provisions for buoyancy

5 platforms 3' x 4.5' - built this size to fit in my car. All from salvaged wood, cut, sanded with one coat of finishing wax (may add another). It's wonderful what a little TLC can do. Laid out together before additional sanding with finer grain sandpaper: 9' x 9' - this will be the base of the shack raft I'm constructing. I now need to create pontoons for the base, an under structure to secure them in place as well contribute to holding the platform sections together, and build a shelter onto the base platform.   I had already salvaged a bunch of boards - as posted earlier on the blog - but didn't have enough to complete five sections, so returned to the dumpsters. 

 

I had been looking for an appropriate material for it and was pleased to find this motorcycle cover blowing around a parking lot. I asked the local businesses if it belonged to them and they all encouraged me to take it. Although this pic doesn't really show - it was pretty dirty and smelled like mud - so the first step was to wash it. Here's where this piece started:  

processing materials and speed drawing in space    Driving at night last week I saw something that looked like fish netting, so pulled over to check it out and was delighted by this find. Someone was getting rid of an old hammock! When I got it back to the studio and unrolled it, I was somewhat surprised by the condition - it was still in tact - the rope still strong although it was dusty and looked like it may have been on the ground for a while.     I may use it to make a net - as you can see the way hammocks are made, or this one at least - wouldn't work for a net, so I'll need to take it apart and see what rope amounts from it. This was the amount of rope after 1/2 of the hammock had been undone.