I see alot of posts here about scoops. I make my own do to myself, the two boys and my brother useing them and also a few friends. This does require some man toys, drill press, welder for aluminum, metal roller and a metal shear. Any machine shop has this stuff, its just what they want to charge you to do the work, ive had some do it for the mechanics lunch or others that want 65.00 an hour. Aluminum has went up in price big time, I use 6061 1/8 inch size 21inches by 8 inches for the scoop, then a 7inch by 7 inch piece for the scoop bottom. All are drilled with 1/2 inch holes, thats my choice, you can use any size you want and as many holes as you want, I may make one with 7/8 holes just to check it out.
Purchase metal from a sheetmetal shop, I build 5 at a time, they will cut it to the size you want.
Lay out and drill the holes, WD-40 works great while drilling aluminum.
Now its time to put it in a metal roller to make the circle
Weld the seam on top where the circle meets and then lay it down on the end plate and weld that on
Grind off the excess metal plate and the scoop part is done.
I use 1 inch schedule 40 aluminum pipe for the handel, 48 inches of it, it welds to the front part of the scoop at an angle of your choice and the little corner cuts that you saved that look like a long triangle are used as a brace between the handel and the scoop.
As you can see there is a little involved in doing one of these scoops and I can tell you that the scoop makers that sell them are top notch, they have all the fancy machines and guys that weld them up with nice pretty beads. The welding I do is kind of ugly but it holds and even my son Robrcer has more trouble breaking welds, he just likes to snap off the handels. Try to make one if you want or try a scoop maker to buy one, Remember, its got to be tough and stand up to the digging, walking off the beach with a broken scoop is a bummer.
Purchase metal from a sheetmetal shop, I build 5 at a time, they will cut it to the size you want.
Lay out and drill the holes, WD-40 works great while drilling aluminum.
Now its time to put it in a metal roller to make the circle
Weld the seam on top where the circle meets and then lay it down on the end plate and weld that on
Grind off the excess metal plate and the scoop part is done.
I use 1 inch schedule 40 aluminum pipe for the handel, 48 inches of it, it welds to the front part of the scoop at an angle of your choice and the little corner cuts that you saved that look like a long triangle are used as a brace between the handel and the scoop.
As you can see there is a little involved in doing one of these scoops and I can tell you that the scoop makers that sell them are top notch, they have all the fancy machines and guys that weld them up with nice pretty beads. The welding I do is kind of ugly but it holds and even my son Robrcer has more trouble breaking welds, he just likes to snap off the handels. Try to make one if you want or try a scoop maker to buy one, Remember, its got to be tough and stand up to the digging, walking off the beach with a broken scoop is a bummer.
