Sand scoops

[beerguy]

Hey all,

I am about to make a couple of sand scoops, and wanted to know what features you guys like to see as I draw up some designs.

I have a few options as far as hole size, material thickness, handle design, etc.

I am planning on wading into lakes up to my chest, so I think a loop handle seems to make sense.

I have yet to do this type of detecting, so I really have no idea on what works best.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Looking to fabricate out of stainless, at least for the scoop part, I may want the handle to be an aluminum tube.

Thanks

 

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[Terry Soloman]

Look at the baskets currently in use by most of us. You want to be able to sink the scoop into muddy; sandy; gravel; rocky bottoms, and the handle is going to be subject to a lot of torque. Big open mouth designs with lots of 1/2" holes for drainage..

 

[beerguy]

Terry, is the curved handle a good thing? I saw some with pipe insulation (or something) on it, perhaps for floatation. I was wondering if that was desirable...

 

[agflit]

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/t...ch-bully-long-loop-handled-scoop-monster.html

 

[OBN]

I used the Miller Hoop scoop for a few years but in time found that the big hunk of metal has to be out of the way of the detector or it will set it off or weaken the transmit field of the detector for very faint targets. And I have to say the Miller was one of my favorite.. dig straight down and recover time was fast. A op is to float it on your sifter...if you do go the hoop scoop way...

 

[beerguy]

OBN, that is what I had in mind, handle-wise. Thanks for the video!

 

[cudamark]

A carbon fiber handle would probably be lighter and stronger than an aluminum one.......a wooden one would be more economical.

 

[Fletch88]

Look at the Stealth design vs the TRex. The Stealth empties out a lot easier than the turtle shell shaped TRex when wet sanding.

 

[beerguy]

Fletch, thanks for the tip on shape. I was going to use a flat-sided shape since that will be easier to achieve. I have a brake at work which can get those angles.

 

[Fletch88]

Yes I have a brake, a shear and whole machine shop at work and 28 years experience in metalworking. I'm just too tired to fool with building scoop after work! Lol.
I know the price you pay for a Stealth seems high but the quality and hunt-ability of the end product is worth every dime!
If I had a laser table or turret punch press, I could duplicate a scoop pretty close in performance to a stealth, but with a hand plasma, drill press or milling machine you will have so much time and labor involved to make something with half the performance or quality of the Sunspot products it just wasn't worth it to me. I may feel different when I retire one day but right now I am very time limited and I would rather spend it detecting or fishing!
I once started building a scoop out of 6" schedule 10 stainless pipe and even though it would have been very strong I quickly decided that the end product would weigh too much and be very labor intensive. After just comparing the weight of the Stealth to my TRex there is no comparison! I drag mine around for 2-3 hours at a time and every single ounce makes a huge difference after several hours of beach detecting.

 

[CASPER-2]

would add a magnet to it - if you hadn't thought to already

 

[beerguy]

Fletch, I picked up a couple of pieces of 16 Ga. perforated 304 stainless with 3/8" holes off of ebay. They are 9" x 12" each, and cost me less than 30 dollars delivered. I can make the rest out of existing scrap pieces. Looking at an aluminum handle, probably just fill w/ sand and bend around something round...
Casper, great advice on the magnet. I will incorporate that the design.

Do the commercial units have those?

 

[cudamark]

Fletch, I picked up a couple of pieces of 16 Ga. perforated 304 stainless with 3/8" holes off of ebay. They are 9" x 12" each, and cost me less than 30 dollars delivered. I can make the rest out of existing scrap pieces. Looking at an aluminum handle, probably just fill w/ sand and bend around something round...
Casper, great advice on the magnet. I will incorporate that the design.

Do the commercial units have those?

Not usually, but, unless you're hunting with a PI unit, a magnet isn't all that important.