How to Convert to a Self Bailing Raft Using Closed Cell Foam

Converting a bail raft into a self-bailing raft using closed cell foam saves money and allows you to make the modification yourself, without expertise in raft manufacture or repair. Closed cell foam is buoyant, is tear-resistant and has high tensile and compressive strength in relation to other foams. Using closed cell foam, as opposed to replacing the bail raft floor with a self-bailing floor, does not sacrifice bailing performance. Closed cell foam can be custom ordered to match the dimensions of your raft.

Things You'll Need

  • Customized closed cell foam
  • Marker
  • 132 No. 3, 7/16-inch grommets and flanges
  • Two-part grommet die
  • 7/16-inch round-hole drive punch
  • Steel-head punch mallet
  • 2 foot, 2-by-4-inch board
  • 2-part epoxy glue
  • Mixing stick
  • 6-inch wide paintbrush
  • 12 cinder blocks
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Instructions

  1. Creating Drain Holes and Punching Grommets

    • 1

      Deflate the raft entirely with the bottom of the raft's floor facing down. Around the entire perimeter of the floor, 2 inches apart, 3 inches inside the threshold where the raft's floor is glued to its tubes, mark an X where you will punch drain holes for grommets.

    • 2
      Round hole drive punches and steel-head mallet

      Place a 2-foot, 2-by-4-inch board under the raft between the raft's floor and the ground beneath the first 12 X's you choose to punch. Center the 7/16-inch round-hole drive punch over the first X you are going to punch. Punch through the floor's material with the drive punch using the steel-head punch mallet, replacing each X with a grommet hole. Proceed around the entire perimeter of the raft's floor with the punch drive and mallet until each X is replaced with a grommet hole.

    • 3
      Small fabric grommets similar to those used for rafts

      Place the 2-foot, 2-by-4-inch board under the raft, between the raft's floor and the ground, beneath the first hole you choose to grommet. From beneath the raft, between the raft's floor and the 2-by-4-inch board, place a grommet flange in the hole. Under the flange, on top of the board, place the base of the grommet die. From the top of the raft's floor, place a grommet in the same hole. Punch the grommet, using the grommet die, into the flange with the steel-head mallet. Use this method to grommet each hole in the floor.

    Gluing Closed Cell Foam to Raft's Floor

    • 4

      Pour the hardener of the two-part glue into the resin container. Stir the resin and hardener together with the stir stick.

    • 5

      Evenly spread the two-part glue over the entire surface of the perimeter of the top of the floor of the raft with the paint brush, 1 inch inside the floors grommets. Do not apply glue closer than 1 inch from the grommets -- or 4 inches from the perimeter threshold where the floor is glued to the raft's tube. No more than 1/16 inch thickness is required when applying the glue.

    • 6

      Set the foam floor atop the glue-applied portion of the rafts floor, careful to leave the grommets exposed as this is where the river water drains out of the floor of the raft.

    • 7

      Lay the cinder blocks on the foam floor, evenly spaced over the entire foam floor so as to apply pressure between the raft floor and the foam floor as they rest atop the floor of the working area. Allow the glue to adhere for 24 hours.