Replacing Splintered wooden Sand Scoop Handle Advice

[NowandThenTreasures]

I was doing some recent lake & river hunting in some heavy muck and heard a few dreaded "cracks" while digging up targets.

The good news: luckily I did not loose my scoop in poor visibility

The bad news: I should replace my old wood handle sooner rather than later & I used lots of silicone sealant years ago when I attached the handle, so I figure getting all the old wood out of the stainless steel scoop won't be easy.

Thanks in advance for any tips & advice from those of you that have replaced wooden handles.

Any tool recommendations for getting the old splintered wood out or maybe even burning it out?

 

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[CASPER-2]

blowtorch

 

[flgliderpilot]

It'll come out. yes get a shovel handle. Drill a drain hole in the bottom of the pocket for the handle if there isn't one already.

I seal the end of my handle after grinding it down for fit.

 

[dewcon4414]

Two good things about a shovel handle..... you know they were made for hard work... and they already have a wooden dowel so both ends are sealed. I’ve had um in mine nearly 10 years and I’m no weekend hunter. You will have to measure that hole if there is no adjustment... not all scoops are the same.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

I've had the Stealth 920ix scoop for six years.

For handles I chose post hole digger handles. Had to stick the rounded end into the scoop, and have the squared end as my grip end. Not a problem there at all.

One advantage is that the handle floats upright, and it cost about $10.......

 

[CASPER-2]

I hunted with 2 TH'ers yrs ago with wooden handles
they were in salt water a lot with them and lucky for them (on different occasions)
when theirs broke off ...I was there with a spare long handle to let them borrow

 

[NowandThenTreasures]

Many thanks for the feedback.
The handle that broke is an old wooden handle that helped with thousands of scoops over many years.
I was considering a carbon fiber handle for ease in breaking down for airline travel.
Is carbon fiber my best option?

 

[ColonelDan]

Is carbon fiber my best option?

I think it is. I use nothing but carbon fiber on my Stealth 920 and 720. Steve Goss makes great ones for the Stealth, T-Rex and X-Treme series.

Steve's Detector Rods, home of Equinox and CTX 3030 carbon-fiber shafts and rods

Just the view from my foxhole....,

 

[NowandThenTreasures]

Thanks to all for the feedback!

In case anyone in the future is looking for help on this topic here's my update on what I did.

My 1st task: remove the splintered handle, which was held in place by an M5 40mm bolt/screw with some silicone in the pipe of the scoop.



I experimented with a little bit of everything, 1st using a drill, then a wood chisel and finally a tiger torch to remove any leftovers.



I purchased a carbon fiber shaft. The heat shrink tubing was needed on the end of the handle so it would fit snuggly in the pipe of the scoop.




I covered the open end of the CF handle with electrical tape



I did not have any paraffin wax to put on the heat shrink tubing, instead I used silicone (dielectric) grease on the end of the CF handle.
Once I had the handle in the scoop, I marked and drilled holes in the handle for the M5, 40mm bolt screw.



Below is a my newly improved sand scoop that seems perfect for travel as it now breaks down into 3, suit case sized pieces.
I can't wait to try it out in the near future!
I also can't believe how light (and strong!) the carbon fiber handle is compared to the bulkier one piece wooden handle which did very well for me, for many years!




My final task will be to put an "arrow" mark on the top end of my handle before I go out.
I found that it helps for more accurate "scoops" when water clarity is poor (which is a lot of the time for me).
Thanks again and best of luck to everyone on your next hunt!