building a raft on $75

"£10GBP"
British pounds, Raftman. Each one is worth about $1.70 US, so he's talking about seventeen bucks or so. Which basically means that everything he's using has been scavenged from scrap somewhere. Feel free to ease up on the nationalist fervour, we're all part of the same community here

 

Here's one we did for the Pend Oreille Poker Paddle a couple of years ago:

http://www.pbase.com/mark_42/pontificate

 

What you could have done there is to get loads of plastic bottles and foam and stuff the storage boxes with them. Then you have a backup if the boxes go (which they did).

 

For $75 they could have rented a fast little boat and cleaned up!

-Tom

 

I suppose. But building something is way better. More fun, more satisfaction, more customisation. Plus you get to keep it.
Also, they needed it for a raft race.

 

A section of privacy fence would give enough wood for less money. Tie swimming pool noodles or anything similar until you have enough flotation.

This would form a raft 6 feet wide by 8 feet long.

 

Could you refine privacy fence?
We maybe call it something different over here...and searching on Google finds nothing, really.

 

It is a section of fence pre-made 8 feet wide by 6 feet tall with 3 horizontal beams to which are attached adequate 1/2 inch by 4-1/2 inch slats at right angles to create a visual barrier from the alleyway. These are in turn attached at the horizontal ends to 3-1/2 inch square posts 8 feet tall which are set 2 feet into the ground at 8 feet on center intervals.

 

I see...

 

I would skip using cheap white Styrofoam for environmental reasons. It lacks structural integrity and the particles it is made of can do very nasty things to wildlife that eat them. And if a piece cracks it is next to impossible to clean all the pellets up.

Not to mention it is just plain nasty stuff to work with, and can do one hell of a lot of damage to computers!

 

I think those problems could be avoided fairly easily. Sturcutral integrity - Piece of plywood over the top and bottom.
Breaking up - See above, also around the sides.
wildlife eating it - See above.

I think it's a great idea. You can get 6 sheets for a £7 (at the time of writing, $11.27) online. Not sure about postage, but my next raft will be that design, methinks. And the whole 1000lb thing is very attractive, being 72 stone. And since over on some website you get them in packs of 6, rather than 3, that would give it 2000lbs of buoyancy. Pretty good!

Anyway, if you do see a flaw in my workarounds, do tell me, as it will benefit me and anyone else reading the thread.