How to make a DIY bottle raft

For active recreation on the water, it is not necessary to use professional watercraft. Fantasy, ingenuity and some tips that can be found in our article will help you build a raft from plastic bottles. The process of creating an alternative swimming facility not only gives a lot of positive emotions, but also helps to take care of nature by reducing the amount of non-recycled plastic.

What is a raft

A raft is a simple floating structure consisting of logs, boards or reeds tied together (Figure 1). You can consider it the oldest swimming means. With the help of a raft, you can cross to the other side of the river or go downstream. A huge plus of such a watercraft is the ease of manufacture and transportation.

Figure 1. The most common raft options

What materials can a raft be made from?

In our time, it is not at all necessary to build boats from wood (Figure 2). Modern materials come to the aid of a modern person, which are always within walking distance, and do not require large financial investments. For example, plastic bottles. The swimming structure of them will be quite strong and light, so it can not only withstand the weight of an adult, but is also very convenient to carry. For extra buoyancy, plastic containers can be combined with foam.

Figure 2. There are quite a lot of options available today when choosing materials for a raft.

Building a raft with your own hands will be interesting for children and adults, and will help to have fun, both in the process of creation and after.

Preparation of plastic bottles and other materials

To build your swimming facility, you will need plastic bottles. Depending on the volume, they may need a different amount. Also, for work you will need waterproof tape, and for some designs also canvas bags, ropes and boards (Figure 3).

In order to use the maximum volume of bottles, you must first prepare them.

Remove all labels from plastic containers, wash and place open bottles in the freezer for a while. After, take them out and immediately tighten the lids. When warm, the air inside the bottles will gradually heat up and expand. This technique will increase the air pressure inside the container and make it more rigid and dense.

Figure 3. Basic materials for making a raft from plastic bottles

If the appearance of your "vessel" is important to you, try to select bottles of the same color and size.

DIY bottle raft: step by step instructions

First you need to decide how many people your boat should accommodate. This affects the size of the vessel, its maneuverability, as well as the amount of materials and time spent on work (Figure 4).

Keep in mind that a single person raft will not only be easier to make, but will also be stronger, more stable and safer.

On the Internet you can find many options for building boats from plastic containers. Choose one of them, or come up with your own, based on the information found and your own experience. However, there are a few rules that apply to all options that will make your job easier and help make your raft as buoyant as possible.

Figure 4. The size of the raft depends solely on your needs and the availability of material.

Check all containers carefully for holes or cracks. The container must be intact, otherwise it will let water through.

Each bottle must be tightly screwed with a cap so that air does not escape from it. Do not use flattened containers. It is harder to connect it with others, and it has less buoyancy.

The easiest way is to divide the construction of a floating facility into blocks. Each block consists of four bottles, forming a square, held together with waterproof tape. This design layout is very convenient and reliable. From blocks, like a puzzle, you can assemble a shape of any size, and in which case, such “squares” can be easily replaced if they are damaged.

If desired, the blocks can be tied not only with adhesive tape, but also with rope. The main thing is that the bottles are twisted with each other as rigidly as possible, without wobbling, otherwise the structure will simply fall apart.

The next step in the construction is the division of the future raft into sections. They should consist of several blocks, and their number should be determined by the capacity and size of the future floating facility (Figure 5). Such a division will help achieve a more accurate assembly, and facilitate the replacement of containers that have become unusable.

Using a rope, you can make handle loops for convenient transportation of the boat.

Figure 5. An example of a raft with 2 and 8 sections

For maximum stability and strength of the vessel, you can make a deck of wooden planks. It will support the weight of an adult along with his equipment. Take two long slats or boards and tie them along the length of the structure. Further, either transverse strips can be attached to them, or a sheet of plywood can be laid on top. In order to prevent the deck from getting wet from splashes, it is advisable to cover it with a tarpaulin or thick oilcloth.

If you are planning a long trip, set up a little shelter for yourself from the sun.

Options for the location of plastic bottles

Below we present the most popular options for building a raft from plastic bottles.

Option 1: Horizontal arrangement of bottles

This way of arranging the bottles is the simplest, and is suitable for creating a small raft that looks like an air mattress (Figure 6). Accordingly, it is better not to risk testing such a structure for strength, for example, rafting down the river. Such a swimming facility is more suitable for relaxing on the sea coast 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 to each other in the manner described above (dividing the entire area into blocks).

Check that all bottles are connected with their necks in one direction.

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 together, positioning each row so that the necks of the bottles are connected to the bottoms of the next row, it will be useful to additionally wrap the sides of the raft with tape to avoid damage from snags or sharp stones.

Remember that without additional reinforcement with wooden planks or a sheet of plywood, such a raft will not be very reliable and can quickly become unusable.

Option 2: Vertical arrangement

For this method of construction, the initial stages are identical to the previous one.

Figure 7. Even such a floating craft can be built from vertically arranged bottles

You need to prepare blocks of four bottles. When the required number of blocks is ready, proceed to assemble the sections, but now place the bottles with their necks down. It is more convenient to fasten such a structure in rows, rather than square sections. The vertical arrangement of the bottles makes it possible to make a stronger base for the deck, which will not bend so much under the weight of a person due to a smaller contact area (Figure 7). On the bottoms of the bottles, you can put not plywood, but for example, a piece of linoleum or a wicker mat.

In order to make the sides of such a raft, you may need a rope or wire, which will be attached to the towering bottles. This option is suitable for long swims, ensuring the safety of passengers and their belongings.

Option 3: large tank design

We consider large containers to be 20-liter bottles or plastic canisters. Due to their size, it will take a little more than an hour to fasten such containers and build a floating facility (Figure 8).

Figure 8. An example of building a raft from plastic barrels

For the construction, in addition to bottles, you will need boards, wire, nails and a sheet of plywood.

From the boards you need to assemble a simple frame like a crate. Close plastic containers tightly and screw to the frame with a wire. Fix a sheet of plywood on top, and, if desired, cover it with a tarpaulin or oilcloth. Such a raft will be very stable, and even bulky, but it will be able to accommodate a large company.

Option 4: a raft of very small bottles

Half-liter bottles can also be used to build a swimming facility. To reduce the amount of painstaking work, it is possible to fill polypropylene bags with plastic containers instead of tying bottles (Figure 9).

Figure 9. A raft of small plastic bottles

You will need up to a dozen of these bags. Having tied them tightly, tie them together, or tie them to a wooden frame (the same as in the previous version of the raft). It is better to tie bags not with tape, but with thin wire or polypropylene twine.

A few tips:

The frame of the raft can be assembled not only from wooden slats, but also from strong branches. This method is suitable if you are relaxing in nature, away from the city. You can fasten the branches together with twine, tape or wire.

You will need oars to steer the raft. They are also easy to make from improvised materials. Take a long, strong stick, having previously cleared it of knots and interfering twigs, and insert it into the neck of a flattened two- or five-liter bottle. Secure them with tape or string. Make the right amount of oars, and feel free to go for a swim.

Figure 10. The end result of imagination and creativity in the manufacture of a raft from plastic bottles

If you are connecting the structure with wire, process and hide the sharp ends so that you do not accidentally get hurt while swimming.

Fantasize, come up with your own design design, taking into account exactly what you need from a watercraft (Figure 10). The cheapness of materials and their widespread availability allows you to experiment to achieve the desired result. If you are going on a long voyage, then you should take care of the presence of protection from the sun and bad weather, as well as build special mounts or a place to store things.

A distinctive feature of your ship can be a small sail or flag. Make it bright, or write the name of your little craft on it.

After use, the plastic raft must be removed from the water and dried well in the sun, otherwise the materials may become unusable. If you plan to store your homemade structure until next season, hide it in a dry place where there will be no sudden temperature changes. Observing such storage conditions, a homemade raft can be used for several years.

Video of the process of making a bottle raft

A raft is an exceptionally common construction of water transport, and it is much easier to make it than a canoe or a boat. There are various methods of building rafts, you can make a simple structure from boards or logs, using barrels or PVC pipes that will keep it afloat. In addition, you can build a raft entirely from empty bottles of soft drinks - this is true, tested in practice! A wide adhesive tape is taken, with which all the bottles are fastened together.

What can a raft be made of?

One of the popular types of rafts is wood. To make such a craft, you need to choose high-quality logs and planks of strong wood. Many masters are thinking about building a tree raft, since this type of water transport is great for fishing and for long hikes.

But besides this, there are other types of rafts. It can be foam, cameras from cars, plastic and iron barrels, as well as canisters or plastic bottles, and you will learn how to make a raft from plastic bottles below. For the manufacture of rafts, special pontoons are also sold, but they are quite expensive. The most affordable and simple option is a water construction made of plastic bottles.

How to make a raft

Don't know how to make a bottle raft? You can make a boat with your own hands, for this you will need:

20-25 plastic bottles with a volume of 2 liters.
The tape is waterproof.

The number of bottles can be changed at your own discretion, depending on the size of the raft and the number of people who will be on it.

Raft building process

How to make a raft with your own hands from bottles and where to start?

Cool open empty bottles in the refrigerator, then tighten the lids tightly to stiffen the containers.
Glue the prepared containers into a single sheet. Moisture-resistant adhesive tape connect 4 bottles in turn, laid out in 2 rows. A two-layer raft is much more stable and durable. You should pay attention to the fact that the bottle caps are located on one side. For a full-fledged raft, you will need approximately 5-6 two-row blocks.
Glue the rows from the finished blocks. For the strength of the system, bottles should be stacked in the following way: 2 pieces horizontally and 3 vertically. The result is a standard "pillow" of rectangular shape.
Combine bottles. Adjacent rows must be laid one after the other according to the cork-bottom pattern. On the side part of the raft should be additionally strengthened with adhesive tape. This facility is designed for 1 passenger!

How to make a raft of bottles with your own hands for two or three people? Everything is very simple - the number of plastic containers increases two and three times. If you do not have enough bottles of 2 liters, then you can take other volumes (5, 1.5 and even 1 liter). On top of the glued bottles, it is recommended to lay a thin plywood sheet or plastic so that the raft does not squeeze through under the influence of the mass of a person.

Do not be afraid to experiment and fantasize, but do not forget about safety rules!

log raft

Do not know how to make a raft with your own hands from wood? In order to make a structure from logs, you will need dry pine or spruce wood, that is, when tapping on it with an ax, the sound should be sonorous. But it must be borne in mind that dry material with old wood is not at all suitable for the construction of a swimming facility. Such a tree will dampen very quickly, and the raft itself will sink. To determine the specific gravity, you need to saw off a small piece of about 10-11 cm from the end of the log with a tool. Then throw it flat into the water. If the stump goes down 5-6 cm, then this wood is well suited for building a raft. So, how to make a raft out of boards?

You will need:

Logs 8-9 cm wide and 1.5 m long - 2 pieces.
Wooden planks approximately 2.5 cm thick, 13 cm wide and 91 cm long - 11 pieces.
Thin boards 5 mm thick, 13 cm wide and 91 cm long - 5 pieces.

Manufacturing process

Don't know how to make a raft? The build process consists of the following steps:

Lay two logs parallel to each other at a distance of 85 cm.
Arrange eleven planks across the logs to form a deck. The boards must be laid in such a way that they slightly extend beyond the line of logs, which, in turn, should peek out a little from all sides from under the deck.
Hammer it all with nails.
Turn the raft upside down.
Insert the foam between the logs. Try to pick up a piece the same size as the raft. If you can’t find the right size, then you can use individual pieces, the main thing is to carefully arrange them.
Lay out 5 thin boards across the logs to fix the foam.
Nail them down.
Turn the raft over and lower it into the water. This design is designed for one adult passenger of average build.

Important! When using a raft on the lake, it is mandatory to wear a life jacket. You can not take this design to the river, because it is unstable and can be dangerous on moving water. For such movements, only an inflatable raft is suitable, which is used in sports activities such as rafting, but it is quite expensive. A self-made log structure is perfect for a lake, you can fish or sunbathe on it.

Structural features

You already know how to make a raft out of wood, it's time to figure out how to choose the right material.

The largest log diameter is 25-30 cm.
Minimum - 10 cm.
In order for the future log raft to have good durability, thin logs are placed in the middle, and thicker logs are along the side. If the logs are slightly crooked, then these parts are placed in the lower part.
Permissible gaps between logs - 2-3 centimeters. Otherwise, the water structure will be unreliable and inert, in addition, building a raft according to all the rules simply will not work.
The logs are stacked on a slipway, after which they are rolled to the sides, and their upper parts are marked.

The grooves of the raft

At a short distance of 80 cm from the end, grooves are formed on the main log (sawed or cut down). An indispensable condition is the location of the lower grooves at the same level. In depth, they should approach the center of the log - this is very important. If this condition is not met, when driving a wedge, you risk damaging the sawn wood. As a sample, a special end is used, which is squeezed out of a wet birch. It is laid on the intended log with the central part.

Don't know how to make a raft out of wood? Further, in a groove prepared in advance on it, it is freely located on top, and the lower part fills the top of the groove. A wedge is driven in between the grooved wall and the side of the slope. It should be woody and dry, the ronjins are placed in one plane.

Having worked out the technique on the sample, you can move on to the rest of the logs and make the same grooves. They are sequentially fixed with wedges to the main log. Before laying the last logs, a different type of grooves are formed in them, suitable for vag. In addition, 3 special racks are cut out, about 11 cm wide and about 70 cm high.

After that, the main rope is pulled over them, instead of which you can use wire twists or rope ties.

Design choice

Don't know how to make a raft? If you are going to use the raft on calm lakes, then it is better to use the "P" scheme. 2 racks are cut into the logs in advance, on which the deck is subsequently put on. It needs to be wedged and a section for rowing cut out. To avoid spalling of the struts, rowing should be located at a distance of 50 cm from the stern and bow.

On fast-flowing and difficult rivers, it is necessary to use structures with an iron frame, for the construction of which modules and couplings are used. Modules can be taken in different lengths, but the coupling must be shaped. In order to build such a raft, it will take a lot of effort. You will need to drill a lot, and you will also need the help of a turner.

But despite all of the above, the resulting raft will be fairly easy to assemble and disassemble. To pack the structure, you will need two kayak cases and a separate wardrobe trunk for storing oars.

It is attractive that the resulting frame can, if desired, be divided into two small rafts or even assemble a catamaran.

A raft of car cameras

Have you decided to spend your summer days on the banks of a river or lake and there is a problem of lack of swimming transport? In this case, you can use the system of a shallow-draft tourist raft, which can withstand up to 6 people with backpacks, in addition, the design has decent stability, including on a fast-flowing river. Next, you will learn how to make a raft, this process is as simple as possible.

You will need:

Cameras from a car with a diameter of up to one and a half meters - 6-10 pieces.
Wooden poles with a diameter of at least 6 cm and a length of 5 m - 3 pieces, a length of 1.7 m - 4 pieces.
Pieces of duralumin pipes.
Iron or duralumin strips about 10 mm wide.

Manufacturing

Don't know how to make a raft with your own hands? Follow these steps:

Lay wooden poles 5 meters long along, those that are shorter across them at the same distance from each other.
Next, the manufacture of the main deck and the "captain's" bridge begins. They are 3 shields from assembled poles. First of all, the main deck is made. On two hewn poles with a length of 1.7 m, poles or pieces of two-meter boards 20 mm wide (this is even better) are laid out and nailed. "Commander's" bridges are constructed in a similar way.
The supports for the canopy are wicker rods. The manufacture of the raft should proceed only after their installation. First of all, car cameras are tied to the base with ropes, then the main deck and "captain's" bridges are installed. The sides are made of 4 hewn poles, and the canopy is made of a piece of cellophane.
Rowing supports (control oars) are located diagonally on the bridges: on the front part - on the right, and on the back - on the left side. The supports are bent from three duralumin pipes and reinforced with two steel or duralumin strips. The rowing itself is made from long poles (250 cm), and the blades are made from duralumin or plywood sheets (dimensions are selected individually).
The frame is formed using a cable with a diameter of 6 mm and modules with a length of 200 cm, hinges serve as their connecting parts. At this point, a 20 degree bend is formed. The frame weighs approximately 80 kg. Rope breaks are possible on solid shafts.

Conclusion

Now you know how to make a raft, so if you are thinking about an upcoming vacation on a lake or river, thinking about leisure time on the shore and leisurely boat trips, you need to build a shallow-draft water transport for 5-6 people. In the above scheme, their backpacks are also provided. For fishing on a calm lake alone, a raft made from plastic bottles is quite suitable.

Why spend a lot of money on a motor boat when you can make a raft for rafting on the river from improvised means? This is a reliable, wave-resistant watercraft, used not only for rafting, but also for crossing. Its buoyancy and strength allow it to be used for rafting on taiga rivers with natural rapids and fast currents. Among the shortcomings of the raft, one can note the low speed and low maneuverability, and it cannot be used when rafting through reservoirs with impassable blockages. The most widespread are wooden rafts, but they can also be made from other materials that everyone has at hand.

How to build a river raft

The most reliable raft for rafting on the restless taiga river is made of wood. To make it, you will need from four to ten logs, depending on the size of the craft and the number of people calculated for the crossing. The logs must be the same size. For their bundle, six poles must be prepared, longer than the width of the logs folded together. The poles are attached to a bunch of logs above and below them perpendicular to them. The ends of the poles are tied with a strong rope on the sides to hold the logs together more tightly. If there is no rope, and the raft is assembled in survival conditions, wire, bast, plants suitable for tying can be used instead.

How to build a raft for rafting

An elevated platform should be created on top of the stacked poles in order to keep clothes and shoes dry, as well as to create thermal insulation. At home, the platform can be made from boards by attaching them with a screwdriver, but if construction is carried out in an emergency, you can examine the area for any wood, floating snags, bark that can be laid on top of the logs. To make the raft easy to steer, you can attach a pole perpendicular to the base, on which to place the sail. For comfort, it is better to make a frame of bars, on which to attach a canopy that protects from the sun, wind and rain.

When it is not possible to use logs, any materials that have the ability to hold on water are used.

For example, for crossing in the warm season, you can partially float on the water with the help of a bundle of reeds, reeds stuffed with straw. If you manage to find a tire or an auto-tube on the shore, you can build a kind of boat for one person, wrapping them in a raincoat-tent.

How to build a raft out of plastic bottles

Plastic bottles as floats are able to keep a different number of people afloat, this ability must be supported by a reliable frame. There are three ways to build a plastic bottle raft:

The easiest option is to use plastic bottles and tape.

The bottles need to be prepared - washed, dried and screwed tightly with a lid so that they are filled with air. Bottles are fastened with adhesive tape in 3-4 pieces, and there should be from 30 to 50 such blanks. These blanks are then simply tied together to form a raft. Of course, a raft made of plastic bottles, made in this way, may not withstand serious tests, but it is quite suitable as a means of relaxing on calm water.

Bottle catamaran.

A raft of plastic bottles, reminiscent of a catamaran, is made on the basis of a frame from an old folding bed. It must be completely free from fabric, various fasteners. Wooden boxes are attached to the four corners of this frame, inside which plastic bottles are placed in an upright position and fixed with tape and rope. The boxes are attached to the corners of the frame with clamps, cable, ropes and other fastening elements. A wooden plank for sitting is installed in the middle of the frame.

The most reliable bottle raft is made as follows: the bottles are tightly closed with lids and placed inside plastic bags. The more bags made, the better, this will give more stability to the craft. Bags are well tied with ropes. A frame is formed from wooden boards: they are tied together and fastened with nails so that a lattice is obtained. Bags with bottles are attached to this frame, the raft is ready.

How to build a barrel raft

Barrel rafts require more expensive material than bottles to build, but this construction allows for a higher landing above the water. For the construction of a small raft of barrels, six containers of 200 liters of plastic are enough, for the manufacture of a large raft, about 20 barrels will be needed. They are tight, plastic, but at the same time very durable. The tanks are arranged parallel to each other, like pontoons on a catamaran. For the frame, a frame is made of bars with transverse bars, while each barrel is, as it were, in its own compartment, which is limited by two bars and two bars. To the frame of the barrel are attached with slings.

A deck of boards is laid on top of the frame. On a large raft of barrels, you can build an upper deck for relaxation. It is assembled from wooden racks, which are attached to the main deck with grooves. Since the weight of the finished structure is quite impressive, it is best to transfer the manufacture of the raft to a place near the shore into the water. A large barrel raft is a good tool for relaxing 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.

How to build a raft for rafting from autocams

How to build a raft with your own hands

A do-it-yourself raft can be made from such a pontoon as car cameras. It is much lighter than a wooden raft or a raft made of barrels, which is convenient in the manufacture and forced carrying through the shallows. For the construction of a raft designed for six people, it is necessary to take eight cameras from heavy vehicles, for example, KAMAZ, ZIL, MAZ. They are laid out parallel to each other in two rows and fastened with a strong nylon rope. The choice of fasteners in favor of a nylon thread is explained by the fact that it does not collapse and does not stretch from prolonged exposure to water.

How to build a raft from car cameras

Square bars are laid on top of the autochambers, two for each row of chambers, and are attached to them in the same way. Boards are attached to the bars, forming a deck. It must be borne in mind that the length of the boards should be such that they extend beyond the edges of the autocameras by about half a meter. This is necessary so that when obstacles arise in the water, they bump into the boards, and not into the cameras, in order to avoid damage to them.

In addition, the protruding edges of the deck leave room for various mounts for canopies, sails, rowing seats, and more. A canopy is necessary not only for shelter from wind and rain, but also for drying clothes, and in windy weather it can serve as a sail. The canopy is best made foldable to stow in a headwind for easy paddling. For insurance, when going on a long trip on the water, you need to have a spare chamber and a pump with you.

Make a simple raft on a hike!

A fascinating trip on a raft on a lake or river, as in the movie about Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, is the dream of any person, both a teenager and an older one. How to make a homemade raft?

Consider several options

The method is suitable for any plastic bottles. We have in burlap bags.

Primitive yet floating design

Check out what's in store for water lovers at this Chinese store.

why make it when there are no free wood materials? The simplest thing remains - to make it from plastic bottles. As a rule, one and a half are taken for this. This video tutorial from UHack shows how to build a stable raft craft out of large 5 liter bottles.

There are many options on youtube on how to make this type of water transport by wrapping plastic cans with several kilometers of adhesive tape. But the makers of the video wanted to do it without the tape. So that the structure can be easily and quickly assembled, and also, I wanted to reuse it many times.

So here is the solution! They took a dozen two-meter boards and divided them in half. Board size 65×20. Everything is calculated almost to the millimeter and there will be two guides under each can, and one above the lids on top. The functional task of the design is to hold the plastic bottles together. At the same time, so that they do not part to the sides. In fact, you need to make a clip for air cylinders.

All steps for making a PVC bottle raft

Having accurately marked one meter from the edge, we proceed to sawing the wood. It was unexpected that it turned out to be easy, like clockwork, to cut firewood with a saw on drywall. Many of you enjoy watching someone work. Especially if he tries to make a unique raft out of plastic bottles for you with his own hands.

raft of 5 liter bottles

If available, a summer residence, near a reservoir or a cargo van, it can be used as a boat for fishing from the water. This model is just a small raft and is an example of what can be done on a large scale. But for now, it's a theory! Not everything is as easy and fast as you would like.

It would seem that the blanks are cut off, and it remains to make cuts for the rope along the edges. By the way, it took us about 20 meters. The recesses made with a knife will serve as a place for reliable fastening and tightening the boards together.

It is necessary to make a wooden ladder for the top, on which it will be convenient to swim. Everything that we are doing with you now can be done at home. So, if you have been thinking about how to make a raft at home, then here is one of the options for you.

Somewhere on the shore in a secluded place, having hidden plastic cans, you can arrive with previously made elements and, in no more than 10 minutes, assemble a raft of bottles. It's even faster than preparing an inflatable boat.

And here's the surprise! The boards turned out to be not 2 meters, as stated on the price tag and in the receipt. The excess has to be cut again. Very good manufacturers of boards! Would be such good butchers. You come to the store and say: “Give me the sausages that are 40 centimeters each, and they give you half a meter!” At least the nail file did not disappoint. And then, as if for evil, on the last bitch ...

We were lucky! There was a fallback option, a hacksaw blade, with which you can finish the last workpiece. Yes! This time it's better to protect your hands from injury. Gloves will be more reliable. As previously mentioned, we make cuts along the edges, at all four corners. Our raft will be square with 25 cans. Therefore, between the attachment points, 75 centimeters. Depends on the size of the plastic bottles. Ideally, they should be the same size.

The wood is soft and cuts well with a knife. The main thing is not to overdo it. In these places - the main fastening of the entire structure of our homemade raft. And on how reliable they are, the success of our efforts will depend on the whole.

So, we select the required number of bottles. If you are interested in the topic “crafts from plastic bottles for summer cottages”, then watch the new releases.

For a trapik (the authors have not yet come up with a better name for it), you will need 10 blanks, and a rope with which they will tie into a single plane. Note that all this is being done for the first time and it is not yet known whether the width of the boards is enough to completely cover the surface of the cans, since this is very important. Initially, it was supposed to make 3 knots between the boards. As long as we follow the plan and get down to business.

Ordinary knots, nothing special. We tighten well so as not to bandage anymore. It would be a shame if everything had to be redone. But we are professionals! There shouldn't be any mistakes. Everything is simple, the first one was pulled off, the second one was pulled off, the third one ... And in the same way, board to board, all subsequent details. We do it on one side and then do the same on the other. The occupation is delicate, and so as not to stand in an uncomfortable position, it is better to do it on some hill. After this thought, a good idea immediately came up to use the made trapik as a table for outings into nature. You just need to come up with folding legs for him. It's also cool that due to the fact that we made three knots, the distance between the boards increased.

Now it can be rolled up and it will not take up much space. Thus, you can make a budget multifunctional raft without the use of adhesive tape, that is, without money down the drain. Another plus of our homemade raft is that it will always be easy to replace any of the cans that have become unusable. Sometimes pet bottles are fragile. And here are the last gestures and the foundation is ready.

Assembling a raft from bottles

Now let's start assembling, directly, an epic raft made of wood and plastic bottles, 5 by 5 in size. The handles on the bottles were left on purpose. They will serve as clamps for the upper guides. In them we pass the same blanks as below. 5 cans per board. As you can see, walking and with smoke breaks, you can quickly make a raft of bottles.

Having put the bottles evenly on the surface, we lace the upper and lower boards. We try to make a good stretch in order to press the bottles harder. In this process, someone's help is desirable, although it is possible to cope alone. Strengthen both sides in the same way. The upper guides will need to be tied together in several places, and then the bottles will not be able to move apart when the load increases. Although, as it turned out later, not only the top can be weak. The sides should also be thoroughly strengthened not only with a rope, but also with boards. As they say, a good thought comes later. Knowing all the shortcomings of this design, having slightly modernized it, we now could definitely make the coolest raft on youtube.

Can't wait to see how much weight it can hold? The child will be on it like a feather. But an adult with a decent weight is still a question.

Finally made a floating craft out of pvc bottles. Here it is, it turned out to be a neat home-made, albeit small, raft. Task number one, accomplished! The raft without the use of adhesive tape was successfully made!

Testing the raft on the water

Now the most important thing! It remains to test our miracle ship on the water. Now guys, let's raft. To celebrate, they almost forgot to strengthen the sides, but it’s good that they remembered in time and tightly wrapped the rope around the contour several times. Well, now everything is ready for sure.

We go out to sea. In general, as expected, a more or less suitable raft for a child. You can safely swim or pike jump into the water. So, if yours will have something like that, they would be happy to build their own ship with you. But for an adult. And yet, from the tenth time, somehow managed to stay on this small raft for a short time. It is necessary to reduce the windage or simply increase its area, at least 4 times. And now, after the crash test, all the shortcomings are visible on the face. But most importantly, we found out what the problem is and next time it will turn out much more reliable. Thank you for being with us. Good luck to all. Bye. Subscribe if interested. We will do more. It is of interest for entertainment on the water.

Do-it-yourself boat or raft from plastic bottles, homemade craft. Sometimes it happens that you really need some kind of melt. means, but there is no money to buy, for example, an inflatable boat, but you want to fish or just swim. The way out can be the manufacture of a boat or raft from improvised or purchased materials. But despite the fact that it is quite simple and cheap to make a full-fledged boat, for example, from plywood, not everyone has the skills and capabilities to build boats on their own. But there is still a way out ... It is advisable to collect 5 liter bottles in large quantities, since you need less of them, which means less fastening to the frame, you can also use plastic canisters, which are 5 liters, and often come across 10 liters . Below I want to consider 2 options for building a float. from 5 liter plastic bottles. The first option is a raft similar in shape to a boat, for its manufacture 81 pieces. five liter plastic bottles. Such a raft can withstand about 120 kg. If you need more capacity, simply increase the size and number of bottles. The base of the raft is made of poles, but the frame is assembled in stages. First you need to chop the required number of poles with a diameter of 5-8 cm, it can be thicker. Next, you need to tie two poles together with a distance of 5-10 cm between them, depending on the thickness. This distance is necessary so that the bottle is additionally held on the sides of these poles. So we connect 2 poles with each other with the help of small sticks, and then plastic bottles are tied to these poles. On the one hand for the neck, and girth in the center of the bottle. You can tie both with a nylon thread, and with a thin, soft wire, you can also tie with a thick fishing line. The result should be a long section consisting of two poles with a row of bottles tied. Next, you need to make the same sections in the right amount. An example in the figure is 6 sections. And then all 6 sections are made up and already connected to each other with the help of transverse poles. The transverse poles must be carefully and rigidly tied, otherwise the raft will not have rigidity. It is enough to fix the bottles in 2 places, the first mount is by the neck, it will hold the bottle in its place, and the second clasping mount so that the bottle does not jump out of its place. The result is a free float. a tool that can be made in a day, and at the same time it is reliable and light, since the main weight of this frame will weigh no more than 20-30 kg, and bottles of 2-3 kg. You can also make an even lighter raft out of plastic bottles by using thin plastic tubes instead of wooden poles as a "skeleton" (i.e. foundations), crates of a raft or boat. A frame made of, for example, inch plastic tubes will weigh at least 2 times lighter than a wooden frame, which will also get wet and become heavier. But in this case, you need to spend money on plastic tubes. For a raft as in the picture, you need 5 pairs of plastic poles, i.e. 12 pieces. But there is one plus here, bottles can be attached to plastic poles using wide adhesive tape. If you fix it with adhesive tape on wooden poles, then after the wood gets wet, the adhesive tape does not hold on it and all the bottles will begin to crawl along the poles. And on plastic, the adhesive tape holds perfectly and water does not get under the glued surfaces and the adhesive tape holds the bottles perfectly. A boat with a plastic frame will only weigh about 10 kg. if as in the picture, and will not get wet and absorb water like a tree, and therefore become heavier after swimming. Any person can cope with the construction of such a boat on plastic bottles, and you can build it in 1-2 days slowly, but you can use it for years, and at the same time, in the version with wooden poles and found bottles, such a melt. the tool does not cost a penny, except for the ropes or fishing line for tying bottles and assembling the frame of the boat. At the same time, the design is light enough to carry such a boat alone, and it’s not scary to leave it unattended, since it’s such a melt. very few people will be interested in the means and want to steal.

How to build a raft out of plastic bottles. How to make a raft from ordinary plastic bottles