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Stainless or Aluminium Scoop?

To bend Grade 5 titanium to a 90 degree bend would take an inside radius about 9 or 10 times the metal's thickness.
Cutting a grove will only guarantee it will break at the grove if making a sharp bend.

You can mig weld titanium... but you better check the price of a roll of wire first!! Tig welding is the best and cheapest way to weld light gauge titanium.
It wouldn't be necessary to preheat the titanium before welding, it being a light gauge.
 
Welding metals with chromium/nickel alloys is considered a carcinogen and has showed a statistically significant increase in lung cancers. This will be most stainless steels and regular alloy steels of high strength, such as 4130, etc.
Aluminum is considered to be a safer metal to weld,,, if that's possible!?

The arc light can burn your skin in a few minutes and your eyes in less than 5 seconds. I've had my eyes swelled shut twice in the last 41 years... yes, it's like having ground up glass in both eyes! You can get skin cancer from the arc over time, if exposed. And if you fabricate metal and you're not getting cut more than a butcher, or burned more than a baker... you're not doing metal fabrication!
 
the new version of my scoop "excavator" v5.1 stainless steel I got the weight of 0.9kg with sufficient strength.
not see any reason for doing commerce scoop of titanium with a weight of 0.6-0.68kg and cost 3 times more expensive.
for myself- yes.
 
That Hex structure is probably the strongest there is, the stress is perfectly shared thats why the bees use it, how we can learn from nature.....
 
Stavr...
Great looking scoop!!
A two pound stainless scoop! What's this world coming to!:)
Questions...
-What gauge stainless is the scoop made from?
-What diameter and length is the wood handle?

DBA...
Any tool can be broke if not used within the intended design!
The tools that last longer are the ones made stronger...
but we all know people who can wreck an anvil!

kered...
Triangles are the strongest geometric shape... but they are real hard to drill!!:rofl:
 
is not just a beautiful instrument, they have to dig up a small pot of gold ... :)
using 1,5-2mm steel.
for the enhanced version and the version only for the water part 2,5 mm.
the size of a wooden or fiberglass handle diameter 31mm (length usually 1,1-1,2 m), handle not included.
but you can get paid to handle oversized delivery.
 
:oops: i should have added with the greatest opening to drain, don't know about drilling triangles but i have some that make square holes in wood:)
 
Don't despair, kered...

Many say the triangle is the strongest "geometric shape"...
and some say the circle is the strongest "structural shape"...
But most agree that in nature, the sphere is the strongest 3-d shape.

I'm not a mechanical engineer... but I would say it would depend on the direction of the "force".
You'll notice if the force is pushing outward, such as a air tank, silo, etc... the shape is round...
If the force is inward, as a load carrying structure such as a bridge, the shape is triangle.

But the circle is about the most efficient for the area of the shape in the amount of material being removed in a sand scoop.

-Wayne
 
wavecrazed...

I don't know any way to weld or braze stainless to aluminum that would give you good results.
About the only way that would last any time at all would be to use solid rivets or button head screws with nuts to hold the stainless piece(s) to the front edge of your scoop.
If the area you hunt has rocks mixed with the sand, the best thing to do may be to replace your scoop with a scoop made from stainless?

-Wayne
 
STAVR..You scoop looks really nice and I'll bet it's fantastic in the nice soft sand. Don't think it would last 5 minutes around here as it's rock, rock, and more rock. Some are big and some are small but they all lay together to form a bottom surface that you could drive a tank on. The moral to the story is use need the proper tool for the proper application. Where I live, in Washington State, a lake bottom that is any other than tough rock is a fantastic find. I use the Nutall Diamondhead and it has been totally strong enough to hit the rocks. When I happen to stumble onto one of those nice beaches with sand or mud, it digs fine too. The only drawback to that product is the weight. But...I drag it alongside and if it's a bit softer substrate, I get a line drawn showing me where i have been. I have talked with number9 and I am going to make a scoop just like the Diamondhead out of titanium for a winter project. That pointy tip is the only thing that will allow you to work down through the rocks. The smooth bill lip on the other scoops just hit more rocks at one time because of the larger surface area. It is easier to butcher a cow with a knife than it is with a spatula. Jim
 
Jim, how do you tie a rope/cord onto the shaft? on my other scoop i welded a SS swivel in the top to stob the cord twisting but the diamondhead shaft being fiberglass you can't. just looking for some other ideas as i have the cord tied round the shaft at mo and a swivel on the end that hooks onto my belt but it still wraps up at times
 
Tried to take a picture but camera's on the blitz.

Heres a link, http://www.btmcorp.com/toglloc.html

If you can find someone in your area with one these they're stronger than rivets!!!

Steve
 
grumpyolman. make sense to Diamondhead from titanium.
titanium need to work on the land rather than water.
 
I did call the folks at Nutall and asked about tying a lanyard to the handle. They said I could drill a hole through it but I would have to make sure I got it sealed after drilling as it contains air and that's what makes the handle float. I've dropped mine a few times and if you are not over 48" deep it's easy to find the bobbing handle. if you are over 48" and you don't have good visibility, you are going to have to find a diving/snorkeling friend to do some looking for you. The head will stay on the bottom but the shaft will try to get to the surface. The head will win but it should be easy to locate with the handle sticking up vertically 48" from the bottom.
Drilling the hole and all will have no effect on the integrity of the unit. I love the fiberglass and won't go back to metal. When I build my titanium scoop, I'll try to buy a fiberglass handle locally, shipping something that long incurs increased shipping costs, and if I can't find one I like I'll order one from the Nutall folks. Jim
 
If you drilled one side of your hole then shot expansion foam ( get latex) in the hole. let it dry then re-drill all the way through. It should maintain bouyancy and seal the rest of the shaft.
 
In 1982 I built this scoop (my "Poor Man's Backhoe") of welded stainless steel and last year I replaced the handle with aluminum to reduce its weight to 11
Lbs.

[attachment 145108 SandScoopPoorMansBackhoe008.jpg]

At 68 years of age and 240 odd pounds I still manage to dig and dump this bucket into a sifter.

It has moved mountains of sand and cobble-stones in its lifetime and is still in good shape.

I designed the handle to allow me maximum control during every moment of the digging process and it has performed flawlessly for many years.

I have never seen another like it or one that can do the heavy work it does as well as it does!!

The handle is sealed with epoxy and with a small piece of plastic "floatie" glued on floats nicely so I have never had a problem reaching it any time I want!

The bucket rests nicely on the bottom and has never tried to "float away" even in some pretty heavy surf, I must admit though, we have no "rip tides" here!!

It has never needed a tether or lanyard!

I have a second one and anyone wishing to join me for a trial run is most welcome.

The design is available for anyone to use and it is simple to build.

Copy it if you please and you will never be sorry!!

CJ

PS If you are used to a scoop with a one shaft handle this arrangement may seem cumbersome, however it is a pleasure to use and after an hour or so of working with this digger you will wonder how you ever thought any other design was acceptable!!
 
I guess, I must be a "Wimp"! :lmfao:

A 11 pound scoop is 4 1/2 times the weight of "Ti"... even the Nuttall is 2 1/4 times its weight...
and I was thinking about ways to make it lighter?
I just don't think my bony butt could carry a scoop with a weight of over 6 pounds all day and enjoy it.
 
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