How can i built a raft with no welding?

Question

I want to use either plastic barrels or maybe the gallon drums, but how could i accomplish this without welding? Is this realistic? I have so many ideas flowing in my head. I mainly want to do something simple but stable. My boyfriend said i couldnt do it, so now im on a mission. I also want to use foam noodles somewhere on this raft. For fun :)
If i want to fit four people (at most) on this raft, what sort of dimensions do you think we are looking at? I want the weight to be evenly dispersed.

How am i going to attach the barrels or drums to the platform?

Answer 1

You would be extremely surprised as I once was at the bonding power of liquid nails--an inexpensive glue that you can purchase in caulking gun sized tubes for large projects.

I have a friend whose floor pan and subframe had rusted out of his old VW Beetle. He and I fabricated new metal parts to replace the old pan and rails for him with the intention that they would be welded in place. He opted instead for gluing them in with liquid nails, which I thought absolutely daft. He drove the car around for years like that and some while later it was hit by a truck and totalled. However, as much damage as was done to the car, none of the glue seams separated.

Now this fellow in question is a NASA scientist, and knows whereof he speaks on matters of structural integrity and engineering. He trusted his life to that glue, and he was quite correct as it turned out. I suspect that your raft can equally benefit from his estimation of the strength of liquid nails.

Answer 2

Just use rivets, it takes the place of welding, its great, and i wouldn't listen to the reaper that really doesnt sound like a good idea at all!

Answer 3

twine or nylon rope. drill holes into the barrels and loop the rope into them and tie off. you will need some sort of brace or substructure work to make it stable but it can definitely be done. bamboo and twine works really well as does heavy duty rope and logs. barrels I would advise the heavy duty nylon rope and substructure method as it should work fine that way.

Answer 4

i can tell you that if you listen to reaper and drill holes in the barrels and dont fill them with anything you will shortly be on the bottom of whatever body of water you are trying to forge.