Need help finding bottles!!!

[MinelabMann]

I'm very new to this and I would like some help on locating privy's so I can find some old bottles. My Fiance would like some old bottles for the wedding to re-purpose them and use them for the center pieces. I have permission to a lot of old places (because of metal detecting) but I'm still lost on how to locate the privy's. My grandfather and I made a probe last night and I tried it in my back yard (house was built in 1910) but the ground is extremely hard and I was only able to go down maybe 3-6 inches. Is that normal? I've watched your videos and it seems like it's effortless when you do it. I can send you pictures of the probe after lunch. I didn't use spring metal on the probe because it was a old water line finder that he already had. We welded a ball bearing on the end but not sure if it's right. I also have this site where I have found many old artifacts and coins at and I was wanting to find the privy on there also. If I sent you some pictures of some spots at the location that I'm curious about would you be able to help me identify them if you think they would be a good spot to dig? I appreciate any help you lend.

Here is a video I made during lunch https://youtu.be/95RWH1dW22A" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">https://youtu.be/95RWH1dW22A

I'll get the pictures posted this weekend.

Thanks

Stuart Mann
Southwest Kansas

 

[bootyhoundpa]

i have done some privy digging like 35 years ago... i might suggest visiting some flea markets to see if any bottles of the type you are looking for could be purchased for a reasonable price... your probe looks pretty darn good except for the handle.... as i recall a lot of the guys preferred 1inch stainless schedule 40 pipe to be used for the handle of the probe as you can put alot of pressure on it and the hollow pipe allows your hands to feel some of the vibrations so as to form some sort of a mental image of what the probe end is hitting... keep a few things in mind,its much easier to sink the prob thru moist soil than it is dry soil...also just because you find the privy doesnt mean there will be much of anything in it as some just didnt get filled with trash... all the little bits of glass in the area could be a good sign but then again if the area was extensively bulldozed finding the privy could be very difficult.. good luck. ..

 

[MinelabMann]

Thanks for the response but she wants to find the bottles together so they mean more to her then old bottles. Yeah after poking around for a bit my hands started to hurt pretty bad. I have another spot that I tested the probe at and have questions. But I did manage to probe the ground right on to a bottle about 5 inches under the dirt.
Here is another video of me using the probe in softer ground.
privy probe 2

i have done some privy digging like 35 years ago... i might suggest visiting some flea markets to see if any bottles of the type you are looking for could be purchased for a reasonable price... your probe looks pretty darn good except for the handle.... as i recall a lot of the guys preferred 1inch stainless schedule 40 pipe to be used for the handle of the probe as you can put alot of pressure on it and the hollow pipe allows your hands to feel some of the vibrations so as to form some sort of a mental image of what the probe end is hitting... keep a few things in mind,its much easier to sink the prob thru moist soil than it is dry soil...also just because you find the privy doesnt mean there will be much of anything in it as some just didnt get filled with trash... all the little bits of glass in the area could be a good sign but then again if the area was extensively bulldozed finding the privy could be very difficult.. good luck. ..

 

[MinelabMann]

Thanks for the response but she wants to find the bottles together so they mean more to her then old bottles. Yeah after poking around for a bit my hands started to hurt pretty bad. I have another spot that I tested the probe at and have questions. But I did manage to probe the ground right on to a bottle about 5 inches under the dirt.
Here is another video of me using the probe in softer ground.
privy probe 2

i have done some privy digging like 35 years ago... i might suggest visiting some flea markets to see if any bottles of the type you are looking for could be purchased for a reasonable price... your probe looks pretty darn good except for the handle.... as i recall a lot of the guys preferred 1inch stainless schedule 40 pipe to be used for the handle of the probe as you can put alot of pressure on it and the hollow pipe allows your hands to feel some of the vibrations so as to form some sort of a mental image of what the probe end is hitting... keep a few things in mind,its much easier to sink the prob thru moist soil than it is dry soil...also just because you find the privy doesnt mean there will be much of anything in it as some just didnt get filled with trash... all the little bits of glass in the area could be a good sign but then again if the area was extensively bulldozed finding the privy could be very difficult.. good luck. ..

 

[bootyhoundpa]

Well, out east here we have clay under the topsoil so most places the probe will only sink 1 foot till it hits the clay however ive seen some privys probed that took alot of effort to get thru the upper layers..it just an educated guess even under the best of circumstances..... if your area has historical aerial veiws available online that might give you at least a clue as to how the property was layed out... if you know where the well is or was you can rest assured that the privy was not in that area....

 

[MinelabMann]

Okay I just went to earth and labeled what I know is on the land. The stuff more south of what I have labeled looks newer then this 1880's property. If you can help me figure out where the privy might be located I'd appreciate it. Thanks Booty for already helping me!! Thanks guys I appreciate you helping me and my Fiance!

 

[fowlercharles]

Hi Stuart, I haven't dug bottles in over 30 years but as I just happened to be passing through and read your post I had recall of a couple of things that may help. Folks as a rule usually put the privy's as best they could just far enough from the house and out of the "prevailing winds" so as not to pickup the odor . Which of course would be worse in the summer , so the seasons of the year have to be considered too, as the winds usually changed from winter to summer, There were most always a continuing line of privy holes as they filled up and were moved over only a little each time. Also as a word of caution but not to spoil your digging fun. Once while digging what may have been an old trash filled privy I came up with a shovel full of dirt , glass , leaves , and 4 or 5 little Copperheads. That pretty much ended my bottle digging . I'm no" pudden" and have had many a run in with snakes of all denominations but I was working close to the hole and near bout got that mess of critters in my lap, so the fun of digging bottles left me more interested since then in detecting. Just so you know, to "be careful out there"! HH, Charlie