Latest GPX hunt

[coinnut]

Got out again yesterday to see if the musket ball streak would continue. The machine did not disappoint me. Matter of fact, it surprised me in how well it could find targets right next to or even partially beneath the mineralize field stone that litters the area. I started out be hitting an area that was the beginning of the ambush and found more musket balls and a pewter oval, which may be a wax seal :dontknow:. Then I continued past that area through the brook and recovered a couple more musket balls leading up to a wall. Went over the wall and found even more musket balls in an area that a lot of us have hunted pretty well. By that time it was time to go. Ended up with 7 musket balls and the pewter piece and a ton of 22's and iron birdshot. One odd find was a musket ball that was wedged between a rock that was lying in the field and another rock that slid off of the wall onto the first rock trapping the musket ball. The drainage and protection from the ground left the ball with a very silvery color as opposed to the white patina we usually get. Another unusual find was a musket ball that may prove that animals chewed the musket balls, as it has teeth marks on one side only. The rest of the ball is perfectly round and unmarked. On the bad side, the handle on the GPX is cracking across the plastic mounting bracket. We have been careful to not over tighten it but it still cracked. I don't even want to know what the repair is going to be on that one :lol::crying02: That handle also houses the quick ground balance button, so it will not be a very cheap fix. All in all a great day to be in the woods.

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[aloldstuff]

Another good day out in the field. :congrats:on all the musket balls and the pewter oval (??). How old is the machine your using?

Would some super glue and a little clamp do the repair?

[coinnut]

Another good day out in the field. :congrats:on all the musket balls and the pewter oval (??). How old is the machine your using?

Would some super glue and a little clamp do the repair?

Thanks Al. The machine is less than 2 years old but has not been used that much. It may have just had a weak part and may not be a problem for others. :dontknow: Super glue may help but it will probably continue to crack since it is below the handle and a lot of pressure is on it when you swing the coil back and forth, especially if you are in areas that have briars or large ferns. I'm going to try and brace it somehow until I can get a new piece.

[Full Metal Digger]

Coinnut, Duct tape will fix anything! Get some of that cammo-colored kind and just tape it up! Nice finds BTW! HH, Dave.

[OxShoeDrew]

George, what sort of data must you keep on finds? depth? exact location? etc Nice job with the volunteering!

[Trooper Bri]

That's a bummer. Looks like maybe they made that main clamp section lighter than they should have? Is this a common issue with that piece (signature flaw)? If so, see if they'll work out a deal. You shouldn't have to pay for a poorly engineered part.
I'd clean the bejabbers out of it and mend the crack with super glue initially. Then I'd use a good 2-part epoxy and fill in those reinforcement ribs where the crack runs. Think you're right about it being temporary. Tough to get a real fix in that spot.

Cool relic finds, thanks for the pics.

[kpmoose]

Congrats on the finds. Commendable work you are doing on that project.:thumbsup01: Interesting chewed musketball.

[coinnut]

George, what sort of data must you keep on finds? depth? exact location? etc
Not me :lol: My job is to detect, dig and flag it :clapping: They have to do the measuring. I actually set the depth for them by how deep the flag is buried. That way after they measure it on the grid, they can just pinch the flag at the base, pull it up and measure how much below the pinched area was in the dirt. A real easy and accurate way to measure depth.

[QUOTE=Trooper Bri;168405]That's a bummer. Looks like maybe they made that main clamp section lighter than they should have? Is this a common issue with that piece (signature flaw)?


I think originally the detector was designed for desert use, so overkill on the mount was unnecessary. But since it ended up being a great relic machine as well as a great gold nugget machine, the clamp probably should be redesigned. I did use electrical tape on it as well as turned their bungee clamp into a back stop and also used it as another angle to attach the electrical tape to. It's pretty solid now. We'll see how long it lasts in the field.

[coinnut]

Congrats on the finds. Commendable work you are doing on that project.:thumbsup01: Interesting chewed musketball.

Thanks. Yep that is one critter that probably chewed on it....thinking maybe a chipmunk might do it too. That may explain why it was located angled underneath a huge boulder. Probably about 5" diagonally under the boulder. Could have just rolled under it originally too, and after 377 years of fill, it was buried quite deep.

[Bell-Two]

Great finds, not unusual to think a squirrel or chipmunk would chew on the lead, one of the reasons for lead based paint ban was kids chewed on it because it has a somewhat sweet taste.

[fsa46]

Looks like the 5000 is doing its job. Nothing can give you more confidence in a machine when finding targets in an area that has already been hunted.

There's a post on another site, ( don't remember which one ) about the problem you're having with your machine. The OP made the repair and posted some pictures. If I can find it I'll PM you the link.

[Timewarpdigger]

Congrats and the finds and keep up the good work. Safe & HH

[HEAVYMETALNUT]

BUY AMERICAN! nice hunt dude.bummer about the (coughs) minelab