The Uncommon River Raft

This is a fun way to build a "cheap" raft.  It is a fun and easy project and will be a buttload of fun once you are finished with it.  You will need materials, though, and they don't come cheaply (namely a dollar).  Instead, each item can cost anywhere from 1$ to 20$.  Anyway you will need:
                
                      4straight poles, 6-10 ft. long and 3-4 inches in diameter
                      3 shorter poles of the same diameter
                      At least 200 ft. of 3/16 of an inch rope (or 100 8-10 inch bolts and nuts)
                      At least 9 five-twenty gallon size buckets
                      Planks or boards for the deck
                      Hammer, nails and a pair of scissors

 And have lots of fun!!

(P.S. This is a very, very confusing instructable, so feel free to ask questions.  Oh, and the idea for the raft is to have the length double the size of the width.)
                   

 

Step 1 Building the Frame

Lay the end of one of the shorter poles over the end of a longer one and at the right angles and lash them together with the nylon cord or with the bolts (if you don't know what lashing is, look it up on google). Then lay the other end of the shorter pole over the end of  a second long pole, and lash them together.  Then lash the free ends of the long poles to the shorter ones.  In other words, you're going to want to make a rectangle for the frame.

Comments

[hawgrider1200]

We made rafts in the late 70's with inner tubes, big C130 innertubes. Did not work realy well for holding up the weight of a wooden frame. What does work good are those 55gal plastic drums. U must use a very surdy maerial for he rudder though. elecrical conduit is a no go.

[cbowser]

so is this you? http://raftplan.com/innertuberaft.aspx

just wondered where I should look at the plans really.

[buddha704]

wouldn't the roof act as a sail and drag you around the water backwards ?

[hightekrednek2396]

i had an idea like this except i used 5 gallon buckets and lids filled them with expending foam and bolted them to a 4x8 sheet of plywood and it would be loke a pontoon boat

[l8nite]

You said to use 5gal buckets but one drawing looks like innertubes and one looks like 55gal drums, a photograph would be so much clearer

[Lokisgodhi]

You can't photograph something that hasn't been built.

[rock climber]

I think it is a cool design but it seems like it would take a lot of effort to power it.

[sparkplugs]

it would be simple to add a motor from a old boat

[zimmemic25]

*signed* the water would go between the containers and slow down the boat.

[l8nite]

You said to use 5gal buckets but one drawing looks like innertubes and one looks like 55gal drums, a photograph would be so much clearer

[cavale]

 So, have you actually built a raft?

[remscheid1]

Can u just put the pictures on next one you do.(DON'T NEED TO PUT YOUR SELF IN IT)

 

[Kiteman]

Is this just a design concept, or do you have photos of the real thing?