How to Dig a Coin - Video

[Dan Hughes]

Here's a video I recorded this morning in my back yard. A very quick look at digging tools, and how to dig a coin without leaving a hole.



---Dan Hughes, http://treasuremanual.com

 

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[mts]

Nice video. I learned to dig plugs from some of the other videos out here so I sure appreciate you guys taking the time to do this for us newbies. A few notes:

1) I use the standard "horseshoe" shaped plug that is hinged on the back. I think that is more popular. But the pie shaped plug is interesting. Any reason why you think that would be easier/better or is this just your personal preference?

2) I have that same Fiskars digger. Very cheap but very sturdy. However, I have two problems with it (and the other diggers you show). A) They don't move large volumes of dirt. They cut the ground nicely but if you end up having to actually dig the bottom of the hole out more they are completely useless. B) They really don't work very well with dry/rocky soil. If you are cutting into the roots of a grassy area or if the ground is moist they do fine. Otherwise, forget it.

3) I really thought that I was doing a good job of practicing cutting plugs in my yard. But even though I'm using a proper technique and digging in moist conditions I can still sometimes see remnants of where I dug a week later. Nothing terrible, but up against the nicely mown grass I can tell. I know that some people out here will claim that they are professionals and that no one can see their plugs a week later. But I wonder how many of them actually go back and check? The bottom line is that no matter how well you dig a plug it still could be possible to see that plug a week later on a well manicured lawn. If not, I'd like to hear what people have to say about that (besides the standard stuff about moist conditions and such).

4) I notice that you didn't use a ground cloth which is also something that comes highly recommended out here. I use one to hold any extra dirt and even my tools as they can get dirty and have large chunks of earth fall off of them into the grass. You didn't appear to need it in this case. Do you carry one along with you for instances where you need to excavate more dirt?

5) I haven't quite figured out how to transport all of my tools yet. I typically wrap the most commonly used ones up in a cloth and carry them in my left hand. I've got to figure out a better way of transporting all of this stuff so that it is readily available when I need it. Some tools I may only use once during an outing so it seems ridiculous to carry it around with me everywhere I go. I'm assuming that you don't carry all of those diggers and just pick one or two to take along on each trip.

6) Can you tell us the brand of your pinpointer? I have the Garrett ProPointer which is just a dream to use. It sounds like yours has a single beep to determine proximity. The Garrett ProPointer changes the beat frequency of the tone as you get closer to the object which is invaluable for estimating distance. When the tone is constant you are pretty much touching the object.

Keep up the good work. I love the "radio shows" you do on detecting.

 

[Dan Hughes]

1) I use the standard "horseshoe" shaped plug that is hinged on the back. I think that is more popular. But the pie shaped plug is interesting. Any reason why you think that would be easier/better or is this just your personal preference?

When you dig a circular hole (or a semicircular hole, like a horseshoe), you are digging a curve with a flat blade, making the cut wider than necessary. When you cut two straight lines, the cuts stay narrow and do less damage.

2) I have that same Fiskars digger. Very cheap but very sturdy. However, I have two problems with it (and the other diggers you show). A) They don't move large volumes of dirt. They cut the ground nicely but if you end up having to actually dig the bottom of the hole out more they are completely useless.

I've easily dug a foot deep with my hunting knife. I make the hole wider as I go deeper, leaving the top of the hole narrower than the bottom.

B) They really don't work very well with dry/rocky soil. If you are cutting into the roots of a grassy area or if the ground is moist they do fine. Otherwise, forget it.

Nothing does. With dry, rocky soil, you're gonna make a mess no matter what you do.

3) I really thought that I was doing a good job of practicing cutting plugs in my yard. But even though I'm using a proper technique and digging in moist conditions I can still sometimes see remnants of where I dug a week later.

Try the two straight cuts instead of the horseshoe cut - you might be pleasantly surprised.

4) I notice that you didn't use a ground cloth which is also something that comes highly recommended out here. I use one to hold any extra dirt and even my tools as they can get dirty and have large chunks of earth fall off of them into the grass. You didn't appear to need it in this case. Do you carry one along with you for instances where you need to excavate more dirt?

Yes, a small towel or (don't laugh) a Frisbee. I didn't use one in the video because it was my own back yard and I don't care that much, plus the ground is wet enough right now (lots of rain last week) that a ground cloth is not necessary - the ground is almost like clay, as you could probably see in the video.

5) I haven't quite figured out how to transport all of my tools yet. I typically wrap the most commonly used ones up in a cloth and carry them in my left hand. I've got to figure out a better way of transporting all of this stuff so that it is readily available when I need it. Some tools I may only use once during an outing so it seems ridiculous to carry it around with me everywhere I go. I'm assuming that you don't carry all of those diggers and just pick one or two to take along on each trip.

Lordy no! I carry a blunted screwdriver, my knife, and my pinpointer in my left hand and my detector in my right. Works great for me.

6) Can you tell us the brand of your pinpointer? I have the Garrett ProPointer which is just a dream to use. It sounds like yours has a single beep to determine proximity. The Garrett ProPointer changes the beat frequency of the tone as you get closer to the object which is invaluable for estimating distance. When the tone is constant you are pretty much touching the object.

I usually use a Tinytec. The one in the video is the $15 Harbor Freight:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=97245

Not great, but it gets the job done. The BFOs are nice, but they cost a bit more than fifteen bucks, and I seem to do fine with this one.

Keep up the good work. I love the "radio shows" you do on detecting.

And thanks for the kind words!

Best,

---Dan Hughes

 

[mts]

I'll definitely have to try the pie shaped plug next time. Sounds logical to me. Thanks!

 

[BIG61AL]

Personally I use the horseshoe cut. I can pinpoint fairly accurately and use a much smaller hole. I think if some grounds keeper saw me cutting a huge flap of grass like that they would freak out.

 

[ldablo]

Now that's the kind of pie I like to sink my teeth into.

Great video.

Thanks.

LD

 

[deepskyal]

Pie shape, horseshoe shape....the key to keeping grass alive once slicing thru the roots is minimal damage.

I rarely have dead grass after digging a horseshoe shape....but I try to cut my plug deep enough not to tear the roots, even on the shallower coins. I also cut a bigger plug. I found trying to cut tiny plugs usually end up with dead spots the following week.

If we're in a dry spell....I go to places where small areas of dead grass isn't an issue. No matter what you do...if the ground is dry and no rain is in the forecast, you're going to kill grass....unless you want to bucket water for several days.

But that is a good video Dan...people will get the idea of how to dig and REFILL their holes.

Al

 

[bushlight]

Gonna havta try the pie shape cut. P.S. dan what radio station are you on? I can get 99.1 out of danville where i live.

 

[Dan Hughes]

Bushlight, I'm not on any radio station now. I taught radio broadcasting at Parkland College for 26 years, and I trained some of the DJs who work at the Danville radio stations. Also a lot of DJs in the Champaign market.

Where in Indiana are you? I grew up in Indpls and graduated from Purdue, and my parents live in Lafayette now. I have relatives in Crawfordsville and Thorntown.
---Dan

 

[bushlight]

Grew up in New Goshen now live in Clinton. Till i get the gumption to move.

 

[Dan Hughes]

Clinton? I took my wife and daughter to the Covered Bridge Festival at Clinton a few years ago, and I couldn't believe how quiet and uncrowded the town was. I was expecting massive traffic jams.

Then I found out I was a week early.

True story.

 

[bushlight]

The town for the bridge fest. is Rockville about 10 miles north east. And you will see massive traffic jams there.

 

[Detectingfreak]

Interesting video

 

[UncleVinnys]

Good video!

I like the knive "V" technique.
I'd suggest you get another probe - they make 'em a LOT more
sensitive now and you can find the coin to about 2 inches deep.

See:

 

[Dan Hughes]

But Uncle Vinny - I don't want my pinpointer to give me a signal at two inches! That isn't a fine enough pinpoint! A half-inch to an inch is perfect for me. More than that and I'm still not sure where the coin is.

 

[Dan Hughes]

I just watched that Garrett video. I like the way the pinpointer motorboats near a coin. But digging with a screwdriver like that will tear the grass up horribly! What is with that?? And often the music was so loud you couldn't hear the pinpointer. And it took him longer to find that first coin that it would take most people who don't use a pinpointer.

Guess I'm grumpy today - sorry.

 

[civil war hunter]

Hold on guys ill make a video on useding the wright shovels and how thell break!

 

[UncleVinnys]

I just watched that Garrett video. I like the way the pinpointer motorboats near a coin. But digging with a screwdriver like that will tear the grass up horribly! What is with that?? And often the music was so loud you couldn't hear the pinpointer. And it took him longer to find that first coin that it would take most people who don't use a pinpointer.

Guess I'm grumpy today - sorry.

All good points.

There goes my video career!

 

[Sniffy]

I wish it were that easy for me. The majority of holes that I dig have armies of mean roots guarding the target from me. Therefore my digging tools differ. I have 3 different types of metal cutters for the roots. Ranging from small, medium, and large. Cellar holes are typically what I hunt and are usually overgrown. However, the pie shaped plug will be very helpful when hunting yards and parks. Very useful video.

 

[Drudge]

Thats a nice informative little video, thank you for posting