Make Your Own Gear – A Titanium Potty Trowel

Well , Steve Jobs and Co "re-invented" the Xerox Alto…
Franco

> Bill Fornshell and Eric Nobles … they elevated the lowly scoop into a piece of art

Oh, I entirely agree. In fact, it was almost certainly their efforts which made me think of making my version. But I wanted something slightly different.

When the handle is simple, as in Bill's elegant design, the whole thing can twist in a sort of spiral manner. And the handle (even when dipped) can be a bit rough to hold if you really have to hack at the ground. Maybe our soil is a bit harder than Bill's – 'hack' (dagger fashion) is the operative word. I wanted a handle which was more 3-D and solid.

In fact, one could say that it is only in the handle region that my design differs. True enough. But having tried both sorts of handles on our soil, I find the solid handle much easier to use in the field.

Cheers

Borrowing from another poster –

Condolences.

Personally I don't care if its been done before, I don't have time to search through thousands of old threads so I'm glad good ideas get published twice.
Actually that sounds like a cool "rainy day" project. Personally I hate trying to dig with my current trowel so this is something I'll have to check out. Thanks for the detailed instructions.
Luke

How is this anything like the apple-window's anecdote? Seriously, this is a trowel. Not exactly the kind of design that sees radical change very often. If anything, the trowel that Bill made (in the referenced thread, did he make others?) is much more of a copy/ripoff than this one. It uses thinner titanium and then had some extra engineering for strength. Hardly unique in either regard. I find it ironic that you made the comment that you did Bill. How is your design any less of a "Bill Gates" move?

Roger's trowel, much like Bills, uses some engineering to overcome an issue that Roger saw with the handles of current titanium trowels. His solution, in my opinion, probably works better than what Bill did. I think it would be more comfortable to hold and much less likely to twist or crease. I think using the same physics behind the design of shovels is a neat idea and that it was well implemented. I really don't get how this trowel is more of a copy than what anyone else has done. Is it because he used hose clamps for shaping like Eric did? Eric's trowel in that same thread is a complete rip off of the montbell design so yeah..

If anything, I like the PVC trowel in the referenced thread. I think I might make one of those! Thanks Red!

I agree the handle has got to be an improvement. I used a titanium MSR Blizzard Stake for ages but even wrapped in gaffer tape the handle was awkward in hard soil.

So I now copy another of Roger's ideas – I use a cut-down Coghlans potty trowel since that has a far more comfy handle.

Besides, these MYOG articles are surely as much about inspiration and information on working with the materials as they are purely for slavishly following.

Yeah, you definitely made clear why you started your design, I was simply wondering why you think what Roger did deserved the comment you made.

Heh, Bill, you do make good designs! :-)

Tough crowd in this thread.

> I would pay to watch / read about how he makes one of his tents.

Ah, Bill – that might take a small book, not a short MYOG article! The development work took me years.

Maybe one day.

Cheers

I don't understand the negativity in the comments here either. But it seems to be smoothing over now.

For the record, Roger's articles were the main reason I decided to renew my membership to BPL. They're always informative and they bypass so much of the mindless consumerism that underlies a lot of this site.

Given the above (and the fact that I can't find a reasonably light 4 season tent that is long enough to fit me), I think it's high time you (Roger) spill the beans on how to make a Caffin tent. ;)

Roger's tents…
In case you have not been paying attention, the "problem" with Roger's tents is that they are not easy (economically viable…) to manufacture, however they could be a great DIY if you have the time and the skills . I have plenty of time and no skills neither the patience to learn.
But here are enough pictures, drawings and comments to get you started.

http://www.bushwalking.org.au/FAQ/DIY_RNCSummer.htm
Maybe Roger will accept donations for his efforts….

BTW, there is a winter tent link there too as well as many other DIY projects in the other pages.
http://www.bushwalking.org.au/FAQ/DIY_RNCDesigns.htm

Or start here
http://www.bushwalking.org.au/FAQ/FAQ_Index.htm
Franco

I don't mean to be a wet blanket all the time, but one of those orange plastic trowels they've been selling for over 20 years (mine are 25 y.o.) only weighs in at under 65g.