now lol. It's killing me. I don't think they go through the rock. I'm pretty sure they are more surface.

Bigcypresshunter · Jan 26, 2011

Re: I don't have a clue... do you? 2 what's it found on a beach whle detecting.

SeaninNH said:
Ok I just checked out the rock a little more. The staple type things don't lign up with each other and are at different angles.

They appear to line up in the picture.

Keep trying, the better finds will come. The concrete is kinda unusual. You will find many more melted aluminum pieces mixed in with the gold rings.

Bigcypresshunter · Jan 26, 2011

Bigcypresshunter · Jan 26, 2011

Re: I don't have a clue... do you? 2 what's it found on a beach whle detecting.

Ive been thinking- put a knife blade under one of those "staples" and lift up. I bet its just a wire end folded over and goes through the concrete aggregate..

SeaninNH · Jan 26, 2011

Re: I don't have a clue... do you? 2 what's it found on a beach whle detecting.

ok I tried to remove one and it is a wire type thing folded over. The one that is squared off is in the rock on both ends of the "staple" as well as a couple of others. I'm going to take a hammer to it tomorrow, but I'm guessing the structural support is looking to be about right. It's also really heavy. I'll get into it tomorrow and post pictures if it's worth it lol

Thanks for your help guys.

If the bits are melted cans I wonder where they came from. There is no way they were melted on this beach or anywhere near it.

I just checked the bits again on my Land Star. One comes up as iron/foil one comes up as pull tab and one comes up as a zink 1c. That's strange... I tested them multiple times and they all read solid and the same every time. No jumping around or anything.

Stegner · Jan 26, 2011

Re: I don't have a clue... do you? 2 what's it found on a beach whle detecting.

I must admit I was more curious about the aluminum bits than the rock - I found several that look just like the ones you found - looks to be quite flat on a side - has a look of having been melted but I don't see a similarity with the find here with any of the pics/links that bigcypress offered - those are more globlike, while these are flatter, smoother.

The two pieces I found were on the Jersey Shore - I was told that in WWII there was a lot of target practice that occurred off the coast, particularly down around Atlantic City area and that the beaches down there are littered with lots of the shrapnel from that - could this be what we've found?

Hmmm.

SeaninNH · Jan 26, 2011

Re: I don't have a clue... do you? 2 what's it found on a beach whle detecting.

No, this was in Massachusetts. I was thinking the same thing. I didn't really see anything that looked like these in the links. They do resemble the first link in a way, but these seem to be as you said, flat on sides. It's like they have a right angle as if they were melted in something oppsed to just dropped in a fire and formed blobs like you said. Most of the ones in the links didn't look clean either. These seem clean and less porous than the links.

Bigcypresshunter · Jan 26, 2011

Re: I don't have a clue... do you? 2 what's it found on a beach whle detecting.

SeaninNH said:
No, this was in Massachusetts. I was thinking the same thing. I didn't really see anything that looked like these in the links. They do resemble the first link in a way, but these seem to be as you said, flat on sides. It's like they have a right angle as if they were melted in something oppsed to just dropped in a fire and formed blobs like you said. Most of the ones in the links didn't look clean either. These seem clean and less porous than the links.

Believe what you wish. I tried. They look exactly like some of the melted pieces in the links. Are you saying the homes were built before aluminum was invented? Like I said if you think they are silver (or something else), take them to a pawn shop to have them tested. You could also make a test solution; formula is in the links.

But I doubt its silver, as salt environment will make silver black. They are most likely melted globs of aluminum, but could be solder, pot metal, or zinc based white metal. They melt in all shapes and sizes. Very very common to find these especially on the beach. But hey believe as you wish. This is getting a bit ridiculous.

Bigcypresshunter · Jan 26, 2011

Re: I don't have a clue... do you? 2 what's it found on a beach whle detecting.

Stegner said:
The two pieces I found were on the Jersey Shore - I was told that in WWII there was a lot of target practice that occurred off the coast, particularly down around Atlantic City area and that the beaches down there are littered with lots of the shrapnel from that - could this be what we've found?

Shrapnel will be steel or copper. http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,124889.0.html

SeaninNH · Jan 27, 2011

Re: I don't have a clue... do you? 2 what's it found on a beach whle detecting.

bigcypresshunter no no I didn't say that. They just don't seem like aluminum to me that's all I was saying. I don't think they are silver. I just found it odd that they all register as something different.

Bigcypresshunter · Jan 27, 2011

Re: I don't have a clue... do you? 2 what's it found on a beach whle detecting.

SeaninNH said:
bigcypresshunter no no I didn't say that. They just don't seem like aluminum to me that's all I was saying. I don't think they are silver. I just found it odd that they all register as something different.

I know you didnt say silver. I just mentioned that because everyone that finds these are hoping they are silver. What are you hoping for? I agree these melted blobs may not look like aluminum to someone that hasnt seen them but I have seen them before many many times.. Some aluminum has right angles you know. If they are not aluminum, they are pot metal or some other worthless zinc/lead based metal blob or an angled boat piece, maybe not melted but worn by the ocean, so it really doesnt matter does it?

We will never know what they were originally. Space shuttle pieces have been found in Florida but they are unrecognizable. My suggestion was to test them or see if a pawn shop is interested because there may be a slight chance of silver or something but they really dont look like it.

They will register something different because of the different shapes. Or they may be different alloys. Im surprised someone else hasnt chimed in here to help. Sometimes I find gold when my detector said it was tin foil and another time the gold shows as a pop top. You must realize you cannot trust your detector. Old timers say its better to try to learn the sounds and dig everything!

BobinSouthVA · Jan 29, 2011

Re: I don't have a clue... do you? 2 what's it found on a beach whle detecting.

here is a romantic idea for you. The stone with the metal sticking out is used by old sailors to measure how many knots they are going.