Questions on sand scoops

[robbor]

What are your thoughts on Hole sizes of sand scoops, 1/2 vs 5/8
Has anyone added screen to the inside of of a scoop to classify down and catch smaller stuff like jewelry or sinkers?
Any tutorials or pic threads on adding stainless lips to aluminum scoops? thanks all.

 

[dewcon4414]

Many of us use screens.... as well as magnets. Hole size depends a lot on what you want to catch or miss. Some places people even use floating classifiers just because of the shells or mud they dig in. I personally use a 1/4 inch hole to catch smaller targets.... on a beach with a lot of shells it can be a pain. Others are looking for the big tickets and feel chasing earring studs and small targets are a time waster.... which it is if you have limited time.

Dew

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

i use gutter mess on the bottom 1/4 of my scoop to catch earring studs......I dont chase them, but gotten 2 diamond earring studs that way.......

 

[bigscoop]

I have two larger scoops, a Stealth and an 8" aluminum with large holes. Depends on where I'm hunting which scoop I decide to use. Lately I have been hunting all day so the aluminum is lighter and easier to handle all day, however, I have had gold chains worm their way out of the larger holes multiple times before they were finally captured. Tiny studs will also fall through, which can be a real pain when you're not sure what it is that you keep losing, especially in the water or during a night hunt. Personally, I like the larger holes because the scoop cleans out quicker but each time I take it out I do so fully expecting that I'm probably going to have to chase some targets. On the other hand, the Stealth also cleans out quick when hunting in finer sand.

 

[lookindown]

My scoop has 5/8 holes and anything smaller would hold too much shell on most of the beaches I hunt.I have 1/4 inch screen in the bottom. On beaches with no shell, smaller holes would work fine.

 

[Whydah]

I have both...1/4 inch and a 5/8 hole scoop...when I am in the wet/dry sand areas of the beach I use a 1/4 inch and when I am out in the water I use my 5/8 hole scoop with the floating screen as to not lose the smaller goodies.....

 

[robbor]

I ran across a deal 2 days ago when i was looking for a scoop to try at the beach. I got this package of scoops for $70 and i have to figure out what im going to keep.
The big one is a beach brute, a keeper for sure but want to add a SS lip.
The 2 middle are both SS 1/2 and 5/8, boy i wish one was aluminum. Im going to hit the beach later this week and see if i can pay for them, lol.

 

[lookindown]

How did you get all those scoops for $70.

 

[Sandman]

I have used many scoops and each of us needs more than one to handle the different type bottoms where we use them. It is again like having golf clubs as you need a few to play a round of golf. I don't need a larger basket to get a huge bite of sand before the next wave filled in the hole. I like this Stealth in the smaller size as it has smaller holes up front for catching studs, and earring backs with magnets to stop things from sliding down to the larger holes. The basket is lifted straight up without tipping it. There is a diamond stud in front of the magnets. http://www.gold-scoop.com/thescoop.html

 

[robbor]

How did you get all those scoops for $70.

Its funny becuse my uncle who i detect with thought i got ripped off, lol. He said he'd only pay $10 for a scoop. He's a LIL on the frugal side.
The scoops were on craigslist about an hour away and we kind of had to go that direction anw way to get a fridge for my parents so i talked them down from 80 for all four to 70 for gas.
I already went out and got some 16ga SS for a lip for the big scoop. I also have magnets i use for MDing for gold. I just hope i can hit one piece of gold when i go to the beach.
And i need to find some screen to try and somehow keep it from bunching up when scooping.

The big scoop is the beach brute kellyco sells and i already made an insert so i have solid threads in the shaft and a knob to remove the handle without tools.
Im just visiting home this week and im also up 31 cents from their back yard, lol.

 

[Talon]

I would think for the three big ones alone you could sell them for 70 a piece! I bought a full sized aluminum scoop like that and it was over $100 so I think sell one of the medium sized ones and pay for the lot. Personal opinion, but you definitely got a deal there!

 

[AC1955]

You can attach round pieces of mesh screen to the bottom of scoops using "zip" ties (plastic cable ties).

Anita

 

[Tom_in_CA]

reply

What are your thoughts on Hole sizes of sand scoops, 1/2 vs 5/8
Has anyone added screen to the inside of of a scoop to classify down and catch smaller stuff like jewelry or sinkers?
Any tutorials or pic threads on adding stainless lips to aluminum scoops? thanks all.

Those that advocate smaller holes, so that smaller things (like earings, fine chains, etc...) don't "fall through" make it sound as if you will, "of neccessity" therefore, miss those targets that are small enough to make it through the holes. But that logic does not necessarily follow. Here's how:

a) you dig for something, and

b) deduce it's now "in the scoop" (because you scanned the tailings pile and there's no longer a signal there)

c) you shake out the contents, and look in the basket, and see nothing at all. Thus you deduce that the object was small enough to go through the holes.

Well duh, the solution is you scan the ground where you just let the sand fall through, and find the signal again. And THIS time, you bend over, and rake through with your fingers, to see what the little thing is. So you see, having holes that are large enough to let teensy things through, does not automatically mean you can never, therefore, find teensy things.

The problem with having a sand screen with small enough holes to catch teensy things, is that it makes it hard and strength-consuming to shake out the wet sand. Because wet sand is "clumpy", and you have to shake vigorously to persuade the sand to break up and get through the sifter, right? Well that need to shake it (and the resultant time and energy expended) goes up when your holes are smaller. And yes, other nuisance things like pebbles are there, etc.....

That is why most stock sand scoops have historically made the holes a little smaller than U.S. dimes (or half-dimes). That catches all the coins here in the USA (except perhaps a U.S. $1 gold), and catches 99% of rings (I can't imagine a ring smaller than that, except perhaps a babies ring). I've found that most of the stuff that makes it through is usually .22 lead shots, teensy brass screws, rivots, etc... Sure I check all the ones that make it through the screen anyhow, because you never know if it was some small piece of jewelry now and then.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Here's a link to some pix of my sand scoop. Notice this is also arm/wrist mounted for single arm action. Once you get used to this setup, of never having to bend over, you'll never go back to anything else again

 

[occy]

Tom, looking serious there, but those holes look big, might miss a stud.

 

[TxMike]

Sometimes when beach hunting, I just use a shovel for quick and dirty digging. Locating the target doesn't seem to take any longer but you are bending over more to sort through the dug sand.

 

[robbor]

thanks all, i added a SS lip to the beach brute. I still need to find some screen and saw the tyewrap idea.
See the new thread above ,"
[h=1]First attempt at SS scoop lip[/h]
I sure hope i find one piece of gold monday. cheers

 

[stavr]

apertures in a scoop selected based on:
1) soil.
2) the type and model of the MD.
3) the expected objectives.


I make a hole in my scoop stavrscoop.com
Hex 6.4mm \ 9.5mm \ 12.7 mm
round 9mm \ 10mm

 

[Sandman]

Also remember that when digging a target in the wet sand, waves help sift the sand out of the basket so no shaking is needed.

 

[Jason in Enid]

Yes, hole size matters, and yes I have lined a scoop with screen.

For about a decade I have been using an RTG monster scoop with 5/8 inch holes. My only problem was all the small targets falling through. Even pulltab tails fall through, so I lined it with 1/4 inch mesh. It makes it much harder to sift wet sand, but I don't lose those tiny targets.

How I did it: I bought a roll of wire cloth from Lowes. It comes with a length of a single piece of wire wrapped around it to hold it in shape. Cut out a piece to fit the bottom and a piece to line the inside. Then use the piece of single wire to thread through the holes to "sew" the screen into the scoop. Oh, make sure you get galvanized screen.