Innovative Contraptions?

[RockPile]

Just how involved and/or experimental have any of you been with looking for things? Has anyone created anything cool for excavating or sifting?

Any cool underwater contraptions out there?

I bring it up because I was staring at a silverware dispenser at work and realized that it would make a perfect scoop for sifting with the addition of a handle. Because of the way my mind works I instantly jump to thoughts about using tight chicken-wire and PVC to create a dredge/sifter. I'll never do it. It's just fun to think about.

 

[V. G. McGillicuddy]

Hmmm... Well, I plan on building two underwater veiwing devices in the near future. They will clamp onto the railing on each side of my boat, and my two passengers can scan the bottom for stuff as we move along at trolling speed.

-McGill

 

[Cacia]

Do you realize that the Hawaiian surfing great Duke Kahanamoku fashioned one of the first contraptions like that prior to freediving in Hawaii? I just read about this this morning. They would swim along with these boxes and peer down to the bottom and impale fish with their spears. This was before the first bamboo snorkel mask arrived to Hawaii from the Orient!

 

[RockPile]

That's pretty cool about the Duke.

And let me know if you encounter any challenges with the windows you use. I'm in the process of building an observation dome to be hidden in the depths of my favorite body of water. The real challenge I've encountered is designing a purge for the top of the dome.

JB

 

[Cacia]

wow, that's nuts. better get it all dialed in before you take auntie down!

 

[RockPile]

Depends which aunt... er, nevermind.

For the record I'm erring on the side of optimism about getting this project off the ground.

JB

 

[Cacia]

well, thats cool. take pictures. keep us posted!

 

[ScubaToneDog]

I have toyed with the idea of a portable dredger. My idea is a short piece (about 18") of 3" PVC and an electric motor driven impeller to pull silt away when I get a hit with my metal detector. I looked at the local hobby shop and found a nice motor and prop for a RC boat for about $50.The rechargeable battery pack could be fitted into a separate canister on the side. Add a handle and a sealed switch and it would suck a lot of silt and sand. Run time could be about 30 minutes continuous use. I got the idea from Mythbusters. The episode with the diver getting sucked into a fire fighting helicopter and being dropped in a forest fire...anyway, the only problem with this set up is, its way more bulk than I want to take down just to find a rusty bolt. I have a metal detector, a thigh goodie bag and a submersible PI pin pointer...BUT it might be handy when I have to uncover that pirate chest filled with Dubloons!!!!

 

[Walter]

I built an air lift, but I rarely use it.

 

[ScubaToneDog]

Surface supplied or via pony bottle?