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| Electrolysis Underway on Recent Finds |
When I started to put my electrolysis setup together to clean some recent finds, I found that the converter I used the last time was now dead. I hoped to find another spare converter sitting around somewhere. I always had some spares but finally threw some away not long ago. It aggravates me how often you hold on to something for years, just in case, and never need it until you throw it away. I still thought I'd find one or two that I didn't throw away, so put off the cleaning for a while. Now I have some new finds to clean as well as the old ones, so decided to just go ahead and use a battery charger (shown above), which is working fine. The item of most interest was very heavily encrusted and despite the good electrolytic action, is taking a while. Although a lot of the crust has been removed, it still needs more cleaning.
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Here's the scoop. Or should I say, the kick.
It seems like most detectorists working the wet sand use what I call the DAK technique for recovering dug objects. I'm talking about the Dump and Kick technique, which is when you dig an object then dump the scoop full of sand on the ground and kick the pile around until the coin, or whatever the object is, finally shows itself. Then you bend over and pick it up.
I don't know why that technique is so compelling. It takes a lot of effort. Sunday, I watched a very experienced detectorist use the DAK over and over again. Everybody seems to do it.
There are, indeed, times to use the DAK, but there are also times when there is a much better technique.
When you are working the wet sand, you can use the water, even if it is intermittent or a few steps away. Just a little water will flush the scoop quicly and easily. And when you have a little moving water, you can let the water do all the work.
Scoops have holes for a reason. If you aren't going make use of the holes, you might as well use a shovel. People do lift and shake their scoop when working nice dry sand, but you don't have to do any of that when you can use the water. Leave the scoop filled with heavy wet sand on the ground. No need to even lift it.
I know the dump and kick technique works, but if you learn to let the water do its work, I think you'll like it better. You can use the water even when you have as little as an inch of water - moving or not.
If you are digging a lot of shells with the sand, that is an exception.
Personally, I'd rather wait a second or two for a little water to come by than kick a pile of sand around and then bend over to pick up the object rather than using the long handle on the scoop and the water.
The best case is when you have a little water rushing coming and going at your feet. A returning wave, even if small, will effectively flush your scoop. You won't even have to lift the scoop. Just point the full scoop into the flowing water and it works like a miracle.
And if the water isn't rushing, just a tiny bit of water on the surface of the sand will do. Just pump the scoop a few times onto the surface. It'll work.
There are times when you might worry about an object slipping through a hole in your scoop and having to relocate it, but you can usually tell by the signal if the item is that small, and even if it does slip through the scoop, it won't be that hard to find again. If it is a good target, it probably won't go very far.
I like to dig with my back to the water so the water from returning waves wash easily through the scoop. If the water isn't getting to where you are, you can drag the scoop back a few steps til you get a little water. Again, you won't even have to lift the scoop.
And sometimes when you are short of water, the hole you just dug will provide a pool with enough water to flush the scoop.
I prefer to let the water do the work rather than lifting, dumping, kicking and bending. And if the water isn't quite getting to me, all it often takes is backing up a few steps to get to it, which I still find faster and easier than the DAK.
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Nothing exciting there.
We are still going to have three feet tides Tuesday.
I hope to have some finds cleaned up so I can get photos soon.
Good hunting,
Treasureguide@comcast.net