| the simple water vessel that it is, building a raft out of | | | | one opts to construct. |
| equally simple materials is no complicated tasks given | | | | Start the actual construction by cutting some of the 2 |
| that one knows the precise steps of constructing one. | | | | x 10” boards into half and then attaching them |
| The raft has always been one of man’s | | | | to full-length 2 x 10” boards with a blocking of 2 |
| trustiest vessels in carrying him across bodies of | | | | x 4”. Screw the pieces together with marine or |
| water. Distinguished by its lack of a hull, which is | | | | galvanized iron screws coupled with the use of |
| something that most of other boats have, it is perhaps | | | | countersinks. After this, attach the side boards to the 2 |
| the most basic among all of the water vessels that | | | | x 4” blocking at the raft’s middle and the |
| man has ever made. Even though, the raft has always | | | | third positions. With some screws and blocking, fasten |
| been one of the most used boat-type for travel over | | | | four side walls together. Locate the floor joists in the |
| water as its simplicity makes it one of the easiest | | | | raft and cut them to 7’ in length. 2 x 10” |
| floating structure to craft since one only needs | | | | board sections are then attached from center point to |
| everyday materials and the essential know-how to | | | | center point all across the box. One can now fasten |
| construct the raft. | | | | the floor joists as needed. |
| To build one’s own DIY raft, one needs the | | | | The marine foam now can be cut and attached to the |
| following materials: a decking, some screws and bolts, | | | | spaces present between the joists. Apart from filling in |
| a ratchet, some marine foam, some pressure treated | | | | the spaces, foams also add to the buoyancy of the |
| lumber with some sawed into sizes of 2 x 10”, | | | | raft, an aspect that is crucial in all floating devices. As |
| and some paper and pencil. For the tools, one needs a | | | | with all foaming materials, a hotwire or a knife is the |
| circular saw (though table saw will suffice), a drill with a | | | | perfect cutting tool. |
| full bit set, a hammer, and a knife. | | | | After the essential parts of the raft have been built, |
| To start building the raft, one first needs to determine | | | | one can now turn to the decking. Like the weight and |
| what size and weight one’s raft will be. Building | | | | height of the raft, constructing the decking rests mainly |
| a heavy and large raft will be obviously more durable | | | | upon one’s preferences in the weight, durability, |
| as far as traversing the waters is concerned but | | | | and practicability aspects of one’s raft. |
| constructing a lightweight and small one will enable one | | | | Building one’s own raft is an easy project to |
| to easily transport the raft from one body of water to | | | | accomplish as long as one has sufficient supply of the |
| another. It is entirely up to one’s preferences as | | | | necessary materials and the requisite expertise for |
| the building procedure will be the same no matter what | | | | building simple structures such as the raft. |