In 1983 I scrounged through a local metal scrap yard for materials I could use to build a stainless steel scoop.
I based the design on the demands of digging into a layer of large stones (some much too big for the scoop).
The handle is a modification of the Miller Scoop handle and the bucket angle is based on a conventional shovel angle and lets me stand on the scoop as I wiggle it down between the small boulders we have here.
A local welder helped me out and when I broke the welded stainless handles off the two scoops we ended up with, and he only charged me a small fee to re-enforce the attaching points so they never broke again.
The finished product weighed in at nearly 14Lbs!!
A couple of years ago I added an aluminum handle to this one and dropped the weight to just under 12lbs.
[attachment 199830 PoorMansBack-HoeScoop015Large.jpg]
In less than a year of use I broke the handle and re-attached it and then re-enforced it with wraps of fiber-glass and epoxy.
[attachment 199831 PoorMansBack-HoeScoop016Large.jpg]
The bucket is 8" in diameter and 10" deep and gets one heavy load into the sifter!!
It has served me well all these years and is a testament to using a little enginuity to solve a problem.
Anyone can put a serviceable scoop together if they have a few simple tools and a little mechanical skill.
As my 70th year approaches I have noticed the load getting into the sifter slower and my hunting trips becoming shorter.
This has prompted me to re-design the "Hoe" so that I can dispense with the sifter and carry less weight.
This is the third generation of Hoe and weighs in at just over 7lbs.
[attachment 199832 PoorMansBack-HoeScoop013Large.jpg]
The diameter is 7", 8" deep and it is all stainless bolted together.
[attachment 199833 PoorMansBack-HoeScoop014Large.jpg]
It works well, but is still a little heavier than I would like and also the screen allows objects smaller than a dime to fall through.
It's a little awkward to use, but does a pretty good job for a home-made contraption.
Stay tuned for the next generation,
CJ
I based the design on the demands of digging into a layer of large stones (some much too big for the scoop).
The handle is a modification of the Miller Scoop handle and the bucket angle is based on a conventional shovel angle and lets me stand on the scoop as I wiggle it down between the small boulders we have here.
A local welder helped me out and when I broke the welded stainless handles off the two scoops we ended up with, and he only charged me a small fee to re-enforce the attaching points so they never broke again.
The finished product weighed in at nearly 14Lbs!!
A couple of years ago I added an aluminum handle to this one and dropped the weight to just under 12lbs.
[attachment 199830 PoorMansBack-HoeScoop015Large.jpg]
In less than a year of use I broke the handle and re-attached it and then re-enforced it with wraps of fiber-glass and epoxy.
[attachment 199831 PoorMansBack-HoeScoop016Large.jpg]
The bucket is 8" in diameter and 10" deep and gets one heavy load into the sifter!!
It has served me well all these years and is a testament to using a little enginuity to solve a problem.
Anyone can put a serviceable scoop together if they have a few simple tools and a little mechanical skill.
As my 70th year approaches I have noticed the load getting into the sifter slower and my hunting trips becoming shorter.
This has prompted me to re-design the "Hoe" so that I can dispense with the sifter and carry less weight.
This is the third generation of Hoe and weighs in at just over 7lbs.
[attachment 199832 PoorMansBack-HoeScoop013Large.jpg]
The diameter is 7", 8" deep and it is all stainless bolted together.
[attachment 199833 PoorMansBack-HoeScoop014Large.jpg]
It works well, but is still a little heavier than I would like and also the screen allows objects smaller than a dime to fall through.
It's a little awkward to use, but does a pretty good job for a home-made contraption.
Stay tuned for the next generation,
CJ