Metal Detecting Misadventures

That’s what I was hoping. Perhaps I needed to go a bit further into the water, it was a very steep incline.

Tried that beach a few times. Like you said - nothin but a ton of old iron grid.

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The thing marked “?” near 7 looks like it might be a sender switch that is screwed into a car engine and connects to a warning light. The ring with a ring of holes is, i believe, a cage from a thrust bearing, about the right size to be a bicycle handlebar headset part.

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Today my coil got water inside, just as I focused in on a prime 1800’s location.
But before that I got what I think are some lead goods seals. The second one has a 5 pointed star, does that indicate USA origin?
There is a cicular impression on the back and a question marke hole which I assume is from the cord.
Well hope I’m able to fix my coil and get back soon.

Bummer…can you visibly see where it may have gotten in?

Yeah, I think it was just the cable. I was meant to get a 10x5" Coiltek which are fully waterproof, but turned out I got a Minelab which are only water resistant.
I need to add some plumbing tape under the screw down plug, it did have some silicone - but that was not good enough. I’ll also put some special rubber tape over the top of the screw down and then silicon the entire thing.
If I can’t dry it out in a very hot room, then in a metal tin with iron filings (suck all the moisture up). I’m prepared to open the whole thing up.
It would be nice to make the coil lighter with a pvc pipe cover.
Worst thing is, it was salt water. Ideally I need to clean the insides with isopropyl to get rid of oxidisation & any residual moisture.

Do you think the blackish find is a seal as well.

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Yes, probably is though perhaps not as old or off a less valuable package.

Good luck… salt water is nasty stuff.

hi,have a look at the o ring in the waterproof gland where it squashers on to the cable the cable gets a dented ring and over time starts to leak. the best way is to cut it off and start again or try and move the gland to a fresh spot.good luck.

Thanks guys :grinning: smileys don’t count for the 20 character minimum.

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Cool mystery item then - possibly.

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Yeah, I got a stainless steel putting golf club end, a few other pieces of lead and copper.

I’ve found some similar pieces of lead in the past, just thought they were squashed sinkers. I’ll be rechecking them carefully.
Even though it was a bad day for the detector, I consider the seal to be my favourite find so far.
Well I’m going to test my coil, if it doesn’t work I’m going to throw it in the oven for a bit.

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Lead pieces are amongst my favortie finds.

.Shady as

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Appears to have been a minor short circuit. Hopefully there will be no future corrosion.
If I have to rebuild I’m okay with that, often the graphite shielding wears out, the salt may attack that too.
I’ll be upgrading the cable water tightness, and put up a little guide on that in the future.

Round 2
Detect!
Early start to get the outgoing tide. 4 hours detecting time.
Secret tip:
I did something unusual today. I dug up huge pieces of iron junk, then detected underneath. Minelab have a video about doing this with hot rocks to find nuggets others have missed.
And it paid off I got gold! :yellow_heart:
There were a lot of shenanigans between the ladies & gents back in the 1800’s at this site. Also a large fire.

1)Melted and possibly only 18karat max. I don’t have scales on me at the moment I guess this is about 3-4g.
You can see the copper coming out of the tail.
End one could be silver.
2) Gold speck on larger copper piece.
3) Lead in fire
Long bit may be pewter, or a small bit of lead melted to stones (its very light)
I’ll grind these down and smelt eventually.

A) Antique lead fishing lure.
B) Mystery valve cap and suspected bullet
C) Heavier than expected lead chunks, almost suspected the first one was silver - any idea why they would be considerably heavier? Folded lead sinker? Another sinker? (Button?) these four were not found with the other sinkers.
D) numbered sinkers, I’ve not found these before, 2oz, 55g on other side very fancy, line holes are tappered and very smooth surface.
1/2 on 3 oval
DD?, 28, two black 8’s & 82?
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E) Copper wire with both ends flattened and twisted!
F) Some different roofing nails
All up I reckon its a kilo of lead.

I may return this evening.
To Chris and his detectorist gang - you may have been here and scooped up the sovereigns & silvers, but you didn’t get it all!

Update:
Upon further investigation of the ‘nuggets’ the gold is more likely to be brass. One does have a silvery inside.
The light lead piece is quite robust and has a shiny grey colour - pewter or tin?

Update: total lead was 814g.

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We found some molten brass once, was shiny as, had us convinced it was GOLD. Without a tester it was hard to tell.

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Yeah certain its lead now. That brass sure fooled me though, because it was rough from fire - haven’t encountered that before.

Nothin wrong with a find of lead, some of my favorite finds are made from lead re the pic.
Brass is more expensive so less of it was wasted. Lead is a very common find found on beaches mostly because of boat building.

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