Sometimes just crazy ideas are born in your head. One of these could be going down the river on a homemade raft. There is no need to immediately discard such thoughts, because they can develop into a wonderful adventure that you can then remember for the rest of your life. In general, it is worth seriously thinking about such an idea. But for such a trip you will need at least some kind of swimming device. There is one solution - a raft. Many people ask the question: “How to make a raft with your own hands?” Thanks to it you can easily and quickly go down the water. How to make a raft, from what materials - answers to these and other questions in this article.
What is a raft?
Surely everyone in childhood knew how to make a raft out of paper. It was possible to transport pebbles and figurines on it, organize competitions: who would swim first, and so on. But now you can go on a trip along the river yourself, making your childhood dream come true.
A raft is a simple floating device, thanks to which you can quickly get to the other side or go downstream. It can be used for various purposes: for survival, entertainment, participation in amateur competitions, in some environmental campaigns. The range of applications for the raft is quite large. What is its advantage over a boat? The fact is that it is very simple to make, and you get no less pleasure. The raft is lightweight, making it easier to transport or carry. So, how to make a raft with your own hands?
Raft made of plastic bottles
They say that many people who find themselves in an unusual life situation show miracles of intelligence and ingenuity. Others are driven to various experiments by lack of funds. Some people just want to “flex their brains” and create something completely unusual, earning the title of local Kulibin from those around them. As a result, original designs and structures are born that stun the imagination. Such as a house, a fence, a gazebo or a raft made of plastic bottles. Many are put off by the apparent complexity of the work, but the most difficult thing is to collect a huge amount of material. In some cases, small bottles are used, for other products you will need huge twenty-liter plastic bottles. As an engineer and designer, it's up to you to design the look and figure out the number of components needed. And then all that remains is to fold and rewind, connect and place on the frame. But let's take a closer look at the process of creating your own raft. Big or small, it’s up to you to decide – this article has all the options.
A little about materials
How to make a raft when there are no materials? And you don’t need a lot of things to create. You need to think: what material is very light, cheap and widespread at the same time? Plastic bottles fit all parameters perfectly. They can even be found on the banks of the same river. Vacationers leave behind a lot of garbage that would be useful for such a task.
To give even more buoyancy, you can use foam. It is also light and cheap. Surely everyone has boxes from under the TV or refrigerator, in which pieces of foam plastic are lying around.
Wood is an excellent material for a raft. In the old days, when there were no plastic bottles, such a swimming device was made only from it. But nowadays it is not necessary to make a raft only from wood if you have plastic containers. The characteristics of this wonderful material will be useful for the “deck” of the raft itself.
After the BP, the wisest thing to do would be to get out of the city, and this can be done in several ways, by land, by air and by water. By land everything is clear, by air - it’s too difficult to build an airplane, but by water there are several options... Most cities are located on the shores of the sea, river, bay and you can very successfully use them to get out of the city, or at least you need to cross them to getting to a place where it will be easier to continue on your way. Boats have high speed, but are extremely fragile, especially rubber ones. The engines are not guaranteed to work, so you will still have to row (there is a high probability). The most ideal option for river rafting is a raft, but where in the city can you collect the required amount of FLOATING wood?? and it’s impossible to control the raft, and it’s generally impossible to move against the current on a raft. The raft is also heavy; In short, it has many disadvantages. So what can you make a raft from in the city??? — My version is made from plastic bottles. At the dacha, I thought of this when I was 10 years old and immediately made a raft that still floats to this day. from which we can conclude that given the extreme simplicity of the design, any person ALONE will make it in a few hours. I then did it for exactly 1 day, this is what happened...
In this version of the raft there are only 4 bags, I don’t know the number of bottles exactly, but I can say that this raft can withstand 130 kg while there is still 2-3 cm above the water. We checked it personally, when another person (the Third) sat down, he went under water completely, we plunged knee-deep into the water, he held it for a couple of seconds, then simply turned over under the water and surfaced.)))
This raft becomes absolutely unsinkable with some modifications to the design. Even if you start shooting at him, he will still remain afloat, because... the internal system is similar to the system of modern ships in which, if part of the ship is damaged, only a couple of compartments are flooded and the ship itself remains afloat. In order to sink it, you need to break through EVERY bottle, and this takes a very long time. I would also like to add that the raft itself weighs very little; I can easily lift it above my head without making much effort. Which is also extremely important for the ship. It has a very small displacement, which, with a light load, means that you can sail on it against a small current, although the raft itself, even with a load, is very well controlled.
The Raft itself is made from plastic bottles with a volume of 1.5 or more. The bottles are tightly closed and placed in sugar, flour bags... (in short, ordinary white construction bags). Then these bags are attached to the body with what is there. I fastened it with nails, you can use ordinary rope, tape, or even just make a sandwich-shaped body, where you stuff bags between two boards. The bottles themselves are obtained very simply: We go to the nearest trash heap and collect as many as we need there. In half an hour, the two of us collected about 5 bags at the dacha, taking into account the fact that we only took the bottles lying on top, and then after we collected, there were still the same number left.)))
Next, I will give the experience of some other people from the Internet: These are the Bags.
In general, with special desire and patience, you can do something similar.
Or this, but it's not difficult.))
In general, you can make anything from a plastic bottle!)))
Where to Get Plastic Bottles. I decided not to copy-paste, but... I ABSOLUTELY agree with this author and wanted to write the same thing myself, I’ll save time and just give a link to a similar article
Several articles on a similar topic: VIDEO News
Let's get started
There are quite a few options on how to make a raft from bottles. Therefore, everyone has the right to modify their design in the way that is convenient for them. The first step is to prepare the materials. For us these are plastic bottles. You need to carefully inspect them for holes. They must be intact, otherwise water will simply accumulate in them. Each plastic bottle must be tightly screwed on with a cap and filled with air. This means that it should not be flattened. The more air in the container, the more buoyant the raft itself will be. When everything is ready, you can begin work on creating a swimming device.
Materials and tools
A raft is a floating device that can be constructed from a variety of materials. Traditionally, rafts are made of wood. At least that's what our ancestors did. It is important to consider that at that time they did not really have any alternatives.
However, is it possible to stop a modern person in a flight of fancy? Sometimes unique ideas are born in the heads of the “Kulibins”, embodying which they manage to create original swimming equipment from material that does not need to be purchased at all and incur financial losses. To create a swimming device, you can use recycled materials that have already completed their main “mission”.
A plastic bottle is an excellent material from which you can build a raft of a simple design, or, by allocating more time for work, you can even create a boat, catamaran, or mini-yacht. This depends on the desire of the performer himself.
To create an original raft, you need to prepare a sufficient number of plastic bottles. To improve buoyancy, you can additionally use foam. To connect plastic bottles into a single structure, you will need tape, twine, and ropes. Some options will also require tarpaulin bags and boards.
A raft made from plastic bottles can support the weight of even an adult. Sometimes craftsmen build rafts on which several people can simultaneously accommodate and feel comfortable.
Before you begin the practical construction of the raft, it is recommended to first prepare the bottles so that they will better float in the future.
Firstly, you should immediately reject containers in which even minor damage or holes are found. Secondly, it is better to avoid flattened containers. They will complicate the assembly process; in addition, a flattened container can no longer “boast” of good buoyancy.
Remove the stickers from each selected container, wash the bottles thoroughly and place them open in the freezer for a few minutes. Then they are removed, immediately screwed on with lids and left to lie in a warm room.
The container will gradually heat up, and the air inside the bottle will also heat up. The air pressure will increase, as a result of which this simple technique will give the container additional rigidity and density.
These qualities are especially important for a swimming device.
Create a raft
One unit during construction will be a block of bottles. It's very easy to make. For this you will need four bottles. When you connect them together, you get a square. That's exactly what we need. The construction of such blocks will turn out to be very strong and reliable. The most important thing is that it can be quickly repaired. If something happens to the block, it can be easily removed and replaced with a new one. Therefore, such a lightweight circuit is very easy to maintain and operate.
You need to fasten the bottles into a block using waterproof tape. For greater safety, it is best to secure yourself with a rope. The main thing is to twist them tightly so that it is rigid, otherwise the block will fall apart again.
Now all you need to do is just make blocks. How many are needed depends on the size of the raft and its carrying capacity. But the extra ones won't go to waste. Once a sufficient number of blocks have been made, you can begin to form sections. This is the next stage in dividing the raft. One section consists of several blocks. It is formed according to the width of the swimming device. If it is four blocks wide, then one section will combine them. This division will also make it easier to connect all the elements together and replace damaged bottles.
In this way, the blocks are combined into sections, which are then fastened together into a raft.
Options for placing plastic bottles
Below we present the most popular options for building a raft from plastic bottles.
Option 1: horizontal arrangement of bottles
This method of arranging the bottles is the simplest and is suitable for creating a small raft, similar to an air mattress (Figure 6). Accordingly, it is better not to take risks by testing such a structure for strength, for example, by rafting down the river. This type of boat is more suitable for relaxing on the seaside or for entertaining children.
To create such a raft you will need about a hundred plastic containers, depending on the desired size, and electrical tape or waterproof tape.
Figure 6. Horizontal arrangement of bottles
Connect the bottles together in the manner described above (dividing the entire area into blocks).
You can make sides or a “pillow” by connecting not four, but six bottles into blocks, and placing them along the edges of the vessel.
After you connect all the bottles to each other, arranging each row so that the necks of the bottles are connected to the bottoms of the next row, it would be useful to additionally wrap the sides of the raft with electrical tape to avoid damage from snags or sharp stones.
How to make a raft deck?
What is located on top can be called the deck. This is an important part where a person will be located with all his equipment. The base consists of two large wooden beams that fit the length of the raft. Then cross boards are attached on top. They can be installed every forty to fifty centimeters. Then you will need to attach a part of the bottles to these crossbars using ropes and tape. For greater convenience, it is best to lay a sheet of chipboard or plywood so that it covers the entire area of the raft. Thus, we have a flat surface on which to sit comfortably. To prevent everything from getting wet, it is best to cover this leaf with a thick tarpaulin. It would also be good to build yourself something like a hut so as not to get baked in the sun.
How to build a raft from barrels
How to Build a Raft from Barrels
To build a raft from barrels, you will need more expensive material than bottles, but this design allows you to achieve a higher landing above the water. To build a small raft from barrels, six 200-liter plastic containers are enough; to make a large raft, you will need about 20 barrels. They are airtight, plastic, but at the same time very durable. The tanks are located parallel to each other, like the pontoons of a catamaran. For the frame, a frame is made of beams with transverse crossbars, and each barrel is located, as it were, in its own compartment, which is limited by two crossbars and two beams. The barrels are attached to the frame with slings.
A deck of planks is laid on top of the frame. On a large raft, you can build an upper deck for relaxation from barrels. It is assembled from wooden posts, which are attached to the main deck with grooves. Since the weight of the finished structure is quite impressive, it is best to move the production of the raft to a place near the shore in the water. A large raft made of barrels is a good means for a relaxing holiday on the water, which can be equipped with a kitchen, tents for spending the night, shelter from rain and wind, etc.
By the way, with the help of plastic barrels you can make not only a mobile watercraft, but also a stationary pier on the river bank.
DIY raft made from plastic bottles
They say that many people who find themselves in an unusual life situation show miracles of intelligence and ingenuity. Others are driven to various experiments by lack of funds. Some people just want to “flex their brains” and create something completely unusual, earning the title of local Kulibin from those around them. As a result, original designs and structures are born that stun the imagination. Such as a house, a fence, a gazebo or a raft made of plastic bottles. Many are put off by the apparent complexity of the work, but the most difficult thing is to collect a huge amount of material. In some cases, small bottles are used, for other products you will need huge twenty-liter plastic bottles. As an engineer and designer, it's up to you to design the look and figure out the number of components needed. And then all that remains is to fold and rewind, connect and place on the frame. But let's take a closer look at the process of creating your own raft. Big or small, it’s up to you to decide – this article has all the options.
