Just not happy with wood long scoops

[47thelement]

I'm not an engineer, I'm a pastry chef, so I need somebody to blow holes in my idea...

Wood and metal long handled scoops are heavy! A long day on the beach can leave you with a sore shoulder. I've tried a couple different things but just haven't found one I'm 100 percent happy with.

But one idea keeps coming back to me...

Carbon fiber.

I know it will shatter when flexed...think Indy cars hitting a wall. But my idea is more along the lines of carbon fiber wire (for lack of a better term). If your familiar with the cables on a suspension bridge you will understand. Many thin strands of carbon fiber tube held together with a sheet of canon fiber or Fiberglas.

Any thought?

 

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[maipenrai]

EXPENSIVE! But to me, the worst part is that after the shaft starts wearing, you will get carbon fibers in your hands, or if used with fiberglass, then glass fibers in your hands. Not very nice, especially when mixed with salt water. I think there are some carbon fiber handles on different kinds of tools, but I wouldnt like to use them.

 

[dc426]

Man I'm with ya on this one. I have a sore shoulder and tennis elbow from this hobby. We really need light weight scoops. I really don't think carbon fiber is the answer. I would love to try a Titanium scoop. I think that would be pretty trick, not sure how well it would do in heavy surf though. You really kinda need something with some weight in surf. Also don't know how Ti would how up in salt water. Sure would like to try one though.
DC

 

[ron lord]

47thelement and all wooden handle users there is a new handle being designed and will be tested in the next few months.

 

[Can Slaw]

Someone that was an engineer posted a while back that carbon fiber shafts would not work with the leverage action of the scoop. Had something to do with the way carbon fiber is wound.

If you are using your scoop in the water you can attach a piece of swimming noodle to the shaft to give you some buoyancy taking the weight off. I drag my scoop, wet sand or water hunting I use a tether with the noodle so I don't have the weight problem of a heavy scoop all day.

 

[Jason in Enid]

CF shaft would also give a serious balance problem. When I carry my SS scoop, I can carry it at a balanced spot so the weight is about equal to the front and back of my hand. If you put a CF pole on it, all the weight would be at one end. It may not seem like much of deal, but carrying it all day would cause a lot of strain on your hand and forearm.

 

[TheGeorgiaCanuck]

Saw on one of gravediggermax's videos of a friend of his that had a belt mounted hook on his left hip. He put his digger on it balanced and kept his left hand on the handle. Takes the weight off your shoulder. Me I just have my homemade tough PVC digger. I just drag it along behind me leaving grid lines

 

[gravediggermax-vabeachva]

Element

scoops can kill us.

i have had many scoops.......from like 4lbs to 8lbs, but around 95% of them were just about 5lbs.....not tooooo bad.......

alum. handles i had to paint like 6 or 8 times to keep from bleeding thru. THEN my buddy sharkhunter put 1-1/2 shrink tubing on this alum. handle and that was the REAL DEAL.........great grip and no bleed.......i have it on my 1 remaining alum. scoop now.

last week i got two scoops in from Stavrscoops.......Ruslan in the Ukraine, took 13 days for them to get here.......I LIKEM @ just a shade over 3 lbs with my ash handle added.......really beats the heck out of 5 to 6lb. ........my shoulder says....THANK YOU.
f y i only
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[Terry Soloman]

I have found that for weight and endurance, aircraft-grade aluminum just can't be beat. I have a RTG 'Monster' 8" scoop, and it is just about the lightest huge scoop you can buy for under $170.00. Honestly though, a big stainless steel scoop on a wooden handle probably only weighs 1.5-lbs. more. Exotic materials and the labor it takes to put them together equals BIG bucks!

 

[gravediggermax-vabeachva]

TheGeorgiaCanuck

many years ago when we used big S/S and alum. scoops we used scoop draggers i called them, made them from many things and when we went to alum. scoops we made them bigger in dia. to keep from rubbing on side of shorts or pants.
they have gone thru. many changes over the years.
some drag, some tote and most just carry on there shoulder.
3 or 4 lbs is not bad on shoulder, but above that........for me, i do not like it.....
good luck
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f y i only

 

[gravediggermax-vabeachva]

terry

since i had to repair my big S/S steve Proto Type scoop, it has become very heavy.
but it remains the BEST SCOOP I HAVE EVER USED FOR WORKING IN THE WATER and that is where i used it now.
but boy is it heavy.....little over 6lbs.
i love it but it is trying to kill me.......i had to add extra s/s to fix it.
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[mrcolin2u]

I'm going to replace my wooden handle with a fiberglass hot stick used for doing electrical work by linemen.
I work for a utility and when they fail the insulation test we toss them. I have a couple of "tossed" I'm going to try out.