 This is the raft's bare bones. A blank slate for this year's theme. You will notice we have two extra barrels at the rear. This is to provide support for our larger team mates. |  The first thing I wanted to do was to keep the rain from filling up the cut barrels during the build. |  The first building project was the cab. I constructed a wooden framed cube then covered with plastic material. Then it was the smoke box, stack and what will eventually be Thomas's face. |
 Then the boiler. The frame is made from a drain riser found in a skip, covered in the same plastic material as the cab. The wooden support was knocked together using timber leftover from a roof. |  Using insulation material, I cut out the wheels and front bumper. The wheels had to be quickly removable after the parade lap ready for the first race. |  Thomas's shape is starting to come together now. Again using roofing baton I created covers for the side of Thomas. Using the leftover insulation I shaped a sandbox to fit onto of the boiler. |
 Out comes the blue paint and his recognisable face. Now he is really Thomas!! |  Time for the details and last minute touches. I also got hold of some pipe insulation to cushion the sharp edges around the barrels. I would definitely recommend this if you are building a raft. |  Oops! Almost forgot the rods connecting all the wheels. This did nothing to help the raft but I think it finishes the "train" look. |
 Yes! He floats!! That would have been embarrassing. |  The finished Thomas raft. Ready for the big day. Sure he won't be fast and the chances of winning will be slim. But I'm sure the raft that everyone will be talking about come race day will be Thomas. |
| Thomas was a pleasure to build. It took a lot of outside the box thinking but ultimately our raft lent itself to a T-shape design. I was lucky to be working on a building site at the time of build. This meant that most of the components were found in the skips! The plastic cylinders are drain risers and the plastic itself are put on top of pallets to protect the materials. All would have been thrown away. The insulation was a gift from the company I worked for. The only thing I had to pay for myself was the paint and the screws/fixings. But I think you will agree it was worth it. Yes, you can build a lightweight raft with no design that will probably win you races. But in years to come, no one will know who won the cup, but they just may be talking about your design. Simon Manvill. |
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Presented by Wells City Lions. |
| This is the raft's bare bones. A blank slate for this year's theme. You will notice we have two extra barrels at the rear. This is to provide support for our larger team mates. |
| The first thing I wanted to do was to keep the rain from filling up the cut barrels during the build. |
| The first building project was the cab. I constructed a wooden framed cube then covered with plastic material. Then it was the smoke box, stack and what will eventually be Thomas's face. |
| Then the boiler. The frame is made from a drain riser found in a skip, covered in the same plastic material as the cab. The wooden support was knocked together using timber leftover from a roof. |
| Using insulation material, I cut out the wheels and front bumper. The wheels had to be quickly removable after the parade lap ready for the first race. |
| Thomas's shape is starting to come together now. Again using roofing baton I created covers for the side of Thomas. Using the leftover insulation I shaped a sandbox to fit onto of the boiler. |
| Out comes the blue paint and his recognisable face. Now he is really Thomas!! |
| Time for the details and last minute touches. I also got hold of some pipe insulation to cushion the sharp edges around the barrels. I would definitely recommend this if you are building a raft. |
| Oops! Almost forgot the rods connecting all the wheels. This did nothing to help the raft but I think it finishes the "train" look. |
| Yes! He floats!! That would have been embarrassing. |
| The finished Thomas raft. Ready for the big day. Sure he won't be fast and the chances of winning will be slim. But I'm sure the raft that everyone will be talking about come race day will be Thomas. |
| Thomas was a pleasure to build. It took a lot of outside the box thinking but ultimately our raft lent itself to a T-shape design. I was lucky to be working on a building site at the time of build. This meant that most of the components were found in the skips! The plastic cylinders are drain risers and the plastic itself are put on top of pallets to protect the materials. All would have been thrown away. The insulation was a gift from the company I worked for. The only thing I had to pay for myself was the paint and the screws/fixings. But I think you will agree it was worth it. Yes, you can build a lightweight raft with no design that will probably win you races. But in years to come, no one will know who won the cup, but they just may be talking about your design. Simon Manvill. |
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Presented by Wells City Lions. |