How to Build Rafts

A summer of fun can be had with the simplest raft built from things that may be right at hand or easy to come by. A good wooden raft can be heavy so know that it will take some muscle to get it to the water when you are ready to play Huckleberry Finn. The bigger the raft the more stable it will be. Draw the raft on paper and get the materials ready before you build. The basic raft plan can be adapted to any size and outfitted in any way that pleases.

Things You'll Need

  • 2 logs 61 inches long
  • 11 planks 1-by-2 inch and 3 feet long
  • Handsaw
  • Three lengths of furring strip, 2 feet long and 1 1/2-inches by 3/4-inches
  • 2 dozen 3-inch nails
  • 1 dozen 2-inch nails
  • Hammer
  • Three 1-inch-thick sheets of Styrofoam 56 inches long and 24 inches wide
  • 1 quart of varnish or boat paint
  • 1 varnish brush
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Instructions

    • 1

      Cut each log to the length of 61 inches with a handsaw. Place the two logs two feet apart on the work surface. The harder the wood the longer the raft will last. Thicker and heavier logs will make the raft more stable.

    • 2

      Cut each 1-by-2-inch plank to the length of 3 feet and fasten the planks to them with 3-inch nails. The planks will form the deck of the raft.

    • 3

      Turn the raft over and place three 1-inch-thick sheets of Styrofoam between the logs, fitting them tightly into the 2-foot space between the support logs. Nail three 1 1/2-inch by 3/4-inch furring strips over the foam to hold it in place, and nail them to the logs with 2-inch nails. This may require toe-nailing the nails into the logs; take care not to tear the Styrofoam.

    • 4

      Turn the raft over again and varnish the deck. The raft will be roughly 5 feet by 3 feet. A larger raft can be built by adding more logs and longer planks. Do not try to make a wider raft unless you put in one log for each 2 feet of width.