[meteorite-list] Magnet canes are evil

[Thunder Stone]

List:

I use a magnet cane - in fact it it super strong.  But I must point out that I do not rely on it.  I use my eyes mostly.  I look for the rock shape, texture and color.  I think the shape is very important. I check if it is smooth and that the edges are rounded - like a partly polished rock.  It is bad to depend on a magnet for a number of reasons (as Rob pointed out) also if the rock is embedded in a hard clay, a magnet will not pick it up if it's an LL or an old weathered L or even H.  I have found meteorites like this - some I had to remove from the clay to test how magnetic it was.  So as Rob points out - Your eyes are the best tool you have. Now as to the reason I like a super stonge magnet is in case I find an achondrite.  I have bought some and often they stick weakly to a magnet - well if I see an odd smooth looking rock that's a little out od place, I'll check it with my magnet to see if it sticks slightly... believe me I have a lot of iron rich basalt and silicas with magnetite in them in my garage, but I think it's worth it.  Now if it's something that has no magnetism (R-chondrite) then I have to rely on the eyes again.

I metal detector is good in places with many many rocks or the meteorites are buried - Franconia and Gold Basin.

It's funny, But I actually think most of my dry lake finds were found with my eyes and not the magnet cane, but I think the more tools you have the better - you just need to learn how to use them in the best ways.

Greg S.

----------------------------------------
> Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 10:10:10 -0700
> From: ROBERT.D.MATSON at saic.com
> To: Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
> Subject: [meteorite-list] Magnet canes are evil
>
> Mark wrote:
>
> > As soon as everyone stops using metal detectors and magnet canes
> > to look for meteorites then the first Lunars in Europe or USA
> > will eventually be found, .... until then!
>
> I have never used a magnet cane, nor will I ever, and I always
> advise new hunters against their use. A magnet cane is basically
> an H-, L-, iron, and stony-iron filter. I sometimes carry an LL6
> with me to the desert on the off-chance I'll run into someone using
> a magnet cane. That usually "cures" them. ;-)
>
> --Rob
> ______________________________________________
> Visit the Archives at http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html
> Meteorite-list mailing list
> Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
> http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list