TenOunce Tone
tony
G'day all,
Well after the first attempt at a home made crevice tool failed under field conditions.. The scoop snapped off in mid scrape!! Don't worry, all gold was recovered!
I decided it was time to get serious..
Off to bunnings and $8.65 later I walked out with the following items..
Once back in the man lab..
I started to ponder how am I going to bend this steel, not having an oxy set or better still, a blacksmiths furnace in the man lab and having left my power to bend steel with my bare hands on the counter at Bunnings, I had a look around..
I spied the next door neighbors skip sitting there all green and big.. a few strategic pokes and thrusts and the steel was now in a condition I could start working..
I then lopped off a couple of centimeters off the end to make the angle a bit tighter and put 10mm marks along the edge so I knew how much of the pipe was over the steel rod.
I then started to tap the tube onto the rod and stopped at somewhere between the 20 and 30 mm mark..
I then cut the tube at about 90 mm leaving me with a 65 mm scoop.. a bit of grinder and pliers action later and i had crafted this..
I flipped the ends and clamped in the larger radius hook, this would become the Scraper / pick end of the tool..
I drew a couple of lines to a point on the rod so i had a bit of a guide to grind to.. twenty minutes later I had this..
Here is a close up of the tip..
I know it is only "mild steel", I will more than likely have to re sharpen it a few times but it should get the job done, remember its a crevice tool, not an excavator..
The main inspiration came from seeing a few scoop picks on line in the states, after paying $20us and then $30 postage I thought there has to be a better way.. at $8.65 for parts and the bonus, I got to use my Grinder!
I think I did well.
I will let you know how it goes on the next deep crevice I come across..
Cheers, Tone
Well after the first attempt at a home made crevice tool failed under field conditions.. The scoop snapped off in mid scrape!! Don't worry, all gold was recovered!
I decided it was time to get serious..
Off to bunnings and $8.65 later I walked out with the following items..

Once back in the man lab..
I started to ponder how am I going to bend this steel, not having an oxy set or better still, a blacksmiths furnace in the man lab and having left my power to bend steel with my bare hands on the counter at Bunnings, I had a look around..
I spied the next door neighbors skip sitting there all green and big.. a few strategic pokes and thrusts and the steel was now in a condition I could start working..

I then lopped off a couple of centimeters off the end to make the angle a bit tighter and put 10mm marks along the edge so I knew how much of the pipe was over the steel rod.
I then started to tap the tube onto the rod and stopped at somewhere between the 20 and 30 mm mark..
I then cut the tube at about 90 mm leaving me with a 65 mm scoop.. a bit of grinder and pliers action later and i had crafted this..

I flipped the ends and clamped in the larger radius hook, this would become the Scraper / pick end of the tool..
I drew a couple of lines to a point on the rod so i had a bit of a guide to grind to.. twenty minutes later I had this..

Here is a close up of the tip..

I know it is only "mild steel", I will more than likely have to re sharpen it a few times but it should get the job done, remember its a crevice tool, not an excavator..
The main inspiration came from seeing a few scoop picks on line in the states, after paying $20us and then $30 postage I thought there has to be a better way.. at $8.65 for parts and the bonus, I got to use my Grinder!
I think I did well.
I will let you know how it goes on the next deep crevice I come across..
Cheers, Tone