:usaflag: Home Built Sand Scoop After Some Hard Use :detecting:

[Cupajo]

I posted a few pictures a while back about the sand scoops I built.

Since then I have really given the scoop lots of hard digging in dry as well as wet sand mixed with sometimes golf ball sized gravel at the waters edge..

Knowing the limits of such a tool has kept me from abusing it, but I have not babied it either.

This photo shows the digger before I started using it and you can compare the photos to see where changes have occurred.

[attachment 141066 100_0012.JPG]

In these pictures you can see that the bottom is only slightly concave from my pushing the scoop down into the sand with my foot.

[attachment 141063 Todaysringfinds9-14-9028.jpg]

The basket is somewhat malformed (bent) by the digging pressures and yet still able to dig anything I find above the water's edge.

[attachment 141064 Todaysringfinds9-14-9030.jpg]

The welded stainless screen has been the key to its strength and had I built the scoop with a cross bar to push against with my foot the scoop would likely not have bent at all making it a possible wading digger where there is only sand to deal with.

The wire has settled into its strongest shape with use and has become stronger by this.

The basket has been pushed into the sheet metal cylinder as far as it can go and the top has bent as a result near where the handle curves.

I plan to continue using the scoop as is to see how long it will last to failure, however it looks as if that will take many years.

I am going to cut down the larger of the three scoops I built and that one will have a cross bar for my big foot to determine how it will withstand the same kinds of digging forces this scoop has been experiencing.

Stay tuned,

CJ

 

[Micheal_R]

I made it from S/S and have made it so that you can put on/over your shoulder. Been using it for 15 years now and never had to do any work on it.

Fair winds


Micheal

 

[Cupajo]

Hi Michael,

I would like to see it for sure.

For a scoop that sees hard work to last that long it has to be well built!

CJ

 

[Royal]

I never use one in my detecting but I don't generally do beaches. I have one but not as nice as yours for sure. I have seen them with a magnet mounted in the bottom and that will help separate the tiny junk that will drive you nuts at times.

 

[George-CT]

usually looks like fuzz ball with all the iron particles sticking to it. It does work great on hair pins at the ponds.... For salt I have a big
stainless one with big foot rest and sharp front. It will dig in rock, hard bottom, weedy mud, whatever. Bought it off one of the retailers on the Beach Forum here about 7 years ago. Good scoop. Fact, here is a picture of it while at Watch Hill RI on a nice winter day.

Geo

 

[Cupajo]

Nice picture George.

Is that the scoop from Michigan with the handle mounted on the back of the bucket?

Some day when we get together I'll let you dig with my poor man's backhoe and then you'll understand why I use it!

CJ

 

[Micheal_R]

I tried a few other designs... some in aluminium, some in steel. This one has proved, for me, to be the ultimate format. It is all stainless. The holes are all 3/8". I have not found any ring that will go through that. However, some earring and smaller items can fall through The welds I; TIGed them and in 14 to 15 years, of hard usage, have never given away. You will see in the handle, a couple of kinks. When I built this one, I did not know the trick with sand. I have since made two others, of identical design... and those handles, using sand, are kinkless. :

[attachment 141217 scoop-006.jpg]

[attachment 141218 scoop-002.jpg]

You want any more info, let me know.

cheers

Fair winds

Micheal

 

[Cupajo]

Well done Mikie!!

Looks like an improvement on the old Miller scoop design.

The digging angle of the bucket is more practical for normal digging.

I settled on a compromise with my design and have never regretted it.

I used a long curve that places the bucket at a shovel angle for the start of digging and I can stand on the back of the scoop placing my considerable weight on it to force the edge down through the small bolders here.

[attachment 141251 SandScoopPoorMansBackhoe002.jpg]

Usually all I have to do is wiggle the handle and down she goes into the cobblestones.

When it has bottomed out I put downward pressure on the handle forcing the bucket up and out of the hole.

If the water is deep I put my foot under the lower part of the handle near the bucket and lift with my boot toe until I can grab the other part of the handle near the bucket and lift the scoop free of the water.

I then dump it into a sifter to make it easier to sort through the debris.

That's worked well for me for many hours and tons of digging.

I put an aluminum handle on it last year and reduced the weight several pounds. (the one on the right)

I also drilled lots of 5/16 holes (after this picture was taken) along with the half inch holes I drilled when I built it in the '80's wherever I could to help the sand to clear and to lighten up the thing.

The bucket is of a heavy guage stainless and has never bent in spite of the really hard digging it has done.

When it is full it has over a gallon of material in it and I have had stones in it that completely filled it!

CJ

 

[Micheal_R]

n/t

 

[George-CT]

2 pictures, you will see there is snow on the ground just above me. My wife and some girlfriends where riding their horses there that day on the soft sand so I went along to detect while they rode the beaches. This stretch of beach runs from Point Judith to Watch Hill in Rhode Island. Its very steep on the shore, drops off fast, and is usually very rough. This was and unusual day of little surf. This is open sea here and gets nasty. Stuff gets moved around a lot. Big storm is this right down to hard pan. I spend more time here in the winter than any other time of the year. The first 20 feet are usually not frozen all winter. I can be here in 1 hour from my place. With heavy waders on I figure what I can walk, do half of it, return and I'm done, unless I'm hitting good spots. I just hunt the edges of the water in winter here as it drops off fast and a wave can dump you quickly. Not good in those temps with the water about 34 degrees. The WOT coil covers a lot of ground, goes where I'm interested in looking and works for me. The meter on the system just happend ot be on that day so I left it on that unit. I have another extension I usually use with nothing on but the coil...... Wish I could bring my backhoe with me down there.....One scoop in they are on the surface. Anyhow these will give you and idea that it was still winter.......

George-CT

 

[Cupajo]

I just placed an order (5 mins ago) for my first drysuit!

I'm planning to spend time out there this year like I used to over twenty years ago, but in dry comfort (I hope!!).

It won't take many rings to pay for a D-suit!!

George, I'll see you "out there" yet!

CJ

 

[Royal]

very nice pictures George.

I am into the wiring of the garage right now. I will sure be glad when it is over though. Long hard summer. I have to run a ditch about 90 ft and run plastic 2 in conduit and run three legs of 2/0 through it. I have the panel mounted and the meter box and have started jerking wire on the inside. Takes time.

 

[Cupajo]

Number 2 wire?

You must be planning some heavy duty circuitry!

CJ

 

[George-CT]

day. You had just moved a spotlight over there and I could see all the grey nylon elbows you had ready. To bad I was not close by. The backhoe would make short work of that job. Anyone around you have a ditch witch? Some places rent them. If not a lot of rock around, they do a nice fast job. They go right thru the roots. Your place is really shaping up. Fun to be the jack of all trades isn't it?
Saves a lot of $$$$ for sure. And its nice to say I did it myself and know its right. I only contract out the stuff I just don't like to do, like roofing and insulation.... The rest I do.......

Geo

 

[Micheal_R]

n/t