ToddB64
Sr. Member
- Jan 7, 2007
- 418
- 73
- Detector(s) used
- Teknetics Gamma 6000,
Tesoro Bandido II µMax and
Compadre, White's Classic II,
Garrett Ace 250
- Primary Interest:
- Metal Detecting
I got into this hobby in mid Feb. 2010 then saved up all my dirty clad from day 1 and around Christmas that first year Harbor Freight had one of their big sales so that, and armed with a 25% off coupon, I sprung for a double barrel tumbler.
This pic was taken after I cleaned all that clad I was hoarding for months.
I felt like Scrooge McDuck...had a great time separating, stacking and counting all those coins.
Had even more fun spending it eventually.
In the 6.5 years I have been doing this I have averaged somewhere around $200-$250 a year in clad, just that amount came close to paying for all my detectors and accessories I have bought over the years for this hobby.
The funny thing is clad to me is just a byproduct, love to find it any time but it is just something I pick up while I search for other things like old coins, relics and jewelry.
Not bad for something that is a secondary target and goal.
Gotta love a hobby that actually does pay for itself in so many different ways.
digger27 has done well !
IMHO, one thing big success in this hobby requires is that we have decent health. This allows us to hunt for long hours at a time (4-6 hrs.) or frequently for shorter periods of time (1-3 hrs.) or a combination of both, but the bottom line for the kind of success digger27 has demonstrated normally requires that we accumulate a lot of total hunting hours every month.
Otherwise, the only way I can see to get around some of the large amount of monthly total hours is by research (libraries, satellite maps, observations while driving, etc., etc.) to locate the most promising and lucrative hunting areas, then add to that persistence and having the right equipment for the type of targets we hope to recover, being savvy with all other aspects of metal detecting and we shouldn't forget a bit of luck always helps too !
One other aspect of metal detecting for big success in less time when hunting on land is the method of target recovery. Let's assume you use a pin pointer, but then there are a few usual methods of digging that are listed below. I have not listed a totally removed plug, as this is a destructive method that can lead to the plug being jerked out of the ground by a power mower, or killing the grass and leaving an ugly brown spot. Which method does digger27 prefer I wonder ?
#1..Hatch or Trapdoor (square or rectangular), cutting three sides, leaving the fourth as a hinge and bending the flap back to expose the soil and then searching for and recovering the target.
#2..Probe and Round Shank Screw Driver good for manicured lawns and when done correctly, leaves no dead grass or evidence of digging. Use probe to locate target, then insert screw driver into ground at 45° angle so tip is under target, hold rear of screw driver shank with other hand for support and pry target up and out of ground in one continuous motion.
#3..Slit Technique good for manicured lawns and when done correctly, leaves no dead grass or evidence of digging. Use a knife and fingers to open the turf, then search for and recover target from the soil.
Note: Complete details on above methods are fully explained at the following link:
http://goldpanprospectors.com/files/METAL_DETECTING_RECOVERY_METHOD11.pdf
Looking forward to comments, opinions, etc..
ToddB64
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