Major scoop handle fail ... found silver ring

[sdesic]

Hunted fresh water lake for 2 hours, got silver ring
[attachment 330621 DSC08688.JPG]
went to shallow water to exit and rest and found target in about 2ft of water...
mud with sand was too much for my wood scoop handle...
[attachment 330622 FHD00070118082016-05-07-21-27-26.JPG]

Wood is stuck in there.
Don't know how to get it out now...
tried drilling holes and connecting screws and pulling on them.
Shortened that pipe to smaller length so I can drill it out... or there is better way?

I was not able to pull handle out from scoop from second dip in water - tight fit.

Video for this hunt is here - with live scoop handle FAIL
[video]https://youtu.be/S-6h3-l4tdY[/video]

 

[tommygun]

let the wood dry a few days. it will probably shrink back some maybe.

 

[Grubstake]

Let it dry, take a body shop type slide hammer and screw it into the wood, use the slide hammer to ease it out. Grubstake

 

[stephenscool]

I had that happen a dozen times before switching to carbon fiber. You're going to need a big long drill bit. Keep stabbing the wood. Use needle nose pliers and pull it out chunk by chunk. Once you remove enough the rest will come out in 1 piece
Reduce the wood to bits and pieces.
I used to dip the handle in deck varnish paint for a while to let the wood soak it up after every hunt... otherwise mold will break it again.
C.f. pole is great if it's in your price range

 

[rc2125]

have had to drill out a few wood handles. Used a 3/4" wood bit, drilled down keeping it centered best I could. Then pounded flat screwdriver into the remaining wood, splitting it and prying it all out. Switched to carbon fiber last year.

 

[Grilled Scallops]

have had to drill out a few wood handles. Used a 3/4" wood bit, drilled down keeping it centered best I could. Then pounded flat screwdriver into the remaining wood, splitting it and prying it all out. Switched to carbon fiber last year.

I've done similar things. Works for me too.

 

[sdesic]

Thank you guys. I will try drilling it. Not to bad...
next wood handle is here, I'll try to paint it with something...
maybe a bit of glue - resin over everything so water can't eat it.

 

[Finderskeeper]

"Wood is stuck in there.
Don't know how to get it out now...
tried drilling holes and connecting screws and pulling on them.
Shortened that pipe to smaller length so I can drill it out... or there is better way?"

Put the scoop in an oven....not a microwave! Heat to about 250-300 degrees for about an hour. You will find that the wood comes out easier. Wear heat resistant oven mitts when taking it out! OUCH!
Wood handles on a scoop are problematic. They never last very long. The best scoop handles are either aluminum or carbon fiber. Carbon fiber
is expensive and will eventually crack. The best scoops are water tight aluminum and will allow the scoop to float upward.

I've owned a few wood handled scoops and will never go back to them. There is no real way to keep them from breaking eventually.

 

[sdesic]

Thanks,
this is my first year of water detecting - I am getting there.
But I am not going to give 150$ or more for sand scoop.
First (and second) sand scoop was only scoop (from plastic pipe) - used it to bring stuff
from bottom (pebbles) of lake to surface.

I drilled out wood from scoop, wood had been black and green in there.
Some rust and wood had formed layer on top and got stuck in there.
Used my first handle for about 2 months.

 

[stephenscool]

You could try this shaft out. 4mm sidewall is virtually unbreakable.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/CARBON-FIBER-SAND-SCOOP-TRAVEL-SHAFT-FOR-1-25-METAL-DETECTOR-STAVR-t-rex-shovel-/291758653028?hash=item43ee2bbe64:g:VGwAAOSwLs5XLyb7

 

[sdesic]

My scoop shaft is 28mm ... 1.10 inches ... so it doesn't fit
and second ... my scoop is DIY ... about 30$ with professional help .. laser cutting
Next time I will try SS with SS shaft

 

[Elton]

n/t

 

[stephenscool]

The SS shaft is going to be real heavy. I tried a few of them before. To be strong enough your looking at 10-15lb shaft that doesn't float and will cost in the $60 range for marine SS
If your going to go that route better off waxing or painting wood. Lighter and it floats. Just take it apart often so mold doesn't rot it out.
I've been down this road... after 1 or 2 good finds I decided to upgrade to CF. 6x stronger than steel at a fraction of the weight. Doesn't rot and floats.
Good luck with your next hunt and hopefully you find a couple of really nice rings.