Question that Im sure has been asked 1,000 times

[CoilyGirl]

Frankn do you run across people with visions of grandeur when you show what you've found at neighboring houses and they follow you around or are they confident you will come through with your promise? We ended up getting permission to hunt this old site and my husband is getting heavy into researching now so hopefully we will finally get around to getting to hunt with some regularity.We still have one house and yard we want to hunt of a friend who has asked if his kids can tag along and that's fine.

 

[rock]

I ask if the others know of anyone that they think it would be ok for me to hunt their properties. Then if they say yes I ask for them to introduce me. So far the properties I have permission to hunt is so large I didnt even get to check all of it last yr. Acres upon acres I dont even know how many.

 

[Frankn]

Frankn do you run across people with visions of grandeur when you show what you've found at neighboring houses and they follow you around or are they confident you will come through with your promise? We ended up getting permission to hunt this old site and my husband is getting heavy into researching now so hopefully we will finally get around to getting to hunt with some regularity.We still have one house and yard we want to hunt of a friend who has asked if his kids can tag along and that's fine.

I did one house where The lady dug all the finds! lol Frank...

 

[bzbadger]

I try to get the owner or the neighbor excited as to what may be there. I say stuff like I was looking over the whole area and noticed how old some of the homes are or the property and I ask them if they know anything about its history. I don't give them a chance to say NO to anything because I am not asking permission yet I am just asking what they know or did they know this and offer some little tidbit of info to get them interested. I then ask would you mind if I poked around with my metal detector and say who knows what WE can find. I tell them if I find anything I will be glad to show them. People are interested just as much as we are about what is hidden. The mystery will pull a yes out of them

 

[jeff of pa]

I did one house where The lady dug all the finds! lol Frank...

She would have to be a Knockout & dressed to Flaunt it.

There is no reason to Detect, If I can't have the enjoyment of discovery.

I wouldn't even agree to search Gettysburg daily, If an archie had to do the digging.
What I would tell them ain't Nice

 

[Potts]

What are your favorite two or three lines to tell an owner when you are asking
permission to dig their yard?We are out of friends and family's properties to look in and
we have two new detectors to arrive today( yay!)

my husband has researched old home sites and has found two spots that used to have
three houses side by side (each place). The third house is one large lot from 3 lots combined.
There are no homes on the lots currently and are both in the inner city. All houses were on about one third acre but the last would have been on 3/4 acre.We will not be digging anyone's petunias!

CoilyGir....Don't wear camo, baseball caps or sunglasses.

 

[secretmason]

Hi everyone! I am new here. My family in the Philippines is into treasure hunting and found a black cement under the tree nearby and they can't break it. It is so hard. They used gold detector and it's positive. The hammer will just bounce. Is anyone here know what liquid chemical they need to use to dissolve the cement? They said that there is a clear liquid chemical that other treasure hunters used to break the cement. Please help us.

 

[CoilyGirl]

I try to get the owner or the neighbor excited as to what may be there. I say stuff like I was looking over the whole area and noticed how old some of the homes are or the property and I ask them if they know anything about its history. I don't give them a chance to say NO to anything because I am not asking permission yet I am just asking what they know or did they know this and offer some little tidbit of info to get them interested. I then ask would you mind if I poked around with my metal detector and say who knows what WE can find. I tell them if I find anything I will be glad to show them. People are interested just as much as we are about what is hidden. The mystery will pull a yes out of them

I like the way you approach it badger.Do you or anyone else here ever approach a homeowner with a map of the area from the early days of their neighborhood like a Sanborn map? Potts food thinking on the no ball cap or sunglasses,makes people look a little shady maybe or like they're trying to hide their identity.Welcome secret mason and welcome to Tn.Maybe you could post your question in this same forum ot even in the gold prospecting one and get some ideas on what chemical to use.

 

[jeff of pa]

Welcome to treasureNet secretmason.

Sorry to say I think it it would take a Volcanic reaction to melt Cement
since Cement is made of a mixture of sand, and gravel.and the melting point of a rock is around 600-1200°C

You can google "Cement melt" or "concrete melt", But I doubt such a thing really exists.

A sledge or Jackhammer may work.

If you have a freezing season & can at least Crack it.
Water in the cracks just before a freeze will work too

 

[Salura]

I like to research my areas first. Then I approach the home. I introduce myself as an amateur historian. I tell them something interesting about their property and/or the area, and any cool finds in the area. After chatting a bit about the area, I hand them a brief synopsis of my research and then I ask "If you're interested, I could come back some time and scan your property for historical items. My contact information is in that packet." I might offer to help with outdoor projects they might have in progress, or to mow their lawn or something, depending how the conversation is going.

 

[Salura]

Hi everyone! I am new here. My family in the Philippines is into treasure hunting and found a black cement under the tree nearby and they can't break it. It is so hard. They used gold detector and it's positive. The hammer will just bounce. Is anyone here know what liquid chemical they need to use to dissolve the cement? They said that there is a clear liquid chemical that other treasure hunters used to break the cement. Please help us.

I'm no cememt expert, but the masons I've been acquainted with do use muriatic acid to help break up old cement.

 

[Produce Guy]

I like Frankn"s way,with a photo of stuff found. I've used the 50-50 way,and then have had the owners asking for 80-20 or even 90-10.

 

[CoilyGirl]

I like Frankn"s way,with a photo of stuff found. I've used the 50-50 way,and then have had the owners asking for 80-20 or even 90-10.

I think that's a little presumptions myself,the 90-10 split. Had you not come along and offered your services all those treasures would be just lost.

 

[bzbadger]

When I and the president of our club have gone out looking for new areas for club hunts or even going out solo what we do is tell them we're looking at historical places, tell them they're property is right on lone with that history, ask if they have ever found anything themselves, ask of they've ever lost anything on their property and if so tell them we can look for it for them real quick which gets them super interested. We just scored a go back on a huge place that was a plantation which is now a farm, the grandfather actually plowed up a union soldier on the property and the cops said rebury him somewhere nice Lol and they did, showed is where they put him. We got the go back because during the first hunt we showed the owners what we found and returned a lost item so this Saturday were hitting it again but the owner bush hogged the slave area which held multiple shacks and did the same where the plantation house was. Involving the owners opens more doors than not.

Get your facts first, then distort them as you please-Mark Twain

 

[Frankn]

I like Frankn"s way,with a photo of stuff found. I've used the 50-50 way,and then have had the owners asking for 80-20 or even 90-10.

Kind of turn it around on him.
Tell him NO, even though you are doing all the work you wouldn't feel right taking more than 50%.
It will make him rethink what he said. Frank... Psychology 101

 

[Frankn]

I'm no cememt expert, but the masons I've been acquainted with do use muriatic acid to help break up old cement.

Masons clean stone with muriatic acid, but it is very slow. Best to use hammer and chisel or Jackhammer if available. Frank...

 

[dann]

What are your favorite two or three lines to tell an owner when you are asking
permission to dig their yard?We are out of friends and family's properties to look in and
we have two new detectors to arrive today( yay!)

my husband has researched old home sites and has found two spots that used to have
three houses side by side (each place). The third house is one large lot from 3 lots combined.
There are no homes on the lots currently and are both in the inner city. All houses were on about one third acre but the last would have been on 3/4 acre.We will not be digging anyone's petunias!

Go at night and wait for the owners to 'contact' you?
Get shot for trespassing?
Get prosecuted for trespassing?
Get told to go away?
If you know who the owners are ask them. If they say "no"; fine.
Sandman is right about having a polite and straightforward approach.
badger is right about "including" the land owners in the historical curiosity, but I don't see the need to promise them anything.
I hope you find a few good places to hunt with the new 'tectors Coily!