Coin Probe????

Pete e

Elite Member
Joined
Feb 23, 2019
Messages
732
Location
North Wales, UK
I have not come across these here in the UK, but having watched a few videos on YouTube, i think one may be useful...

I happen to have some 3/16 brass rod but was wondering how long to make the shaft of the probe? Looking at various pics on here, 10" seems to be common but I notice a few are only about 4"????

Thanks in advance,

Peter
 
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I be not come across these here in the UK, but having watched a few videos on YouTube, i think one may be useful...

I happen to have some 3/16 brass for, but was wondering how long to make the shaft of the probe? Looking at various pics on here, 10" seems to be common but I notice a few are only about 4"????

Thanks in advance,

Peter

Peter,

I made a bunch of coin probes years ago (70's) using 3/16 brass rod and glass grape molds for the handles. I set up a fixture to hold the brass rod in place inside the glass mold, and then filled the mold with epoxy. Once set, it was a simple process to just break the glass mold and voila, a nice coin probe with a handle that fit nicely in the palm of the hand. Don't need to sharpen the tip but just round it off. It will become very sharp after pushing it in the ground for awhile, and will need to be "blunted" so you don't damage the found object. Another way we did them was to braze a small ball bearing to the tip of the brass rod, but that too will sharpen over time.

Forgot to mention that the rod was cut to 10" with almost 2" buried in the mold...

Good luck with your project,
Otto...
 
Thanks Otto,
I was thinking of using one of those solid golf balls off a driving range for the handle and epoxying it in place....

Regards,

Peter
 
I've been using one for as long as I've been detecting. My original one finally broke. I tried to purchase one exactly like it, but was not successful in doing so. I was left with no choice, but to make them for myself as pictured.
 

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I'm a firm believer that you can't have to many tools in your arsenal. Anything that helps or makes the recovery of a target easier or quicker is beneficial. But to each their own.
 
I've been using an ice pick for years! Dirt cheap solution and the tip blunts pretty quickly, so it doesn't scratch the target, unless you are really rough.
 
I've been using an ice pick for years! Dirt cheap solution and the tip blunts pretty quickly, so it doesn't scratch the target, unless you are really rough.

I've had the opposite experience. The coin probes I"ve used tend to get sharper, with a needle like point, the more it's used...
 
I have made and used them for years. I have given some away to forum members. I think mine are about seven inches long. When I first joined the forum I made a thread on how to make them. Do a search for 'Easy Coin Probe'.
Easy Coin Probe.gif
 
I made one using a piece of black walnut wood. Looked good, but not that useful. That was before I had a good pinpointer. Once the Carrot arrived, the probe got put on the shelf.
 
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