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comment by WanderingEng
WanderingEng  ·  1218 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Pubski: July 28, 2021

Neat! This is magnet fishing? Pitty that won't get coins because I bet there are a few down there.





wasoxygen  ·  1218 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Yep, not likely to find a steel penny these days.

The most valuable thing I pulled up was the magnet itself. I keep it stuck to a steel beam at home and it's pretty hard to dislodge. If it got attached to a boat anchor stuck on the bottom there would be little hope of recovery.

WanderingEng  ·  1218 days ago  ·  link  ·  

This has me wondering what might get pulled up locally here. Otis Redding and six others died when their plane crashed into Lake Monona, and an F-102 also did. A magnet wouldn't get any aluminium bits, of course, but there might be some steel pieces that weren't recovered.

Devac  ·  1218 days ago  ·  link  ·  

    If it got attached to a boat anchor stuck on the bottom there would be little hope of recovery.

Maybe put it in a burlap sack and tie it over the hook/line? It won't impede the pull, but the added layer eases the separation while helping to protect the magnet against eventual damage. Our lab techs cover permanent magnet slabs in this weird fine rubbery cloth for some experiments, but I'd bet even some old jeans would work.

wasoxygen  ·  1218 days ago  ·  link  ·  

An old sock or some latex gloves secured with rubber bands would have helped. As it happened, a thick coating of river mud and grit coated the magnet after the first few drops.

The most interesting things might not contain much iron, though. A key ring with keys, a cell phone, even a modern gun can be mostly plastic.

Any guesses about the mystery object? It feels like a solid mass of metal, but may have been separate parts fused by corrosion.

Devac  ·  1218 days ago  ·  link  ·  

    As it happened, a thick coating of river mud and grit coated the magnet after the first few drops.

Lol, that too. Learned my lesson trying to get the spilled ferrofluid off of a magnet once.

    Any guesses about the mystery object? It feels like a solid mass of metal, but may have been separate parts fused by corrosion.

Hull bolt? I have no idea.

    The most interesting things might not contain much iron, though. A key ring with keys, a cell phone, even a modern gun can be mostly plastic.

Some ceramics contain iron in them. Not just as glaze or pigment or literal ceramic magnets, but it's added into the clay/other material. Dunno if it would work, but then again you have a strong magnet on your hands so maybe it could pick some fun bauble.