Yet Another raft!

i seem to being having trouble finding lumber, but i've heard of a place that i'm going to check out tomorrow. Wouldn't just using rope make the barrels give too much. I've been looking for some luggage straps but can't seem to find them anywhere. if the barrels were removable this would make transportation easier.

What type of lashings would be best suited for barrels?

-Seth

 

i don't even know who's headboard that is haha

 

i would just tie em in a badass knot,,,the barrels will only be able to move as far as the slackness in your ropes,,,tie them both ways in a (+),,that will keep them from moving either way.

 

I think that might work I just need to get some good rope. I'm thinking about using old belts for the front two barrels. Whatever happened too all those damn Tae Kwon Do belts of mine? haha


Would adding a centerboard and a rudder help with steering? Hell, would it be possible to slowly sail this bad boy?

-Seth

 

if ya got alot of wind,,and going with the current ya might,,,as for center board and crap,,,all that will just work against ya,,,,,cut a paddle out of wood,,,or,,,since i KNOW ya got an extra headboard,,,theres a paddle,,,cut a hole in the back,,nail a flat board under the hole ya just drilled,,,so that it covers it up,,then get a broom stick (oh ya,,drill hole big nuff for the broomstick) and tie ya paddle to that and use as a rudder when not used as just a paddle.,,,,,can ya tell ive had some "experience" with building dangerous things outta junk,,ha,,hehe

 

Rope will not "give too much" if you tie it well. By use of a truckers hitch, sometimes called a hay hitch, you can easily tighten the ropes well enough to strum concert C. Find some instruction about tieing this simple knot as it is very useful for things other than making rafts. The names themselves attest to the history and use of the knot.

 

holy **** that was confusing and i can't use my neighbors headboard. But tomorrow i'll have lots of lumber. Then i'll post picture of the **** i got. for the top should i sue a sheet o plywood or do decking with board? maybe i'll try to make this more pontoon boat than raft.

-Seth

 

use ply,,,it will also act as flotation device for ya,,decking will only give ya a bunch of water on ya floor,,hehe,,,and you'll need more barrels for a pontoon,,,at least 2 that are the same size as your other ones.

 

Ahemmm, Gentlemen, we've forgotten to ask this dude where he's intended...? What kind of river...?

Swimable?
Melting water?
Slow?
Fast?
Little water?
Much water?
Traffic?
Stones?

Just got this creeping "Niagara in a barrel" feeling here....

 

Uhm it's a slow, lazy river not much traffic that i have ever seen and yeah it's swimmable but maybe a little dirty. No rapids here!

-Seth

 

Puuhhh, wouldn't be the one to help out in a final solution.....

Ok I do not like ropes....Reason is that we had ropes and we were trying to fetch those ******* barrels and push them back in place again and reassemble, as you say; maybe a little dirty water.... I would go for jack straps...they are not too expensive, at the right shop.... 8 barrels? 16 straps?

Inspiration here: http://www.kon-tiki.no/Ny/Dok_eng/e_start.html

Why stop at the riverdelta? Further out, there's tax free....

 

There are just a few problems with making it huge.

1.I don't have a source of these barrels i just happened to find them thrown out one day.

2. I don't live near the water.

3. I have no way of transporting something monumental


Not saying that i don't like the idea, just doesn't seem plausible at the moment. Maybe next raft will be Goliath. Who knows maybe a hippy live on board will sprout. My parents would love that. "yeah, i'm leaving the house on a huge raft it's my new home you can e-mail me. I'm going to Hawaii. Peace!"


-Seth

 

There is a minor catch in the small and beautiful thinking....

4 barrels.... Each of them critical..... Don't bring anything that don't take the water....

Reminds me of a story (don't know if its true..), NASA, astronauts in place, just before countdown starts, they heard a bloke saying; "Here I'm sitting, on top of thousands of compoments, all of them critical, and all of them delivered by the company that came with the best offer....."

 

that quote about sums it up maybe i'll name it the Challenger haha

Basically, I was hoping to make it more stable with bottles.


-Seth

 

I've got a twitch about the mention of welding the barrels - do you Know whats been in them? might they be filled with some nasty noxious/flammable vapour? best to fill with water before welding?