5/10/18 Report - Answering a Very Common Question. Titanium and Space Debris.

Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.

Metal Glob Found On Beach
How can you tell if it is titanium?

There are a few questions that I get all the time.  One question that I get a lot is about those shiny globs of metal found on the beach that look like melted aluminum.  It could be aluminum but it could also be something else.

Sometimes space debris falls on the beach or in the ocean.  People often want to know if their shiny piece of metal could be a piece of space debris.

It can be difficult to say for sure,but there are tests that you can do to tell if a piece might be titanium or aluminum.  I once wrote about that a long time ago, but since I still get the question and have more information now, I decided to address the question again.

Here are some quick tips that can help you decide what you have.

There are some easy tests to get started.  Titanium is not magnetic, so if a magnet sticks to it, it is not titanium.  However, aluminum is normally not magnetic either.  So that is only a beginner.

When it comes to telling titanium from aluminum, titanium is about twice as heavy as aluminum and much harder than aluminum.  If you use a metal file, aluminum will come off in small globs, but titanium will not.  It is relatively easy to scratch a mark on aluminum.

If you file down beyond the surface metal, the newly exposed surface of titanium will darker than a similar piece of aluminum.

If you used a rotary grinder on a piece of titanium, the sparks will be a blue-white color.

Here is a link to a web site that will give you more detail on these and other tests for testing titanium and other metals.

http://mrtitanium.info/2008/03/17/how-to-tell-if-a-piece-of-metal-is-really-titanium/


Titanium is used for a lot of applications these days. Everything from wheelchairs and bicycles to parts for rockets and wedding rings are made with titanium. If you find a ring that doesn't test gold or silver, it might be titanium.

Titanium isn't a very expensive metal. You can find current prices online.

Big pieces of space debris are occasionally found too.  Here is a link to an article about space debris including the above tank from the space shuttle Columbia that landed in Texas.

https://www.space.com/12518-space-shuttle-columbia-debris-texas.html

In 2015 a large piece of what looks like a piece of a Galileo rocket was found on the beach in Fort Lauderdale.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/fl-lauderdale-rocket-debris-20150802-story.html

And in January of 2018 a part of a SpaceX rocket was found in South Carolina.

http://www.ibtimes.com/spacex-rocket-debris-found-south-carolina-amid-zuma-payload-mystery-photo-2641243

You never know what you might find, so it always helps to be able to test it out.

Happy hunting,
Treasureguide@comcast.net

2/10/11 Report - Titanium Finds.

1 Oz. Titanium Bullion Bar.

A bar like this can be purchased for a little under $7.00 at current prices.


Things fall from the sky all the time. I saw a TV show the other day where a meteor fell in a small town and everyone was running around picking up the pieces and selling them to collectors who came to town to buy the pieces. Some people were getting thousands of dollars for the pieces that they found.

But were you aware of the range of space debris that has been found and can be found? I wasn't. Occasionally some big identifiable structures fall to earth when pieces of satellites or rockets return to earth.

Here is a fascinating article that shows a bunch of different types of space debris that has been found, and some of it is really fantastic.

http://search.aol.com/aol/search?query=space+shuttle+challenger+debris+field+map+metal+found&s_it=keyword_rollover


And here are photos of a couple of large pieces of the Challenger that were found along the beach.

http://search.aol.com/aol/search?query=debris+from+space+shuttle+challenger+beach&s_it=keyword_rollover

Next time you find a metal sphere on the beach, you might think twice about what it might be. It might be from outer space instead of the ocean.


I've received a number of reports of people finding pieces of titanium from the Challenger space shuttle on the Treasure Coast this year. Here is one that I found a couple of days ago.




If you want to know how to identify titanium, here is a web site that tells how to do it.

http://mrtitanium.info/2008/03/17/how-to-tell-if-a-piece-of-metal-is-really-titanium/


There are other reasons to be able to identify titanium these days. Titanium is used for a lot of applications. Everything from wheelchairs and bicycles to wedding rings.

That's right. Titanium is being used in jewelry. If you find a ring that doesn't test gold or silver, it might be titanium.

I found a large man's ring made of titanium on the Treasure Coast beach a couple of weeks ago.

Also, did you know that Ballard used a bathyscaph made of titanium to explore the Titanic? He did.

Titanium isn't a very expensive metal. You can find current prices online.

Since it is just a bit heavier than aluminum it is found with lighter materials such as aluminum rather than with silver and gold.

Since titanium is being used more in jewelry now and since it has been showing up on the beaches in other forms, I thought I'd spend some time making sure you know something about it.

I'd still like to hear comments on the mystery object I showed yesterday.


Forecast and Conditions.

The wind is from the west today and the seas are beginning to build a little. Although I don't expect conditions to improver much, the seas are going to increase to around 4.5 feet tomorrow, which should help stir things up a bit.


Happy hunting.
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

1/28/2011 - Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster 25 Years Ago Today & Pieces Still Being Found

One Nice Cut on a Treasure Coast Beach.

This cut was about three feet high and went for a few hundred yards. It was at least a few days old.

Yesterday I took a look at three different beaches. I saw detectorists at all three, but all three of them were near the beach access. The cut shown in the photo above was a good distance from a beach access and I saw no one there.

Most detectorists hit the same old over-hunted spots over and over again. Yes, any of those good spots could become productive over night, but when conditions are not changing you might do better trying some new areas. It is a good idea to hunt proven areas, but sometimes you should invest some time in exploration.


The space shuttle Challenger disaster occurred 25 years ago today. How time flies! It's not subject to gravity. Actually I think it might be - in a way.

It seems people are still finding pieces of melted metal on the Treasure Coast beaches that might have came from the Challenger. Some have been reported recently.

You might want to go back to my 3/26/2010 post where one of this blog's readers, who had some pieces that he found tested by NASA, told how to test those pieces of metal.

Of course you can also use the blog's search box to find posts mentioning space shuttle finds.

I don't think people use the search box enough. There are over two years of posts in this blog now.

Now back to the topic that I began at the beginning of this post. There are definitely some spots where coins tend to wash up (or out) whenever conditions are good, but when beach conditions haven't changed significantly for a while, there is very little use of everybody hunting the same ground over and over a thousand times.

I don't mind hunting behind people - even a lot of people - when conditions are good. But when conditions are not so good and haven't changed for a while, it might be better scout around a bit.

I often refer to cuts as being either "fresh" or "stale." A relatively new cut with a crisp bottom edge is what I call a fresh cut. And of course a stale cut would be an older cut that is starting to collapse of fill in. And a stale cut would also be a cut that has probably already been hunted at least a few times.

Fresh cuts are generally more desirable. But sometimes there aren't any. In that case a stale cut might be better than a newly filled beach - especially if it was producing when it was fresh. Things can be missed, and things can fall out of the deteriorating bank.

Again, I don't mind hunting where others have already hunted. Take note of any clues you might see that would tell you how the previous hunters hunted, and do something different.

If an area is especially promising, I like to cover an area using more than one type of detector. All detectors have their own strengths and weaknesses and one will find what another misses. Of course, different people hunt differently too. In the past I've talked a bit about how to tell what the previous detectorists did or didn't do.

I talked to a few guys on the beaches lately that were saying that they were thinking of getting an Excalibur. They all had what I would call very good detectors. And even though the Excal is a very good detector, I don't think they'll see much improvement over what they already had.

When people aren't finding much, they tend to blame their detector - or at least start to wonder if another detector would help them find more. In most case, I would say, "Maybe a little, but not much." In many cases, I don't think there would be much improvement at all.

If you are concerned about money, and who isn't, I'd advise trying to test any detector before buying a new one. You might be surprised to learn that your present detector does just as well as the one you haven't yet tried. A dollar saved is a dollar found.

It seems that the Excal is now one of the most common detectors used on the Treasure Coast. Ten and twenty years ago, Garrett detectors seemed to be the favorite.

I personally don't put a lot of emphasis on which detector is best. Like I said, they all have their strengths and weaknesses. I look at detectors something like golf clubs. Pick the right one for the situation. And learn to use the one you have. I would say that a lot of people have good detectors but they aren't always using it to best advantage.

I've mentioned this before, but it bears repeating. When I started detecting, I used a Fisher 1280. It was and still is a good detector. I used it for quite a while and it paid for itself in clad coins alone the first year. But at first I thought that women didn't lose many gold rings, because I found a lot more men's rings. What I later learned is that just as many women lose gold rings. The thing is, I was using discrimination at first, and as a result, only finding the bigger rings. I tell you that to emphasize the fact that how you use your detector is just as important as what detector you use.


I ran across a nice web site the other day showing some neat pictures of the Hallaton Treasure.

You might want to take a look. I enjoyed studying the artifacts.

http://www.leics.gov.uk/index/leisure_tourism/museums/harboroughmuseum/treasure/treasure_finds.htm


Forecast and Conditions.

I've already talked about this. Current beach conditions are poor. However, if you take a long walk, you can probably find some cuts to hunt.

The wind is out of the northwest and the seas are calm. It looks like the ocean will remain calm until next week. That means that conditions won't be changing much until then.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

12/10 Report - Gold Plated Space Debris? & Rusted Iron Shipwreck Debris

Thin Sheet of Metal Plated With Gold That Tests Good at 18K.

This piece was found on the Treasure Coast, and the photo was submitted by Fred B. Fred said that when he found the piece it was folded over, and when he unfolded it he found the gold plating on what was the inside surface. Fred was wondering if it might be another piece from the space shuttle. I think that is very possible. Electronic components and probably other shuttle parts were gold plated.

Gold is a very desirable and useful metal, even for modern technological applications. Gold is around $1390 per troy ounce now. As I've mentioned, part of that is due to the decline in the dollar.

I once conjectured that someday there will be people going into space to salvage abandoned or wrecked space ships, satellites, etc. much like shipwrecks are salvaged today. I wonder what the most desirable finds will be then. I would guess that it would not be the gold.

Governments will probably want to control the process through salvage leases, and archaeologists will want the old space vehicles to be left alone to float in space in their natural deteriorating condition. The more things change the more they stay the same.

On a more earthly note, Lloyd D., who, in addition to detecting in places like the Bahamas (I posted some of his finds back in May) also looks for sea beans. I mentioned sea beans in a recent post, and Lloyd emailed me to say that the head ranger (some of you probably know Ed, who is also a detectorist) at the McClarty Museum wrote a book on sea beans and sells it at the museum.

The cut that I hunted the other day was present in about the same position last year. Many cuts are seasonal and tend to occur in about the same position on the beach year after year when conditions are right. I know quite a few spots and coin holes that are seasonal like that. That is one reason it is a good idea to write down when and where you find things. A review of your records might suggest hunting spots that would be good to try again this year.

Ol Rusted Iron Item Found Yesterday on the Treasure Coast.

I've recently mentioned how stones are washing up and being left at the top of new sand accumulations. Along with the stones you can sometimes find other items of similar size and density. This photo shows a very rusted iron item that was found where the stones were being deposited.

As I say, keep your eyes open. You never know what might pop up.


Forecast and Conditions.

The wind is still out of the north/northwest. That has been the same for a few days now. A consistent wind direction like that will have more effect than higher seas that constantly change direction. It is something like a blower. You keep it going in the same spot until a lot of the sand is moved. You wouldn't want to blow the sand in one direction for just a little while and then change where you are blowing because that would just fill the old hole back in. It is something like that with wind direction and the currents. Consistent unchanging conditions can have a larger cumulative effect on beach hunting conditions.

Seas will run about four feet today, so that isn't much change. I wouldn't expect much to change today or this week even though the seas tomorrow might be a foot higher.

Keep checking low tide areas and keep checking those eroded spots.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

12/8 Report - Space Shuttle Metal & Local Conditions & Lodging

Metal From Space Shuttle?

When I went back to check who sent this photo, it appears that I somehow managed to lose the original email. Would the sender please send another email so I can credit the photo?

I got an email reporting a number of these types of melted metal finds coming from Corrigan's lately.

I've talked about finding metal from the space shuttle before. Fred B. sent some of his pieces to NASA to be analyzed and provided some good information that is mentioned in my 3/26/2010 post. Fred told about some easy tests you can do on metal like this.

If you want to browse old posts on that subject use the search box for this blog and enter "space shuttle."

Oh, I got a good look at the rocket launch today as I walked north on the beach.

I think people don't use the search box enough.

I've had some requests about lodging on the Treasure Coast. If money is not an issue, places like the Holiday Inn in Vero or the Disney Resort at Sebastian are very well located. Most people want something less expensive though. In the past I asked for suggestions and here are a couple of recommendations that I received.

One person recommended The Sportsman Lodge (sportsmanslodge-motel.com).

Another person liked camping at the Sebastian Inlet State Park or the Long Point campground about three miles north of Sebastian.

When I lived down south I sometimes stayed at the Mariner Hotel on South Hutchinson Island. I noticed that it is still there but might now be under new management and is now called the Royal Inn.

I suspect that most of the small motels in that area would do the job and are probably relatively expensive.

Forecast and Conditions.




Photo of One Nice Cut Found on the Treasure Coast Today.

Generally, I've been seeing big accumulations of sand and small shells building up on many of the beaches. That is not a good sign for finding cobs, but isn't bad for finding some artifacts and non-metallic objects that will wash up.

Even though many of the beaches are accumulating sand, there are places where you can find a few cuts like the one shown in the photo above. You might have to do some walking to find them. They are relatively rare right now.

It looks like seas will remain around three or four feet for the rest of the week with possibly an increase around next week.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net