More metal then dirt in that basement

[drov]

I've been out of this game since 1978. Now I'm back, living in a circa 1900 Victorian home - dirt basement and I'm wondering what's to be found down there before I hit the grounds in spring. Someone gave me a Micronta Radio Shack model 63-3003 and before anyone pummels me - let me say "I know...I know - I'm looking at the Fisher M-75 and Whites MXT or a second hand Fisher cz-70 or Compass. I'm not knocking other manufacturers - just relaying how far I've gotten so far while trying to find the right detector for my situation - which is this:

A very old home with dirt basement with more nuts, bolts, hooks and metal bits then dirt itself.
An outside yard that has a wide gray gravel driveway ( has to be covering up something good)
A yard that neighbors a used car lot (lots of small bolts, washers etc in my yard also

As for me, I love the relics and am not into detecting to clean up the beach (which is only a mile away). I want to find interesting odd items of interest and of course coins and someones buried gold.

My real problem is - since I am going to spend a lot of time detecting the grounds I described, what manufacturer and model sounds right for the job?

I feel I should make my own magnet rake and skim the dirt basement since there's been a workbench down there for over 107 years. Then I'd have a head start. But I don't want a machine to heavily discriminate either. I feel there are too many nails, nuts and bolts down in that basement - but I want to check it out.

Thanks for any responses - my 83 year old stepfather gave me that Radio Shack detector and it got me looking at the newest models. If anything, I'll give it a few passes over the dirt before I upgrade.

 

[goldnugget]

Sounds like you would be better to take a Dirt Tiller and loosen up the dirt and sift through a wire screen... Make sure you have alot of Fresh Air First Also place a good magnet in the screen, so the smaller pieces don't fall threw again.

 

[drov]

Oh, good idea. I have some good magnets from an old computer hard drive. I'll do a small section at a time. I'm leaning toward the Nautilus DMC 2 BA detector. Thanks for reply.

 

[John 'n' W.Va]

n/t

 

[Boogeyman]

Try getting one of the larger magnets (200lb lift) Harbor Freight Tools sells em for $18.95. Comes with a ring in it. I removed the ring and made a wheelbarrow type cart using 3/4" square tube and a gocart wheel. It'll suck tin can lids from at least an inch in the desert soil. With a bolt and a stick, it'd vlean most of the whatzits out of the basement making detecting easier. Oh, almost forgot get a Tupperware sandwich box to go over the magnet Makes unloading it a hack of a lot easier.

Don't forget to save the hardware! Places like Grand Pa Snazzys in California pay a premium for old hardware, screws etc.

Hope that gives you a good idea or two!!

 

[drov]

I just remembered the time I had a stack of those hard drive magnets stuck to the side of my shop vise and one day I leaned across to reach for something and WHAM! the magnets grabbed my shirt pocket that had a screwdriver and other metal bits in it. That was a jolt!

 

[drov]

Thanks for those suggestions. Harbor Freight recently opened a store near me so I am going to check it for that magnet and rig something up like you said.