Odd Find... Need some help.

[bigmac6006]

Good day. I recently purchased a DFX. The detector is pretty sweet, and very sensitive. Today I found some strange melted metal silver in color. It's melted form suggests it was involved in some sort of hot explosion. It is giving me a VDI of between 72 and 82, with more consistant readings around 80 and 81. It was found washed up on a lake Erie beach, close to the surf (can't give away all of the secrets just yet). It hits the machine hard with a dime and quarter symbol everytime. Could it be silver? or do other metals like Pewter indicate similar to silver? Another good indicator that throughs me off, is the fact that it has no corrosion. I haven't tried to clean or polish it, other than clean water rinse. Any ideas? The VDI charts I have researched don't help much, as they relate only to silver and coin.

 

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[Woodland Detectors]

Sounds like "slag" my good friend.

Here's a picture of lead slag. Mind you, it comes in many different shapes.
****Slag is a partially vitreous by-product of smelting ore to separate the metal fraction from the worthless fraction
The bottom pic is a lump of silver

 

[goldgrubber]

Sounds like an aluminum nugget (melted can). I found quite a few on Lake Erie beaches. How heavy are they.

 

[bigmac6006]

I'm trying to clean the dirt and sand off of the pieces right now. They are all heavier than Aluminum. I just did another air test with the MD, and the analysis is the same... 80-82. They could be slag, I suppose, but they are much more silver in color than the slag I have found in the past. The VDI for slag usually gives me a -VDI or at least a very low VDI number, similar to aluminum... this is why I am troubled. What ever it is, it got hot. Anybody got a better, more accurate VDI range for slag? I orignially thought it was pewter when I recovered it, but after research, the VDI just doesn't add up. My day was really slow except for this find.

 

[lennon631]

I like that tree of life more then the rest of your haul!

 

[bigmac6006]

I will post a picture of the mystery metal in about a hour or so... maybe that will help. The stuff looks more like the silver nugget in the pictures above, than that of the slag... The other concern I have over slag, is the ferrious characteristics of slag. This stuff has no rust or evidence of iron content. To question the aluminum can theory, the stuff is to dull... like pewter, only with more of a shine. you will see...

 

[bigmac6006]

Ok, finally got the pictures and got them sized correctly. I am open for impressions and debate. This one still has me stumped.

 

[Rutnbuck]

I am betting Aluminum. Looks like aluminum I have found a ton of aluminum nuggets. From boat props and pop cans melted on a beach. They are condensed and feel heavy and also give reading from 70-85s due to size and density. Same as a pop can. I hunt a beach near my home and I couldn't beleive the number of aluminum nuggets found. Not really sure if they are melted or what but have found a ton of them. Just my 2 bits worth.

 

[Johnny Ringo Silver]

Thats a tough one. I would think the weight would be the dead giveaway!
Slag is not only reffering to iron or copper, just any metal blob formed from melting or "smelting" a type of metal I believe. I could be wrong, but thats what I have always known. 8) Johnny

 

[bigmac6006]

I appreciate the brain power everyone is putting in. I am sitting here jugging the pieces, and something still is not adding up. I did pick up some aluminum slag (melted cans and pop-tops) thinking it was all the same material... I seperated the two metal types using the VDI and a Fluke meter (tested the resistance through the metals)... Aluminum gives a resistance of about .4 ohms, and the mystery metal has a consistant resistance of .6 ohms. The funny thing is, Pewter and sterling silver are pretty similar when it comes to an ohm test. My mind is telling me pewter again. The stuff is just not plyable or soft enough to be aluminum, but it is softer than sterling silver. I think I will have to visit an old friend at the University of Buffalo tomorrow. Funny... all this trouble over a worthless piece of metal.

 

[goldcoastwayne]

It looks like aluminum to me......

Check the following website to see if it is silver:

http://www.ehow.com/how_4472113_check-silver-authenticity.html

Start with step #3 in your case with that unknown ....a drop of nitric acid will give you a very good idea.....

Wayne

 

[bigmac6006]

It is not magnetic. the color in the pictures I posted is decieving. The flash and the resizing of the file causes a loss in detail. The metal itself is rough, unlike melted lead or aluminum, which would hold most of it's "smooth" characteristics. The metal does not polish. It shines, but does not polish... once again drawing doubt concerning aluminum or tin. I am obviously stearing clear of a silver theory now... to many "no's" concerning physical properties. The nitric acid test may prove effective... unfortunately I will have to wait until morning to test it. Aluminum Alloy is a likely possibility, but where would it come from? This stuff would be aircraft grade aluminum if that was the case (I am in the business -- MIL), and no aircraft incidents have occured in the area I was hunting. I will likely destroy one of my samples before the night is over. Just in case anyone is wondering, I collected 8 oz of the mystery metal, and another 10 oz of melted aluminum cans, pull tabs, and pop-tops.

 

[EdleBrock]

shaun7 recommends spitting on it and rubbing it with aluminium foil...should smell of eggs if it's silver...or Budweiser...depends...

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,324352.msg2347316.html#msg2347316

 

[UncleVinnys]

I'm inclined towards the melted aluminum can theory.
Lots of folks have bonfires on the beach, and throw in their cans.
If the fire is hot enough the cans melt.

Simple test, buy a silver test kit. They are only about $9 in stores, and
it will tell you if it's silver. I think it's acid that turns green with contact with silver.

 

[dank]

im voteing can in campfire too!

 

[Wldbil]

I would agree with everyone else on the slag (melted can) I dig a ton of that stuff at camp grounds. Please let us know
how it goes at the university Would be nice to know for sure.

 

[bigmac6006]

Got the results back about an hour ago. It was pewter. I had some aluminum mixed into the lot, but the pieces in the pictures were all pewter. Pretty strange... VDI did not add up, but science does not lie. The bad part about this hobby is: now I have even more questions than before. Where did the pewter come from? Was it intentionally melted down? How did it end up in the lake? I guess this blog should be moved now. Oh well; this is what makes the hobby interesting and so much fun. thanks everyone!

 

[tpmrcp]

FYI the "Tree of life" find is a shoe tag from Timberland Boots in case anyone was curious.