this is killing me

[Redneck315chick]

in the past 2 weeks i've found about over 2$ in change, such as quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies. I can't really get into the whole metal detecting aspect with my fiance (redneck13126) because i never find anything good. Does anyone have any pointers on finding anything good and to enjoy the metal detecting experience better?

 

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[redneck13126]

lisen to them baby and youll stike it rich and stick with me love ya!

 

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[zaxfire69]

Well my best advice is find someone that is lucky. Take them hunting and see what happens.. Just kiddin. That works for me...Everytime I take my wife with me I find something great. Anyway. Research, Research, Research. I would figure metal detecting to be 60% research, and 40% actual metal detecting. Just like everyone has said. Find the spots that are the oldest. Look on Old maps to see if there were any old house on a particular tract of land. Go out there and see if you can get permission to dig, or they might just be in the woods and you can walk in and go to town. With me most of my finds are pure luck. I dug 2 draped bust large cents the other day..It was just my time to find the goods. I hope you 2 do well. Find the old spots and you will find the old stuff. zaxfire69

 

[CRUSADER]

in the past 2 weeks i've found about over 2$ in change, such as quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies. I can't really get into the whole metal detecting aspect with my fiance (redneck13126) because i never find anything good. Does anyone have any pointers on finding anything good and to enjoy the metal detecting experience better?

What can I say that hasn't already been covered

...other than I agree that if it doesn't fire you up, then find something that does. My other half has her hobby & I have mine, works perfectly, we are both happy. If she could do all the digging for me, all the better, but not likely

Ask yourself, do you enjoy History? Do you enjoy Research? Do you enjoy being outside? Do you enjoy finding nothing? If not, don't do it. If so, try harder, nothing worth getting is easy.

 

[Steve in Michigan]

Here is some help for you. Check these sites out.

http://www.village.boonville.ny.us/content/History

http://history.rays-place.com/ny/onei-boonsville.htm

http://www.postcardpost.com/bvl.htm

http://www.boonvilleherald.com/aroundtown.asp

http://www.topix.com/forum/city/boonville-ny/TD3J5UFAQ2GF5TH12

http://www.historycooperative.org/journals/nyh/88.2/hughes.html -----( I like this one because it mentions a swimming hole and there could be great potential in that water if you have a water detector).

I hope this gives you a good start.

Your Friend,

Steve in Michigan

 

[UncleVinnys]

Dig the nickel and pull-tab signals, because many of them are the same as jewelry, rings, and other valuables.
I had been ignoring them, and when I dug everything started to find the silver rings and jewelry.

 

[curbdiggercarl57]

Well my finace and I have detected pretty much all the parks in Oswego, NY...I'd like to detect fort ontario sometime soon but i can't unless i go to someone really high in the town and get permission. I'd like to get together with some people and go on a big detecting/picnic outing somewhere new and old where we havent detected yet. any good ideas?

The Best places (that have not been detected before) are 99.99% NOT those places that appear on historical markers, history books, tourist destinations, and the like. They are places that you have to discover through research, intuition, and permission to detect. The best finds are on private land. Some parks will have a bit of silver left in them. There may be a good coin or two there. And of course, they have some modern pocket change and an occasional piece of jewelry.

But if you like OLD coins, civil war, 1812, and Rev War relics, then you will not seldom find them in a park. Get researching. Look at old newspaper articles, town history books, and read anything and everything. Most of the people who read histories about their towns are not looking for places to metal detect. Things which don't jump out at them will jump out at you. Track those places down, get permission, and get swinging.

One more piece of advice--if you are digging Old items, save EVERYTHING from that site or location until you have positively identified it as trash. We have an ID forum here ("What is it?"). Do post things there if in doubt. I have seen and heard of everything from 1700s cufflinks to a Civil War Eagle Breastplate being thrown in the trash can by detectorists who knew no better in the past few years alone. In some cases, it has made the finders sick becasue they have thrown away finds of a lifetime. So it is important that you learn as much as possible about identifying, cleaning, and preserving what you find. If you see items that you don't recognize in my, or others' posts here, feel free to ask what the items are here. This forum and its users are a wealth of information.


Best Wishes,


Buckleboy

thank you thats a very big help. question though, what is your best advice for cleaning coins?

Don't. Ever.

But if you really, really have to, first make sure that it's not a key date.

Do not rub it, EVER! (Should be first rule)

Warm water is best, poured on it until you can make out some detail.
People may disagree with me, but if copper, I nuke some peroxide in a coffee cup, for
about 10,15 seconds, and then drop it in.
But you both living in NY, and being able to dig large cents, and old coppers, (and you will),
BuckleBoy or others definitely will be more informative.
They know how to clean, and honestly, we rarely dig big copper out here.

 

[bigealive]

Find an old house and cover it as complete as you can!!!!

 

[Hardrock]

Hi: When I first started it was the same deal, listen to the pointers above. Have you really worked your own yard or Mom and Dads, one post is right got to go the family yards first then expand. Do you have a test garden to get to understand your detector and how it reacts, air tests are not a good indicator at all of items buried and at different depths. Keep involved together that is a key thing , next detector upgrade a bit ,research resesrch research etc. Do not ever think a site is "worked out",maybe thinned out but slow down and learn the machine ,dig it all and then move up. Good huntin to ya hope all this and above helps. Hardrock

 

[Butler]

Ok, so this is a secret so don't tell anyone... keep swinging / digging and you WILL find some good stuff! Good luck and be sure to post when you find the treasure!

 

[Mental Granny]

Ok from a woman here I love to detect I hardly ever find anything "GOOD" I loved doing this with my husband (he passed away in Feb) I still go with my grandson when he is not in school he is 10 an loves oit also hes better than me I find alot of clad an casn slaw but I love being out in the middle of nowhere with my machine. I like relic hunting best for that you just got to as said above research and permission keep reding all over this site to get ideas as for hunting with others ck NY thread on here an maybe ask in local paper if there is anyone in your area we have a club locally so there are others.

 

[BuckleBoy]

thank you thats a very big help. question though, what is your best advice for cleaning coins?

Usually a toothbrush and water for wheat pennies or anything modern.

For IH's, 2c's, Large Cents, Colonial Coppers--first a wet cotton swab rolled over the coin gently, then perhaps use the peroxide method IF the patina looks solid. NEVER use olive oil on a coin, button, or relic.

For nickels, usually I toothbrush with water, then bring out the detail with the oil from my fingers rubbed LIGHTLY on only the highest points of the coin. I use this method for CN IH's and FE cents too--since the nickel in them will generally mean that they're reddish colored fresh out of the ground.

For silver--when you dig it--do NOT field clean it. The date will still be there when you get home. The coin has waited patiently underground for a hundred years for you to find it. Don't dig it up just to destroy it. If you rub it at all, or pick at the dirt, you will scratch the coin. I place them in a medicine bottle (free at any Walgreens, etc.) that is filled with cotton balls. Then when I get home, I soak the coin for a few minutes in water, then with warm water (with the drain plugged!) Blast the dirt from the coin.

Then while the water is running, use a camel's hair Very Soft make-up brush to tease the remaining dirt off the coin (while the water is running the whole time over the coin--the water will carry the loose dirt away so that you won't scratch the coin). When it is done, pat dry or let air dry. Or, instead of this step, you can place the coin in some heated peroxide (over-the-counter strength) and it will remove the rest of the dirt from the crevices of the coin.

For any clad coins (modern stuff), there are recipes for coin tumblers for them here in the Cleaning Section of the forum.

Below is an example of two silvers cleaned with the methods I have described above:










Best Wishes and HH,


Buckleboy