Write an article based on this "Gather eight 8ft (2.4m) logs that are about 12 inches (30cm) thick. Find two 9ft (2.7m) logs that are about 6 inches (15cm) thick. Remove the knots and bark with a hatchet. Cut notches into the logs if you have the time. Varnish the logs"
These will be the main, floating logs that make the raft's body. Great choices of wood include cottonwood, poplar, and spruce. Don't use heavy, dense woods, such as oak, or they won't float. Find your logs in a forest or buy them from a logger. If you're in a forest but can't identify trees, choose logs that feel lighter compared to others. Use a handsaw to cut down longer logs until they are about 8 feet (240cm) long. You can also use a hatchet to chop down saplings. Don't use logs that feel heavy. It means that they are waterlogged and won't float as well. These will be the connecting logs, which you'll be placing across the body of your raft. You need the extra length so that you can secure the ropes to them. Use the same type of wood that you did for the main logs. While removing the bark is not absolutely necessary, removing the knots, stubs, and smaller branches is. If you don't do this, then the raft won't fit together as nicely. Use a hatchet to hack off the little knots, stubs, and branches stemming off of your logs. If you are camping, consider saving the bark and knots for kindling. This is not completely necessary, but it is highly recommended because it will help the logs fit together better. Use a hatchet to make 2in (5.1cm) deep notches into both ends of each log. Make sure that the notches span the width of the log and are about 1 to 112 feet (30 to 46cm) from the ends. Make sure that the notches are on the same side of each log, sort of like those you'd use to make a log cabin. Alternatively, flatten the entire side of each log with a hatchet. , if desired. This will help make the wood water-tight and keep it from rotting. Use a brush to apply 3 to 5 thin coats of varnish, allowing each coat to dry to the touch before applying the next. After you've applied the last coat, wait for the varnish to dry and cure completely. This may take a few days. You don't have to do this, but it can help make your raft last longer, especially if you plan on using it more than once.