Make an Ultralight Potty Trowel Mk 3(41g)

Background

After the Mk 1 and Mk 2 I decided to resolve the issues with the Mk 1 and Mk 2 by removing the need for welding and also to trim the weight a little. The result is the Mk 3. It does not look much like a trowel but works very nicely. I've now created a Mk4 which is even lighter ...

Design Features

Because I wanted to use rivets (which will flex) instead of welding I wanted to review how the trowel was constructed. The main weakness of the Mk 2 was the flex in the centre of the trowel.

I solved both of these issues by making the centre of the trowel the strongest part.

For really tough ground I've put a small point onto the handle. This is very strong when you consider that stock aluminium is being used.

Materials

• 44cm of 25x10x1.5mm L shaped aluminium.
• 5 or more rivets

Construction

This is very simple!

The two pieces are clamped together so that they can be cut as one. I cut the basic shape of the trowel by cutting straight or diagnoal lines with a saw and then blending those lines using a file.

All corners and edges have been rounded off.

The rivets were fitted using a hand-rivetter. It couldn't really get in close enough to do a proper job and so the rivets were finished by hand using a metal vice as an anvil and a hammer.

How to Use

It's not actually used as a trowel. It's used more like a trenching tool. You hold the trowel with the blade facing towards you and down and then pull/dig downwards towards you. Imagine a cat scratching a hole and you get the idea.

Field Testing

It happily will dig up my lawn. It will be on my next trip out.

Upgrading

If you wanted to you could rivet on a back-plate.