Tools and Tracks

Dowsing Rods

I have no idea what impact, if any, the shape and material of the tools has on results. I personally have only used metal rods bent into an L shape. Material wise, they have until recently always been copper due to the that being what I was introduced to.

More recently, I have experimented with welding rods. These rods consist of a carbon steel wire coated with a Rutile shell which is used during the welding process to assist with extraction of impurities and control of the melted metal pool. Rutile is a mix of compounds including titanium oxide; However, I don't think the coating is relevant, indeed as the rod is bent the coating breaks off and increasingly falls away in damp atmosphere. Assuming the coating is not involved in the dowsing what is left is a steel rod.

My experiments with the welding rods thus far suggest that steel performs the same as copper and, though I haven't as yet tried, I have heard people say that coat-hanger wire works.

All these pictured have worked for me but vary in practicality.

35cm x 2mm Welding Rod

50cm x 4mm Welding Rod

Insulated Copper Wire

Bare Copper Wire

When using a lighter gauge wire it is helpful to use sleeves to hold the rods; the shells of traditional

Pen shell as a sleeve

Biro pens work well. The sleeve allows the rod to pivot without contact with the hand helping to both free up its movement and remove opportunity for involuntary (or deliberate) influence. When using a heavier gauge tool, e.g. a welding rod, a sleeve offers little advantage and the rod can be held in such a way that it pivots on the edge of the finger and palm of the hand.

An advantage I have already noted with the heavier welding rods is less sensitivity to wind which can make working in the open with lighter wires very difficult.

I have never ventured into Hazel twigs etc. Many old photos show forked twigs being used but with my discomfort in the lack of scientific explanation of metal rods working I can't quite bring myself to walk around a field with a forked stick!

Dimensions and Hold

Bare Copper Rods in Cane Sleeves

My preference is to have some weight to the rods, I find it easier to keep steady; but not too much as the position is tiring if working for an extended time.

If holding in a sleeve, e.g. pen case or length of hollow cane, I aim for the length of the vertical section to be about the same length as the sleeve which seems to give the best mix of resistance and free movement.

If holding in bare hands, I have concluded that for comfort and effective hold the upright should about the same as the width of my hand at the base of the thumb (11-12 cm for me) but no shorter. My technique has developed to resting the rod on the inside base of my forefinger with the end of the rod on the soft pad of my palm below the little finger. The horizontal reach if you are using such as a welding rod will be what remains after the bend but I have found in practice that around 30 cm seems to work best for me.

Rod Balanced on Forefinger and Palm of Hand

Not that the rod is not gripped anywhere

Whether sleeved of not, I have been holding the rods parallel to my body with my elbows at 90 degrees. It can take a while to relax into this position and I find that hunching my shoulders, pushing them back and then dropping them seems to settle me into a comfortable position.

Tracks

I don't know what I can and can't detect; it seems to be wide ranging.

When first introduce to dowsing, the target was to track a cable containing a copper wire core and covered with a lead sheath; Somehow it seemed to make sense with copper rods and electricity and magnetic fields being present. However, I have since detected drains around my own house which are ceramic pipes with small amounts of water. I have also tracked old out of use and heavily decayed steel water pipes as part of a project researching old hydraulic ram pumps.

Next Steps

The project I am about to be involved in involves locating old unrecorded field drains which will be stone or ceramic and containing mud and water both still and moving.
We are meeting for the first time next week so I am looking forward to learning of others' experiences and testing out our "skills".