Making a beach shovel

[NC Digger]

Hey all, I am in the process of making a beach shovel for our trip to MB SC. I am wondering if anyone made one with a flat on the end and how it worked. These guys from Australia have this video up with their design. Just wondering if I should just make the point or if a 2 inch flat would work instead of a point.

Link:

THanks!

 

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[NC Digger]

Here are a couple of pic's of the cut.



The key hole saw worked really nice!

 

[clv]

I made one of those beach shovels, I had made 2 in fact, one i gave away as a prize in a coin hunt and the other I kept for myself to use. But when you get right down to it I still prefer to use my long handle sand scoop. It's easier to scoop with and I don't half to bend down to get the target out like the shovel. For a point on the end you only need a 15 degree tip (7.5 degree per side) to make it east to push in the wet sand.
For me after using both, give me the long handle sand scoop any day.

 

[NC Digger]

I made one of those beach shovels, I had made 2 in fact, one i gave away as a prize in a coin hunt and the other I kept for myself to use. But when you get right down to it I still prefer to use my long handle sand scoop. It's easier to scoop with and I don't half to bend down to get the target out like the shovel. For a point on the end you only need a 15 degree tip (7.5 degree per side) to make it east to push in the wet sand.
For me after using both, give me the long handle sand scoop any day.

So you put a point on yours. I have two scoops but wanted something that I can run and gun with! lol. I think I am going down to the river to see how it digs. Hopefully its not swelled as we have had just a tad of rain all week! That should tell me if I need a point or not.

Thanks for your input!

 

[clv]

Good luck, if you have a scoop take it with you and try both for 1/2 hour to see what works best for you. I think that this may be just a ford/chevy thing for most people on what they like best.

 

[NC Digger]

Well I finished. I cut a V into the front. Drilled some holes and used a flat file on edge to get an edge on the shovel. Not to bad!



I am hoping the run and gun method will work as it is probably not the best time to visit MB for detecting but it will be a nice get away for the wife and I!

 

[Irishgoldhound]

Great shovels for wet and dry sand if that's all you ever hunt. Won't serve you well in water. I've watched many of Frederick Barnes in Australia with his son and they clean up the Aussie beaches quite well with those shovels. Nice job!

 

[ghost of scrounger]

Well I finished. I cut a V into the front. Drilled some holes and used a flat file on edge to get an edge on the shovel. Not to bad!

View attachment 1232623 View attachment 1232624 View attachment 1232625

I am hoping the run and gun method will work as it is probably not the best time to visit MB for detecting but it will be a nice get away for the wife and I!

Looks good! Let us know how it works

 

[NC Digger]

Great shovels for wet and dry sand if that's all you ever hunt. Won't serve you well in water. I've watched many of Frederick Barnes in Australia with his son and they clean up the Aussie beaches quite well with those shovels. Nice job!

Irish that's where I got the idea. We have two sand scoops but the shovel looks so good that I had to make one. Seems quicker then scooping sand on moist and dry sand. Those boys seem to do quite well with their MD'in! I just hope I pull more then tabs! lol! Thanks for the input!

 

[NC Digger]

Looks good! Let us know how it works

Thanks will do! I'll try to get a couple pictures!

 

[cudamark]

The whole thing looks a bit awkward to use and I don't believe it will hold up in the long run. Maybe that's because I'm hard on scoops! . That detector/scoop combination just looks ridiculous. How are you going to swing that thing for hours on end?

 

[bklein]

I made one after finging the shovel at a Ace Hardware in Solvang of all places. I didn't go for a pointed tip - I wanted an elliptical design. The shovel has held up well! Many times I have dug a nickel sensed by my CTX over 24"! And beer cans that look like copper even deeper. The CTX senses deep and I'd go nuts with the traditional scoops. To be honest though anything good hasnt been that deep... There are stress marks as I really use this shovel. I am happy with it. It would not be good underwater though - a scoop would be better there. But in So CA the waves crash right on where the best stuff is so you have to work quick and hopefully capture the target in the tool asap. Often I get it and run for the dry area before the waves catch me. Drilling all the holes may even be a waste of time as for the way I use it they don't really matter. You do want to modify the shape to penetrate the sand better. I look like a crazy old detector guy dumping the shovel load and then using my pinpointer to find the target - but it works well and is fast.

 

[NC Digger]

The whole thing looks a bit awkward to use and I don't believe it will hold up in the long run. Maybe that's because I'm hard on scoops! . That detector/scoop combination just looks ridiculous. How are you going to swing that thing for hours on end?

I have the habit of dragging the shovel behind me. In viewing video's it looks much quicker to dig then a scoop on dry and moist sand, and yes you need a scoop in the water.

Going for the run and gun on the beach, I think it will help me cover the most area in the time we have. But I will see!

 

[NC Digger]

I made one after finging the shovel at a Ace Hardware in Solvang of all places. I didn't go for a pointed tip - I wanted an elliptical design. The shovel has held up well! Many times I have dug a nickel sensed by my CTX over 24"! And beer cans that look like copper even deeper. The CTX senses deep and I'd go nuts with the traditional scoops. To be honest though anything good hasnt been that deep... There are stress marks as I really use this shovel. I am happy with it. It would not be good underwater though - a scoop would be better there. But in So CA the waves crash right on where the best stuff is so you have to work quick and hopefully capture the target in the tool asap. Often I get it and run for the dry area before the waves catch me. Drilling all the holes may even be a waste of time as for the way I use it they don't really matter. You do want to modify the shape to penetrate the sand better. I look like a crazy old detector guy dumping the shovel load and then using my pinpointer to find the target - but it works well and is fast.

Thats what I want. I like that round tip you have! Did you try a point and then make the round? Looks great! I am glad someone made one and has the same thoughts I have!

 

[bklein]

I figured if the round tip didnt work out I could go to the point afterwards as I left as much of the original shovel blade as I could. I'm happy with it though. For recent drops in dry sand a scoop would be better as it sifts quicker and is lighter. It mainly comes down to how deep targets are. You read guys say "how do I get the target with the sand filling in the hole faster than I can dig" - this will be your best tool. You really want to dig fast, deep, and get out quick. Toss the sand in a line, generally locate the target with your coil, and grab your pinpointer for the final find.

 

[NC Digger]

I figured if the round tip didnt work out I could go to the point afterwards as I left as much of the original shovel blade as I could. I'm happy with it though. For recent drops in dry sand a scoop would be better as it sifts quicker and is lighter. It mainly comes down to how deep targets are. You read guys say "how do I get the target with the sand filling in the hole faster than I can dig" - this will be your best tool. You really want to dig fast, deep, and get out quick. Toss the sand in a line, generally locate the target with your coil, and grab your pinpointer for the final find.

Thanks for your advice! I will keep this in mind when we finally get to the beach!

 

[flgliderpilot]

Thats a back breaker right there

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Not sure why you prefer the shovel, you can't use it in the water with any good results, and even on land a scoop works much better....

 

[jeepGold]

should be fair in the dry sand and fluffy stuff. Get in the compact wet and you don't stand a chance. I love DIY stuff. Good luck. If you don't believe that the wet is a killer, here's my TREX 9.5

 

[bklein]

I bought a scoop like that off Craigslist but haven't tried it. It weighs so much that i regret buying it. The compact wet actually is not a problem with this shovel. The first few inches are compacted and once you penetrate it the rest is fine. If everything detected is less than 6" deep the scoop could be better. But more often the target is deeper and this is by far the best tool to get at it. It doesnt mean you will get more targets though as I see guys with scoops getting targets just fine. My first scoop is the wire cage type. It is awesome for dry sand but for a detector that senses deep it is honestly a *****. The CTX habitually finds 1/4" aluminum can nuggets that fall through the cage scoop. The shovel usually captures it and then you find it while dumping in the dry. You do get a lot of copper snaps etc. but also BOTH earrings along with their clasps. These targets sound decent so it is not like I could ignore them. Like I said earlier drilling the holes may not be necessary - you guys with your scoops have to admit that there were times you wish you just had a decent shovel (wet or dry sand). For water targets I am thinking that west coast water conditions are different than others in that the waves crash right where you want to be. There are not guys out in the water with waves crashing over them finding targets in my experience. Most of us are not fully in the water - so this shovel is a worthy tool.