How to Make an Inner Tube Raft

An inner tube raft is good for rivers and lakes with slow currents and few snags. Because they handle sluggishly, water with fast currents can cause quick trouble for these boats. Because inner tubes can puncture, areas full of snags can sink your raft. The construction project itself is relatively simple. In many cases, the trouble will be finding enough truck tire tubes to get started.

Things You'll Need

  • 8 tractor or truck inner tubes, size 10-20
  • 3 beams, 2-by-4 inches, 45 inches long
  • 2 beams, 2-by-4 inches, 96 inches long
  • 1 plywood sheet, 3/4-by-45 inches, 96 inches long
  • 4 beams, 2-by-4 inches, 76 inches long
  • 3-inch wood screws
  • 16 lengths of cotton rope, 3-feet long each
  • Power drill
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Instructions

    • 1

      Form a rectangle with both 96-inch beams and two 45-inch beams. Connect them at the corners, shorter beams on the inside, with two screws at each corner.

    • 2

      Place the third 45-inch beam in the middle of the rectangle. Attach it just as you did the end pieces.

    • 3

      Lay the plywood sheet across the top of the frame. Attach it with screws at each corner. Reinforce the long sides with four screws per side and the short sides with two screws per side. Space the reinforcing screws evenly along each side.

    • 4

      Flip the platform over. Lay the eight remaining beams on the underside frame, perpendicular to the long beams of the platform.

    • 5

      Space out the beams, laying one each at the 12-inch, 36-inch, 60-inch and 84-inch marks. Lay the beams so they are on their sides (the 4-inch face) rather than the ends (the 2-inch face). Screw them in place with two screws at each point the beams cross another beam. This will form a total of eight protruding supports for inner tubes.

    • 6

      Attach one inner tube to each protruding support, spaced so they touch at the center of the raft. Tie each tube to the support using two lengths of rope. Tie tightly. The cotton rope will swell when wet, reinforcing your knots.