Metalman9.ca’s Glossary for Metal Detecting.

Nuggets: It’s about having fun. A glossary to metal detecting, filled with little nuggets of information... or not. Metal Detectorist: Yes, detectorist is a real word. That’s you! That’s the person behind the metal detector swinging the coil and digging the holes. From the word Detecting! Metal Detector: It’s an electronic instrument that detects the presence of metal. Coil: It’s the round lower end of the metal detector. It both transmits and receives an electro-magnetic signal thus detecting metals. Recovery Speed: It’s the speed at which your metal detector cycles though it’s electronic reading of a metal object and reads again. Recovery speed can be adjusted on some detectors. Frequency: It’s the measurement of wave length of the electro-magnetic signal sent out by your metal detector. Some detectors operate on one frequency or wave length other detectors transmit multiple wave lengths. Target: What you might want to dig up when your metal detector sounds off. Something yet unseen, covered or buried in the ground. Artifact: An Artifact is an object made or shaped by human hand. Examples are buttons, jewelry, pottery, tools. It’s a more general term and often used in archeology. Most metal detecting finds are artifacts and not relics. Relic: A Relic is something that is from a past time, place. Something left behind. Examples can be fragments of things like fabrics or wood or bones, a keepsake, token, heirloom, memento, or souvenir. Often something of historical or religious significance. Utilitarian: A big word… I had to look it up to spell it right. It is something that is useful or functional. Of everyday use. Treasure: What you should be naming your detecting finds. More often known as: a quantity of precious metals, gems, or other valuable objects. Gold: Au Atomic wt. 196.967. Density 19.32. Shiny yellow stuff. Very heavy and very expensive. Silver: Ag Atomic wt. 107.868. Density 10.49. Grayish shiny stuff. Also pricy. Copper: Cu Atomic wt. 63.546. Density 8.96. Your pennies were made of it. Nickel: Ni Atomic wt. 58.693. Density 8.91. You guessed it. Dimes were made of it. Now, Nickels, Dimes and Quarters are actually nickel plated steel, except the wooded ones. Iron: Fe Atomic wt. 55.845. Density 7.87. What you should avoid when looking for jewelry. Aluminium: Al Atomic wt. 26.982. Density 2.71. More grayish shiny stuff but light weight. Tin: Sn Atomic wt. 118.71 Density 5.75. A soft metal. Electroplated onto steel to create tin cans. Lead: Pb Atomic wt. 207.2. Density 11.34. Great stuff for fishing weights. Copper and Brass: Copper is an element. Brass is not. Brass is a mixture of Copper and Zinc. Oh… and Bronze is a mixture of Copper and Tin. Iron and Steel: Iron is an element. Steel is not. Steel is a mixture of Iron and Carbon. Steel is extremely strong compared to iron alone. Steel: Did you know that Modern steel is contaminated with radionuclides: Radioactive contamination. Low-background steel is any steel produced prior to the detonation of the first nuclear bombs in the 1940s and 1950s. The primary source of low-background steel is sunken ships that were constructed before the Trinity test. Clad: Most modern day coins starting in the mid 60’s are clad coins. A clad coin has multiple layers of metal in it. They don’t seem to hold out very well laying underground and seem to rust out or disintegrate. The more recent, the worst they seem to be. Coinball: It is a roundish clump or ball of dirt that forms around a coin overtime. In fact one can sometimes see the reverse image of the coin on the opened clump Beaver Tail Pull Tab: A fancy name for an older style pop and beer can pull tab used in around the 70’s. Canslaw: Think Coleslaw. It is small pieces of a can either shredded by a mower in the dirt or by wave action at the beach. Found almost everywhere. Most annoying as it often fools the detector into thinking it's a coin Plug: It’s the cut of turf or grass that you dig and flip over, often a circle, around or above a target. Remember: Always fill your holes. It’s common courtesy and metal detecting code. Sand Sifter and Scoop: It’s the tools of the hobby. They come attached to either a handle or a pole and are ideal for washing out sand with water at a beach to reveal… the target. Coin Shooter: The name used for Metal detectorists who primarily detect for coins and coins only Archives: Is a collection of historical documents or records providing information about a place, institution, or group of people. Example: The Manitoba Archives. Research: What you should do in winter in Manitoba. Metal Detectorist’s Code: It’s a set of general rules of conduct used by detectorists. They include obtaining land owner’s permissions, filling up your holes, removing and proper disposal of trash, etc. It’s all about common sense, courtesy and promoting the hobby. Land Owner Permission: It’s what you should get, always, before detecting on a piece of land that is not yours. A renter of the land is NOT the owner and Cannot give you legal consent. Land owner permissions can be had verbally or in writing for a more formal agreement. Don’t forget to include something about injury liability and respecting the property, like filling in your holes. YouTube: What you should be watching a lot of. Hundreds and hundreds of great and sometimes not so great video posts about metal detecting, permission getting, technical stuff, how to where to and comparative information on detectors and detecting sites, how to cut a plug or how to assemble your new unit, etc. Roger Fontaine: The guy writing Nuggets. Owner of Meatlman9.ca. A nice guy. He lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Yup! That’s way up North over the 49th parallel. Ceramic: Is a common or generic term for articles made from clay hardened by heat. Common examples are earthenware, stoneware, porcelain, and bone china. Usually not detectable with a metal detector but fragments can be visually seen on the ground. Decorative or maker’s markings can help date an area’s habitation. Terra Cotta: Is glazed or unglazed fired clay used especially for statuettes and vases and architectural purposes. The typical firing temperature is around 1,000 °C. Earthenware: The difference between earthenware and stoneware is that earthenware is derived from clay and features a much more porous surface than stoneware. Additionally, it is fired at a lower temperature and must be glazed or painted before use. Earthenware is clay fired at low heat between 1,000 to 1150 °C. Stoneware: Is a non-porous ceramic dinnerware made from stoneware clay. It is fired at a temperature between 1177 and 1277 °C. It is thicker than other dinnerware. Bone China: Is fine china with one key difference—bone china actually contains real bones (cow bone ash, usually). This special ingredient makes bone china thinner and smoother than regular porcelain, giving it a creamy, white color and opaqueness. Fired at a temperature of approximately 1260 degrees °C. Porcelain: Is vitrified pottery with a white, fine-grained body that is usually translucent, as distinguished from earthenware, which is porous, opaque, and coarser. Porcelain is made from highly refined clay that's fired at higher temperatures. 1305 °C. and 1346 °C. Sources : wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-background_steel : https://www.britannica.com/science/gold-chemical-element : minelab.com/support/customer-care-charter/code-of-ethics : quora.com/What-differentiates-an-artifact-from-a-relic

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