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Screwdriver anyone???

O

oldranger

New member
I got some permission letters in the mail
for next year for several county parks.
A few state that only things like an ice
pick or screwdriver can be used to "unearth"
objets found...

Ok how can a screwdriver be better than a small trowel (garrett)
and digging a plug??? And how deep can i recover
an object with a screwdriver?

AS usual Im lost

Thanks for the info i Know will come

Ron

Rangers Lead The Way
 
I use a probe most all the time. I sometimes hunt sensitve areas that the groundkeepers can get real testy on you for even carrying a digger. You can recover targets easily down 2-3" with a probe and leave no trace you were there. You've got to be good at pinpointing, so get ready!! An electronic handheld pinpointer is helpful too. Deep targets though...nope!!
 
The deeper ones like B.C.D. said , may have to be left in the ground.
Kind of a joke as I,ve seen what dogs and other critters leave bigger holes very often.
If your a conscience's ( like we all are ) detectors, you'd leave no evidence compared to what the animals leave.
 
Thanks for the info Folks...as usual its much apprecited
Is there any special technique to susing a screwdriver
or ice pick?? I assume the screwdriver is the better choice
for strength as well as its size..

Ron

RLTW
 
It's all I've ever used for many years. Unless the ground is rock hard you can pop coins down to eight inches. Just probe and locate the coin, leave the probe there, stick a big screwdriver down alongside and past the edge of the coin, pull the probe out and lay the handle under the shaft of the screwdriver to act as a fulcrum, then shove down on the handle of the screwdriver in the direction shown, and out pops the coin.

Bill
 
Good luck with that technique.:detecting:Uncle Willy makes it look easy. I can pop 'em if they're not too deep. I usually just cut plugs and leave no evidence of it. If they(the park system)are being sticklers about just usin' probe and screwdriver, all I can say is practice, practice, practice.:garrett:Best of luck to ya':biggrin:Happy Hunting:)
 
In tough situations, the "V" slit can be used. It's just like the letter itself- two lengthwise SLITS that enable the hinged "plug" that's left to be lifted to retrieve the object and NEATLY folded back down without a trace. The trick is to pinpoint the object where it is in the middle or front of the "V" and not back where it will have to be enlarged.
 
Didn't Garrett have a video on using a screwdriver to retrieve coins a while back?

Willee
 
There are also some very long screwdrivers on the market in any auto parts store or online that can be as long as 12'' or more. The diameters are much larger but I assume those would be legal to use!

Good luck

Don
 
Check at a good auto parts store for longer screwdrivers. I had 3 of them for work with shafts around 12 inches.

John
 
for shallow clad coins a long sturdy screwdriver works great. makes for a fast easy retrieval with very little signs of ground disturbance in parks and schools where cutting a plug may be frowned upon. after scratching a couple keeper coins with a screwdriver i use my digger and cut a 3 sided plug with the hinge attached to retrieve the deeper coins. the plug goes right back into place and you can't tell i ever dug there. i guess with practice it would be possible to get the deeper coins with a screwdriver, but i feel more comfortable cutting a 3 sided plug. i wouldn't suggest using an ice pick as a probe...too easy to damage a coin. use a softer metal like brass to probe with. it won't scratch a coin like an ice pick will. good luck and happy hunting........roger
 
I always use a probe for digging unless it becomes obvious the target is
large and I need to move some dirt to get to it. Fairly rare..
I use the "mini earthquake" method. I'll pinpoint the target and then stab the
probe into the ground, and then yank it to cause the dirt to open up.
I'll have a fairly wide crack in the ground and I stick the pinpointer in the
hole to see if I'm on the target. I almost never use a digger, but I still keep a
couple with my bag of tools just in case. I cause much less grass damage
using a probe, vs using a digger. With the digger, you often have to replant a
small plug, and it often sticks out a bit. With the probe, I just pile the loose dirt
back in the hole to fill it in, and mash it all back down. In most cases, you can
hardly tell it was dug up.
When I first started I used old engine pushrods as a probe. They have smooth
round ends. But I later made one out of a long screwdriver, and I'm still using it
to this day.
I ground the tip down with a grinder to get a ball end. I polished it up pretty shiny
and smooth but I forgot what I was using to do that. Been a while since I made
that one. I thnk it's an 8-10 inch screwdriver.. It's just about right. Long enough to
"erupt " ground well, but I can still carry it in my back pocket without it poking me
in the back. :/
probes.jpg
 
I wouldn't use an ice pick. The sharp end would really gouge coins. Also it's a bit
thin for repeated use. I like the modified screwdrivers. Strong, and you can smooth
the tip down to a smooth ball which makes coin scratching much less of a problem.
Also, if you "pluck" coins up with one, you need a bit more width to it than an ice pick.
Myself, I usually just erupt the ground and pinpoint my way to it, and grab it.
With the gumbo clay around here, getting a one shot pluck grab doesn't happen too
often unless it's really shallow.
 
A BIG SCREWDRIVER IS A GOOD TOOL FOR FLIPPING UP COINS. I USE ONE ABOUT 90% OF THE TIME.EACH TIME I HAVE RECOVERED A RING USING A SCREWDRIVER, IT ALWAYS COMES OUT OF THE GROUND WITH THE SCREWDRIVER THROUGH THE CENTER OF THE RING.
 
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