Bjay + Mrs meagre results

Another silver yesterday. Pitty its so worn as not a bad date. Also got a halfpenny but due to our acidic soil most coppers are pretty toasted.

Also started making a proper digging tool instead of using the old garden shovel which didnt last too long. Cut up an old shovel, softened it started to shape it. Needs to be re hardened and tempered after finall shaping but when done should last a lifetime of digging junk targets with the odd good one thrown in.

Mmmmm... 1911 ! 8)
:Y: :Y:

Bjay can you explain what is involved in the softening and rehardening process-great find 1911!!!

Im no expert Jaros. Its been a long time since Ive played around with this sort of thing but to soften the steel its heated until non magnetic then cooled slowly. Rehardening is heating up to temperature(cant quite remember if its nonmagnetic again)then quenching in oil. After hardening the item needs to be tempered to remove brittleness, which is heating to a lower temp and slowly cooling.im sure some other members will have a better understanding of the process.plenty of info on google which Ill need to refresh the memory.

Hi mate without going into detail this is a quick guide..Not all steel can be hardened..It needs to have some carbon content the more the better. Unfortunately mate you won't be able to reharden your shovel..You will more than likely just make it brittle :Y: Basic way is heat till red dip in cool water..Heat again till red then let cool slowly..Oil will give a black lusture to the metal.But I found water to harden the steel better as it cools quicker and that's what you want :Y: Good luck..

Thanks Smokey @ Bjay.

Thanks Smokey, I only ever played around with high carbon steel from bearing races. Just tested the digger and cant bend it so I think Ill leave it be as is,so as not to destroy it.

Results are starting to get a little less meagre. Ticked a couple of boxes this arvo with our first shilling and florin. Time for some older ones now.

Ooh yeah !
:Y: :Y:

Almost as good as finding gold. Ill admit I actually did a little excited shimmy.

I just wondering i want to shorten a jimmy bar and i dare say i,ll be hitting the end of it ( off to wa soon into some hard ground) so once i cut it ,go through the process SB has explained, ps up in tippaburra at the moment so i can do it here in the station workshop ,love to send u photo of some yellow, but it keeps telling me file to big( on a tablet ) , all i say i got enough for my fuel for wa

Nice coins mate, well done. :Y:

Now for a florin spill, that always gets me rather excited - well done on your couple of "firsts". :Y:

Flatlander said:

I just wondering i want to shorten a jimmy bar and i dare say i,ll be hitting the end of it ( off to wa soon into some hard ground) so once i cut it ,go through the process SB has explained, ps up in tippaburra at the moment so i can do it here in the station workshop ,love to send u photo of some yellow, but it keeps telling me file to big( on a tablet ) , all i say i got enough for my fuel for wa

Click to expand...

Love to see some pics, thats a fair amount to pay for your fuel. If your only cutting the bar down no need for any heat treatment. Good luck on your adventure and you better learn how to get photos up so we can all live the dream with you. :Y:

had a swing on the way home from work on Sunday at the spot where I go my first silvers a few weeks ago. Only one but our first thripy. Was always wondering what BBs were, now Ive worked it out out. Bloody brown buggers were everywhere. Also our first funny shaped bits of brass, no idea what that are

Nothing like BB's to keep you busy, sometimes they sound way too good to not be recovered. Well done on your first thrip, an earlier date too. :Y:

As were still learning everything that sounds good comes out. Slowly working things out, digging less trash and more coins. Got a couple of old cricket grounds and school sites on property to check out in the next few months so hopefully more finds and more learning.

Going by the other member's results on old cricket grounds, I know where I'd be making a beeline for.

Picked a spot to go have a scratch this weekend. Old hotel, post office and butcher shop along with a few shacks. Cricket ground up on the ridge and a school about a 1km away. All built around 1902 burnt down around 1940. Pretty excited until the weekend rolled around with symptoms of man flue developing into full blown virus of some description complete with weird rash that came and went. Typically had to happen on an rdo weekend but feeling human enough to go check out this site on the Monday. Found the site but unfortunatly was way too overgrown and the only open area where the hotel was has been used as a logging stand area. (Good to find it anyway).
On the way home had to scratch an itch so stopped at a spot I go past everyday on the way to work but never looked at. Glad I did. My first pre dec coin spill. 2 pennys 1 shilling plus 2 sixes. :Y: