Anyone ever used dowsing rods in combination with a metal detector to find hidden treasure (cache etc.)? I've read several stories written 50+ years ago about old timers finding such things like water and money caches with these rods. My mom's husband claims he's 100% accurate at finding underground water sources (both water lines and veins of water for well diggers).
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divining or dowsing rod
- Thread starter markg
- Start date
About ten years ago, I jokingly picked up a forked branch and told several maintenance men and plumbers that I would locate the sewer cleanout that they had been looking for for a half a day. They had backhoes and maps and were only reliant on the map that said it was at this certain building. To my surprise, not only did it dip, but the bark began to twist off and it slightly cut my hands! One of the maintenance men said,"you gotta be joking with me" and rammed his sharpshooter in the ground where the rod dipped-a loud "clank" surprised everyone. It was down about 6-8" in the ground. When we walked in to the manager's office and they told them I found it she wanted to know how. They said, "you don't wanna know". Only once have I tried it with a metal detector-and in my mind was the thought "an area with the most coins" and I did find more coins in this area. If the economy gets worse, I may try anything.markg said:
I've not thought of that, but thanks. One ole man told me you had to concentrate on what you were looking for. He stated it would work on anything which he included paper money and precious metals. Of course he didn't provide any real life stories. Oh well, I guess if it worked and I found something like a jar of coins I might not share the info either.
I have never heard of anyone findin treasure dowsing. (that I believed)
But I have worked with civil engineering for 30 years.
I have met several people who used welding rods, or some
other material to find utilities.
I have even watched people mark them in that manor.
At a later date, the construction excavations would reveal that
the locations were reasonably accurate.
In my experience, the dowsed lines were usually located better
than the ones where the locaters used modern equipment.
I consider myself somewhat of an expert on utility location.
Tha reason being. We were held accountable for our work.
If I was wrong, then ether I, or my client could be held responsible.
Every body else could miss, and no big deal, but not tha engineer
or his representatives.
I never tried dowsing personally. We had too much at stake for me
to take a chance on something that would not hold up in a court of
law.
In tha eyes of the Arkansas State Board, that could be ir-responsible
and a violation of tha state law and the code of ethics.
Surveyors and engineers can be prosecuted for violating tha code of
ethics.
They don't play with ethics.
So, I don't make fun of dowsing like I do long range detectors...LOL
They are two different animals.
Besides, you all know how well my long range detector works...lol
Happy Huntin,
Tabhdog
But I have worked with civil engineering for 30 years.
I have met several people who used welding rods, or some
other material to find utilities.
I have even watched people mark them in that manor.
At a later date, the construction excavations would reveal that
the locations were reasonably accurate.
In my experience, the dowsed lines were usually located better
than the ones where the locaters used modern equipment.
I consider myself somewhat of an expert on utility location.
Tha reason being. We were held accountable for our work.
If I was wrong, then ether I, or my client could be held responsible.
Every body else could miss, and no big deal, but not tha engineer
or his representatives.
I never tried dowsing personally. We had too much at stake for me
to take a chance on something that would not hold up in a court of
law.
In tha eyes of the Arkansas State Board, that could be ir-responsible
and a violation of tha state law and the code of ethics.
Surveyors and engineers can be prosecuted for violating tha code of
ethics.
They don't play with ethics.
So, I don't make fun of dowsing like I do long range detectors...LOL
They are two different animals.
Besides, you all know how well my long range detector works...lol
Happy Huntin,
Tabhdog
And my forked stick wasn't near as pretty and sophisticated, either.
As a professional geologist I work in groundwater and cannot use dowsing in my professional work. As Tabdog stated it is unprofessional. That being said, however, I can locate water lines using two coat hangers bent at a ninety degree angle and walking over the lawn or whatever. I believe anyone can do it as when we have had occasion to show people, it is amazing to watch their eyes and facial expressions as the wires cross when they walk over a buried water line or a water hose on the ground. I even had a person tell me where to measure from my feet as the wires cross. On the other hand, I have heard plenty of gold and silver stories from old prospectors that are great stories but you never see any gold. I once worked for a gold exploration company and one of the bosses acquaintances believed in map dowsing and showed me how it was done. This was taken as pure scepticism and I have again never seen anything produce from the process.
fowlercharles
Member
I read where the Spanish Priests and Padres used dowsing to find their Gold mines in Calif. and there are Spanish drawings depicting the Padres going about the rocks with their forked sticks. I never read anywhere that they spent a lot of time searching for gold, but more time it seems was spent in hiding gold and having the Indians dig it for them. They seemed to have a pretty good system for finding it, whatever their method. Years ago I saw on TV a guy from the UK that drilled water wells for a living, and he used dowsing rods, to find the water source. He had dug ONE dry hole in 44 years. Pretty good record I would say.
When I was a teenager, a neighbor in his 50's showed me how he "witched" water and had me try it in an area where he knew there was a deep buried water line and I found it. He only used a fresh-cut forked branch from a peach tree. He said that some other tree species worked also(species that like to grow where there is lots of ground water like willow), but that peach always worked best for him. The branch should be cut just prior to use, a dried out witching stick won't work. If you have to cut one a day or two ahead of time, then keep it cool and damp in between a couple of damp towels inside an ice chest.Once the stick bent down to a spot, he would step back a couple of steps, get a new grip on the ends and step forward. He would repeat this until the branch no longer responded to the spot. He counted the number of times the branch bent down and said that the water depth would be 4 ft x the number of times it bent down. This is not a vague dip in the branch. You hold it tight and the branch will turn forcefully and twist the bark off in your hands. That part worked for me as well and I told him how deep the line was and he said I got that right too. I haven't had any reason to practice water witching and haven't tried it in years, but I think it works if you know what you are doing.
On the other hand.... I know a guy that drills water wells for a living and he doesn't really believe in water witching. He said there is ground water in most places -- it just a question of how deep and how much-- so the most important reason for choosing a well site he says should just be a matter of convenience in regards to where you need to use it.
As far as metal dowsing rods-- someone showed me what they would do when I was a kid also. Small diameter smooth brass welding rods, those used for acetylene welding, is what I've seen used and what I have experimented with. Mild steel rod will work also.Bent in an L with about 6" for the short handle and the other leg about 24"long. Make two and hold one in each hand. Start off with the rods parallel to each other and about 8" apart and hold them level. Walk around with the rods pointing straight ahead. They will repsond to any metal in the ground.If it is off to the side, the rods will turn that direction. Once you start to zero in, the rods will cross when you are directly over the metal object --X marks the spot. If the metal object you are approaching is very large it may separate the rods and kick them away from each other (sort of like an overload mode for the cheap detectorist). Holding the rods further apart may help then. They respond to very tiny pieces of metal-- like even a piece of bird shot. My experience/opinion is they're like an inexpensive metal detector that doesn't have any discrimination ability or depth meter. You won't know the depth until you dig it.They will respond to any type of metal and very tiny pieces of metal. They will even cross on pieces of old glass that contains some metal in it, you know, the old clear glass that has just a tint of purple to it? I think it had some maganese in it?
So my opinion is that I might use them if they were all I had, but if I got a metal detector, it is going to tell me a whole lot more about what's in the ground.
As you're probably aware, you can buy manufactured dowsing rods that have fancier handles of small pipe or ceramic that the L of the wire/rod sits in so it can turn more freely (but if you hold the plain rods loosely in your curled fingers they can turn pretty freely as it is) and some I think supposedly have crystals in the handles and/or holders located on the rod tips,etc. that supposedly make them respond to different metals better than others. So yes, dowsing rods will find metal, but I don't think they will tell you any of the what kind, what size, how deep info that we seek from our machines. Of course, someone that it is really into dowsing may have a different opinion.
As far as map dowsing goes, I think that is just bogus. You have to get the rods in the immediate vicinity of the metal objects before they respond, just like you have to get the coil of your metal detector over the target before you find it.
On the other hand.... I know a guy that drills water wells for a living and he doesn't really believe in water witching. He said there is ground water in most places -- it just a question of how deep and how much-- so the most important reason for choosing a well site he says should just be a matter of convenience in regards to where you need to use it.
As far as metal dowsing rods-- someone showed me what they would do when I was a kid also. Small diameter smooth brass welding rods, those used for acetylene welding, is what I've seen used and what I have experimented with. Mild steel rod will work also.Bent in an L with about 6" for the short handle and the other leg about 24"long. Make two and hold one in each hand. Start off with the rods parallel to each other and about 8" apart and hold them level. Walk around with the rods pointing straight ahead. They will repsond to any metal in the ground.If it is off to the side, the rods will turn that direction. Once you start to zero in, the rods will cross when you are directly over the metal object --X marks the spot. If the metal object you are approaching is very large it may separate the rods and kick them away from each other (sort of like an overload mode for the cheap detectorist). Holding the rods further apart may help then. They respond to very tiny pieces of metal-- like even a piece of bird shot. My experience/opinion is they're like an inexpensive metal detector that doesn't have any discrimination ability or depth meter. You won't know the depth until you dig it.They will respond to any type of metal and very tiny pieces of metal. They will even cross on pieces of old glass that contains some metal in it, you know, the old clear glass that has just a tint of purple to it? I think it had some maganese in it?
So my opinion is that I might use them if they were all I had, but if I got a metal detector, it is going to tell me a whole lot more about what's in the ground.
As you're probably aware, you can buy manufactured dowsing rods that have fancier handles of small pipe or ceramic that the L of the wire/rod sits in so it can turn more freely (but if you hold the plain rods loosely in your curled fingers they can turn pretty freely as it is) and some I think supposedly have crystals in the handles and/or holders located on the rod tips,etc. that supposedly make them respond to different metals better than others. So yes, dowsing rods will find metal, but I don't think they will tell you any of the what kind, what size, how deep info that we seek from our machines. Of course, someone that it is really into dowsing may have a different opinion.
As far as map dowsing goes, I think that is just bogus. You have to get the rods in the immediate vicinity of the metal objects before they respond, just like you have to get the coil of your metal detector over the target before you find it.