Need Expert Diggers Advice!!

[Mainepontil]

Do you live in a northern state where the ground freezes solid? If so chances are most of the bottles in that top foot of hard pack will be broken from the constant freeze/thaw. Up here in Maine the hard shallow dumps that freeze up tight are usually nothing but broken bottles. All the whole stuff is usually found in deeper dumps with soft well drained soil.

But you never know, sometimes all it takes is one killer bottle to survive. The best tool for digging throught that stuff is a 3 prong cultivator made by Razorback. Use it with a good pair of root cutters and you'll get through. I buy mine online, shipping is expensive so I buy 2 or 3 at a time. Much more durable than the small garden trowels. They last for years but I always seen to bury them.[]

Here is the link.

http://lawn-and-garden.hardwarestor...rs/forged-razor-back-cultivators--681839.aspx

 

[diginit]

Hi Swizzle. I use a screwdriver to dig through the rooty stuff. push down and pull back. once you get a small cliff started, it goes pretty fast. You can probe and dig at the same time with the possability just a small scratch on the bottles. Don't break the screwdriver.

 

[swizzle]

I'm finding that this is a shallow, narrow dump full of broken glass. Out of about 12+ hours of diggin' this spot I've only managed shards and four whole bottles. Everything is in the top 12" inches of dirt with no glass below that. I found that the dirt in some spots was so hard that I couldn't get my probe in the ground much less through the ground. I'm closing the door on this dump and filling in the holes. I recently found a small sharp awl that I've had laying around and I thought that this may work for a shallow probe. As far as a screw driver goes, what works best for you guys? a really long or medium length screwdriver? Would a screwdriver bent into an L on the end work better or just leave it alone? Any other specialized or homemade tools that I should be aware of? Swiz

 

[GuntherHess]

The biggest problem you will find with doing a lot of probing with a screw driver is after about 2 hours you are likely to wear a hole in your hand, even with a glove on.
That's why I use one with a rubber cushioned grip. You could probably duct tape a rag on the end instead to help.
Some people like to use a wood probe instead to lessen the chance of breaking bottles. I prefer the screwdriver because I like to hear that unmistakable squeek of the glass. Unless your screw driver is super hardened carbide or similar its not going to be hard enough to scratch glass. I have never broken any bottles probing but it wouldnt take much to break those early flared lip medicines. You look at them wrong and they break.

 

[diginit]

If the ground is real hard, try a pitchfork to break up the topsoil and a good quality 12" screwdriver from there. Then show us what you find. break a leg

 

[Pettydigger]

What it boils down to swizzle is, really no easy way of excavating the old bottles, it is alot of hard backbreaking work[] I've been in those shallow dumps that is mostly hard clay and tree roots mixed with some glass. As digint stated a pitchfork works as good as anything but a pointed shovel works better to get through the top soil. You can make or have someone make you a short handled spring steel probe which will help locate possible intact bottles. Cheap garden tools will end up breaking on you when ya get serious with them. You don't know how many times I wish I had access to a backhoe to dig out a dump.[] Pettydigger

 

[Tony14]

Thats the exact opposite of the dump I'm digging now, it is loose soil, deep, and there is more glass than dirt. I'm afraid to dig because of all the shards[&:]. I have to take it very slow with my hands, anyone have a more efficient way to dig in an area like that?

 

[swizzle]

A pitch fork wouldn't do much good with all the excess roots. I can very easily imagine a broken handle or tines. Shovel's cut through most of the roots but I'm seeing roots 4 and 5 inches in diameter sometimes only inches apart. I still haven't pulled a full shovelful out of this stuff because of the bigger roots. I can't imagine it getting much harder then this stuff. Maybe a dremel tool with a blade and extra battery pack might help. I hope I never come across this type of dump again. Its been unproductive and rough. I look at it this way. If it's only spitting out a bottle every 4 or 5 hours and they're only $1 bottles, then I should save that for future shard hunters. Maybe in 50 yrs someone else like me might be able to make a buck or two off of it. Happy hunting and thanx for all this great feedback. You guys are great. Its people like you that make this forum great. Although not every question gets answered an honest effort to help out is always made. Thanx for making this site awesome. Swiz

 

[Xcalibur]

Im presently in similar soil conditions now. I have found out that a spade shovel and a 5 prong fork does very well in this type soil. use the spade to remove the soil, since its flat with no curved edges it penetrates the loose soil easily, and hardly ever breaks one..when you hit a glass, stop and use your fork, so many tools will work , but for me this works very well...p.s. I like my spade in about all soil conditions.. good luck..Xcali.