Junk & clad, scoop modification & eyeball find.

[fongu]

My last trip to the river was probably a month or more ago and all I found was junk ear rings, trash and some clad. I did finish modifying my scoop for all the 22 casings that give me so much trouble at the river and last photo is an eyeball find at a restaurant last Saturday. I think it's junk, it has no markings and I haven't tested it yet. I probably dig more trash than most detectors do, but when I go a long time without detecting, it all sounds like maybe it could be something and most times it's not. Found more nickels than I usually do and those pulltabs are right in there with the nickels around 53 and the larger pull tabs are around 60. The 22 casings always sound like a ring. I planned to go today, but something came up and even tho it's supposed to rain tomorrow, I hope I can hit the river Friday. I probably overdone it with the hardware cloth on my scoop, but took the handle out and put some in the back. I didn't bolt the back piece up because the front piece will hole it in place and the two ubolts from the handle. I figured if I was in a tight spot, a chain could slide out the back holes. I used the stainless steel screws and nuts to hold the hardware cloth in place and tried to get the angles in the hardware cloth to match the scoop. It will work for me, I believe.
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[tarajudy]

Hey I made one just like that last week. GREAT MINDS THINK ALIKE

 

[Grunter]

Nickels will almost always hit a 52,pulltabs 53. Almost but I always dig 52s and they are nickels.

 

[metalfun]

Good job Hard work!!! I surely hope you find alot a rings for all the pull tabs you're digging.Are you using an at pro or at gold?HH

 

[William-NM]

Nice work, Fongu! Hope you some more gold in your scoop soon!

 

[fongu]

I'm using the At/Pro when I get to do dirt fishing. Planned to go Thursday and today, but maybe Saturday will be the day. It's supposed to rain Saturday, but as long as there is no thunder or lightning, I plan on being in the water. Today is a beautiful day, but time I did some stuff that came up, it's too late to head out and get back in time to cook Mama's supper.

 

[John-Edmonton]

With all those pull tabs, your number should be up soon!

 

[mudpuppy]

Very impressed with your hunting, Fongu! You are right in the tone matrix where you need to be...whatcha think about your scoop mod? is it catching too many pebbles, shells and crap? My scoop has large holes, and those danged split shots that fall through it drive me nuts!
Mud

 

[fongu]

I'm due for some gold, John. It's been quite a while since I found any. The little 14K filaree gold heart was 3-4 months ago, I believe.
Mud, I haven't tried it out yet, but you're right about those split shots and other lead weights, they drive me nuts. I've been trying to go for 3 days, but keep having problems. Those finds are from 4-5 weeks ago before I did my modification on my scoop. I got the idea from another member of this forum and even tho he had a different type of scoop than me, it was the same principle. The empty 22 casings are from 42-47 and lots of time they sound like a gold ring. I usually put my foot under the step on my scoop and shake the sand out, but with those smaller targets falling thru the holes, I have been lifting a scoop full of sand and dumping it in my sifter and it's rough on my back and neck. Since my sifter is 1/4 inch hardware cloth, the sand should come out pretty easy and right on top of the hole in the sand and accomplish filling the hole back up and sifting out my target whether it's trash or jewelry. Hope to try it out next week for sure. There are a lot of shells in the water and rocks too, but that's for my sifter. This mod will keep me from digging the same target over and over and having it fall out of my scoop and once I shake the sand out, it won't be nearly as heavy to lift.
It might not sound like too much weight, but when you do it several hundred times, it adds up. Hopefully this will reduce the number of scoops I do and increase my recovery speed so I can find more good targets. HH.