Trashy Ferrous Area Rake

[traveller777]

In case you are metal detecting in a trashy area with lots of ferrous junk on top of the ground or close to the top, you might consider super magnets on a rake like this. It worked best at an old gold camp in the desert, but in grass and weeds, not so well. Super magnets are cheap and can speed up digging in the right areas.

 

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[pepperj]

Thanks for posting up the useful tool idea.

I often use a rare earth magnet in nail beds/sites. Cuts down on locating multiple targets in a hole.
Liking the rake idea a lot, I can see where it would be really helpful in separating small iron when digging a trash pit.

 

[traveller777]

Thanks for posting up the useful tool idea.

I often use a rare earth magnet in nail beds/sites. Cuts down on locating multiple targets in a hole.
Liking the rake idea a lot, I can see where it would be really helpful in separating small iron when digging a trash pit.

Yes. It really helped at an old gold camp as stated, and I was detecting an old home site where the house had recently burned down, so lots of nails right on top of the ground. Saved me lots of bending and scraping on the ground.

 

[gillious]

Great idea.

 

[traveller777]

Great idea.

Why, thank you, gillious. As they say, a blind hog finds an acorn every once in a while.

You can get the rare earth magnets fairly cheap online. I got these on ebay., I also put a small flat/round one on the top of my hiking stick. If I get back west to dry lake beds will try it out on meteorite hunting. Flip my hiking stick over if a rock looks interesting and see if magnetic.

 

[1637]

this is my cart, 5 250 lb rare earth magnet,the sit on a thin aluminum plate.the cable pull the away to drop eveything.the big tires lets it roll easy. works great

 

[traveller777]

this is my cart, 5 250 lb rare earth magnet,the sit on a thin aluminum plate.the cable pull the away to drop eveything.the big tires lets it roll easy. works greatView attachment 2012799View attachment 2012800

Great idea if you have room. Yours will cover more area mine will get a bit deeper. Both very useful tools. Thanks for sharing. I love it.

 

[Back-of-the-boat]

Those two ideas would be great on a beach to get all the bottlecaps and other Iron junk out of the way they would just need some depth to turn the sand.

 

[traveller777]

Those two ideas would be great on a beach to get all the bottlecaps and other Iron junk out of the way they would just need some depth to turn the sand.

Feel free to modify for some kind of sand tiller.

 

[Back-of-the-boat]

Feel free to modify for some kind of sand tiller.

I don't think the beach cities would like me hitting their beaches with a tractor and a spring rake with magnets attached that was my first thoughts LOL

 

[boogeyman]

I don't think the beach cities would like me hitting their beaches with a tractor and a spring rake with magnets attached that was my first thoughts LOL

Hint - find a tupperware your magnet will fit in. Makes turning that ball of magnetite back into a magnet a breeze.

 

[Nevada Prospector]

In case you are metal detecting in a trashy area with lots of ferrous junk on top of the ground or close to the top, you might consider super magnets on a rake like this. It worked best at an old gold camp in the desert, but in grass and weeds, not so well. Super magnets are cheap and can speed up digging in the right areas.

That's a great idea Traveller. I tried something similar a few years ago with cow magnets but it didn't work as well as I had hoped. They were not strong enough.

 

[traveller777]

That's a great idea Traveller. I tried something similar a few years ago with cow magnets but it didn't work as well as I had hoped. They were not strong enough.

Thanks Nevada. Rare earth magnets fairly cheap on eBay.

I like Nevada.been there a few times.

 

[crashbandicoot]

Thanks Nevada. Rare earth magnets fairly cheap on eBay.

I like Nevada.been there a few times.

Nice idea trav,that,s thinking outside the box. I got 20 lbs of neodymium magnets I took out of hard drives I disassembled for scrap,might try those this summer.

 

[burlbark]

I built a rake around 7 years ago with $150 worth of N52 magnets. Strongest magnet you can buy at the time and might still be. Every time I use it I find more non ferrous targets no matter what. There are now N55 but only marginally stronger.