Low cost DIY hanger L-rods for dowsing

Red_desert

Gold Member
Feb 21, 2008
7,021
3,663
Midwest USA
Detector(s) used
Garrett Ace 250/GTA 1,000; Fisher Gold Bug-2; Gemini-3; Unique Design L-Rods
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
The information here was intended as content for on my new website if and when I ever get it finished. This will help me put together in a completed form, the web page ideas which haven't been all perfectly thought out yet. So, keep in mind the info posted is meant to be used later online.

Start by measuring the coat hanger bottom to find the center or halfway point at about 8" which takes only one cut. You may want to make the handles a little shorter, the ideal length depends on personal preferences, somewhere from 5 3/4-7" long (with two cuts to make).

Cuts are done the easy way using a good hacksaw. No need to saw through a hanger all the way. Stop after making a shallow cut with the hacksaw. Then bend the hanger quickly while holding on one side with pliers. I like to use blue denim scraps for keeping the pliers from scratching the pair of rods. Hangers don't matter much, but later if you swithch to brass or bronze, your rods will turn out looking nice without being damaged.

Next straighten out the top part of hanger before cutting. Get everything looking good first which is harder to do later. Near the hook on top of coat hanger, cut off close as possible on both sides, for to be the top or longest part of your L-rods.

Smooth all the rough ends with a small mill file. It helps to start at an angle almost parallel to the hanger. Increase the angle of your file each time around the end. Finish by shaping or flattening the hanger end.
 

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Sight down the rods both ways from the bend, to make sure they are straight as possible. It helps to have both L-rods balanced for good action when dowsing with them.

Place by putting the bends first (on each of the hanger rods) in the corner of a wall if square or use a framing square to check them.
 

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I have a few beefs about coat hangers besides the skeptics say to use them. If that isn't enough, I don't know what is. Probably first on the list is you don't know what you are getting. The paint rubs off on your skin and most likely is toxic. The metal itself probably no one knows what it is composed of, and it's magnetic. That's four strikes against it right there. I'm not trying to single out coat hangers, even brass rod can have lead in it. And of course galvanized steel is poison, too. Just remember no one is looking out for you.
 

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I know hangers don't have a good metal composition......try wrapping the ends with copper. Look in the older out of print pendulum dowsing books, there once was lead pendulums in common use. Of course, many other options are much better than lead, esides it's toxic.
 

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Also, if you get good at making hanger rods, working with brass or bronze should bt easy.

I only meant for this to help dowsers who want to get started making their own rods. Often beginners will start by bending hangers. Once they learn how dowsing rods respond, moving on to using better materials is the next step

The hangers I bent are the same ones my clothes hang on in the closet. Hanger rods don't feel good like brass, bronze, and copper. I think if the person is serious about dowsing and would like to make their own rods, bending hangers is a good way to get motivated.

My choice for L-rods is bronze. Next time I'll try the copper coil on them. Since some broadband Internet companies use a curved grid antenna (which pulls double the signal of a standard curve), a curved copper coil theoretically is going to work good on brass or bronze.....it sure seems to help the hangers.
 

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Coat hangers is the best way for someone to start dowsing.
Also important is the length of the L-rods. They should be around an inch shorter than our chest width.
 

About one out of three people do good with copper. A lot of people say they like brass but like I said, better check to see if there is lead in the alloy you intent to use. Don't let anyone tell you it makes no difference what type of material you use for an L-rod. The rule says "What works for one person does not necessarily work for another." Some people prefer the dielectric materials. If the skeptics say to use coat hangers, you ought to ask yourself why anyone who can't use a rod would tell you what you should use.
 

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My rods are US Forge 3/32" thick bare bronze length 18" before cut. Not sure what the content is on them. I haven't compared yet the other similar brands, need to more for bending new styles sometime. The hanger rods respond, but like already said before, the way they feel is different when picking up signals. Bronze for me has a much better feel with enough sensitivity.
 

You might research out the brands and post the name here of any lead free source for bare brass or bronze rods.
 

Hey Red desert.....Very good..this is what we need..More how to information..We know we are all different...I for one do not have any fancy rods..I use my rods to draw x-s on the ground...As markers when needed...That maybe why I like 3/16 Brass rods the best..Art
 

Thanks Art! It really was to get me motivated in putting up my new website. Here is the page now, it will later be continued on another page.------- (Edit: website no longer there)
 

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Hi, Red
That's a real catchy name for the website, I like it, and the information is mighty useful to boot. Kudos!
-C

Thanks! It's going to be a long haul getting all the page work done. Today uploaded one new page. Some of the L-rod response illustrations I've used at times in threads, but now in page form.

(Edit: site no longer there)
 

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Well, I need to fix the order of text, don't match the illustrations.
 

I made hanger rods with hollowed out pen casings for the handels
 

I used hangers too and they worked great! Tested first on power line at back of property. If I go one step past the line the dousing rod continues across and back. Anothe test I performed blew me away.
 

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