Making my own water scoop

digitall · Jan 3, 2016

Bought some 14 gauge SS and used cardboard to make a copy of the scoop I want to make. Also purchased a 1 1/2 inch SS tube for the handle and will use a wood handle fitted into that.
Wanted a hole design to save the small stuff like ear-rings that I have been missing. Have to try this hole design to see if it works for me.
Attached is a pic of the main section of the scoop ready for bending(on the lines)with a metal brake and then welding this to the top section with the handle(not shown). The handle will also have some braces from the top of the scoop up to the handle for additional strength.
After this is welded together I will form fit the back section and weld it to this section. The back section will also have 3 rows high of small holes and then the bigger holes above that.
I plan on using 16 gauge SS for the back section to cut down on wt and hope this is strong enough.
The winter blues have set in and this helps me cope.

CTCurt · Jan 3, 2016

Nice looking design. Can't wait to see pics when done.... :yes:

Mud-puppy · Jan 3, 2016

Dude! Sweet! Where are you at in West MI? I'm over by MKG...you see that aluminum one I built down here on the Forum a little?

Yep, a guy needs something to do in the Winter, and building a scoop is a good thing! Maybe we should get together and dink around a little? Its always good to sit around in a shop and make something...I contemplated doing a run of a dozen of mine and selling them in 'kit' form so a guy just has to drill the holes whatever size or pattern they prefer and bolt it all together...
Mud

Briman05 · Jan 3, 2016

I would add some braces on the handle

joee5 · Jan 4, 2016

What's the total material/tool costs and labor cost estimate?
Just outta curiosity

digitall · Jan 4, 2016

Material & tools needed for scoop

I bought the 14 gauge SS for $30 and that is enough for 2 scoops and the braces for the handles.
The 16 gauge SS, just some scrap, maybe $5.
The iron company always has a scrap pile and you can get this SS from that.

Wood handle- $6-$7.
SS tubing, I had some left over, maybe $3.(scrap pile)
2 SS bolts for the handle, maybe $5.

Tools:
I use a 4 1/2 cutting disc to cut out the SS.
You need a drill press to drill the holes. Drill slow, use drilling oil and cool the bit with water between each hole. Good cobalt bits are expensive and you can burn them up with the heat generated.
I hire the welder and the metal brake-around $25. Make sure he has experience in welding SS and look at some of his welds. Tip, the two top, front welds are the stress points and I will have an extra small L shaped piece welded at these two spots-welds on my old scoop broke at these two spots.

digitall · Jan 4, 2016

Welding SS

This is an example of a nice welding job on SS.

Jason in Enid · Jan 4, 2016

Nice looking design, I can't wait to see your finished project. I would advise against going thinner on the back plate! This is going to take the majority of the stress. This is what you are stomping on to push it into the sand / mud / shells / rocks. This is also where your bracing should be tied into, so every time you pull back on the handle, the stress goes here. If it fails, you could collapse the bucket.

GroundSweeper · Jan 4, 2016

Pretty nice looking :thumbsup:

digitall · Mar 4, 2016

Making homemade scoop

Took a little vacation to a warmer climate for awhile and put my scoop making on hold.
Just received my scoops back from the welder for the first go around. Now have to cut out the back sections and drill the holes in them. Also have to cut out the braces for the handles. Then off to the welder for the final welds.

As you can see I made one scoop a little wider by adding 1/2 to the top piece and the bottom sections. I think I will keep the wider one and my hunting buddy gets the other one if he wants it.
Welding and bending prices have increased a little bit, this job for these two scoops cost me $100 but I am happy with his work.

Main portion of these scoops are made with 14 gauge SS and I am making the backs out of 16 gauge SS to cut down on the weight. Welding guy says the 16 gauge should be no problem for being strong enough for the back sections.

mpgandfun · Mar 4, 2016

Looks good. I started making a scoop from 14 gauge at my welding/fab school. I had to use mild steel. Aluminum & SS are too pricey for them to let students make their own projects with. I used the pentagonal form for my design.

I will post a thread here when its done.

Ice Scratcher · Mar 4, 2016

Looking great!

My only suggestion would be to put holes all the way to the front.. Around here anyway, in clay and certain muds, clumps will stick to anything that doesn't have holes! They are really tough to get off your scoop at times.. Even 1/8 or 1/4 inch holes would work, just need to release the vacuum effect...

I did just that to mine..

I noticed the clay would get stuck on the front only, I would have to pry it off, or slide it off. It would only stick to the smooth area. Without the holes there, a big chunk would be vacuumed in place. So I drilled more holes and now the whole scoop usually just shakes out. Works like a charm!

<°)))>{

digitall · Mar 6, 2016

Homemade scoop

This is my proposed brace for the handle. Do you think this is strong enough?
Bad thing is the total scoop with handle comes in around 7 lbs. The wood handle alone is 2 lbs. A fiber glass handle would be better but more $.

BentRod · Mar 6, 2016

Great job!

Jason in Enid · Mar 6, 2016

Yeah, that looks like it will be plenty strong enough as long as the welds are good! Everything is a trade-off. Want strength, you get weight. The only way to have strength and light weight is to trade a lot of $$$ for carbonfiber and titanium (and someone who can weld titanium)

Hdnsouth · Mar 6, 2016

Looks good hopefully it'll catch the earrings you've been loosing. And hopefully you don't have a pile in the corner of the shop where past ideas that didn't work out just right wind up I say this because I've got a few of them that didn't look or work out in the end like they did in my head in the beginning. But so far it looks great.

zeemang · Mar 11, 2016

If anything i would make it a bit more open topped, extend the front lip out more...
Looks really nice so far!

digitall · Mar 17, 2016

Homemade scoop

Done, ready for the water. Wish the welder had welded all around the L shaped reinforcements instead of just at the ends, but that may be OK. Little worried about the small holes being too small to flush the scoop to my satisfaction.
Can always drill those holes bigger I guess if I have too.

To be honest, with all the work and expense it is probably better to just go out and buy a scoop. The welding and bending expense of $70 per scoop was a big surprise to me, 5 yrs ago I paid only $25. Welder said he had to increase his hourly rate because of his health insurance costs!!!!!

Ricki7 · Mar 17, 2016

That's a good looking scoop Congrats on a nice job
HH

captbo · Mar 17, 2016

Handsome work,, I am building one as well ! but from aluminum,,,, only because I have it in the shop !

Making my own water scoop

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