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How to Build Wood Raft Logs That Sit on Top of a Frame

A wooden raft excursion on a small pond or lake can be a fun summertime activity. Building a raft of your own doesn't require any specialized tools or hardware. You can find or scavenge much of the raw material rather than purchasing it from a big store. If you already have a sturdy frame, then all you need is to gather logs for the top deck. Assembled properly, a simple raft can perform well on calm water.

Things You'll Need

Measuring tape
Handsaw
Axe
Nails
Rope

Instructions

- 1
  Select logs that are roughly 4 to 6 inches in diameter. Fresh, small to medium-sized logs work best. New wood is naturally more buoyant and less likely to break and splinter. A diameter of 4 to 6 inches is adequate.
- 2
  Cut all of your logs to the same length, about 1 foot longer than the raft frame's width. Discard any logs that are too short to work with or those that become very narrow at one end.
- 3
  Chop any branch stubs off of the logs. If a log is very knotty or has obvious weak spots, don't use it for the raft. Cut shallow notches on the sides of each log on both ends. Position the notches about 3 inches from the end of each log.
- 4
  Lay the logs on top of the frame in their proper positions. Leave about 6 inches of overhang on each side. The logs should just cover the length of the frame. Arrange the logs so that all their notches intersect, making for a series of small holes along both sides of the raft deck.
- 5
  Nail each log onto the frame with a single large nail at each end. If the frame has middle supports, hammer nails into these as well.
- 6
  Rope the frame together tightly. Thread a rope over and under each log along both sides of the raft using the notches that you cut earlier. The rope will keep logs from floating away should they work themselves loose.

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