Alright folks, let me walk you through how I fixed up that clunky wooden volleyball sleeper flooring into something portable. Had this big idea after lugging heavy boards back from the beach last summer – swore never again.
The “Why Bother” Moment
Remembered that old railroad sleeper wood collecting dust in my shed. Thing weighed a ton – totally fixed in place before. Got real tired of tripping over it during garage workouts. Figured if I could chop it down and slap wheels on it, maybe it wouldn’t murder my back moving it to the beach.
Rummage Phase
Scavenged around like a raccoon:
- Grabbed rusty casters from broken office chair
- Found half-used wood screws in baby food jar
- Stole yoga mat from wife’s stash (don’t tell her)
- Dug out handheld circular saw covered in cobwebs
Total prep time? About 12 minutes including coffee break.
The Butchering Begins
Measured sleeper with my arm span – eyeballed cuts where knots looked weak. Saw kicked like a mule when blade hit dense wood. Nearly took pinky finger off twice! Decided smaller pieces were smarter:
- Chopped 8ft monster into four 2ft sections
- Sanded splinters using leftover sandpaper from kid’s art project
- Sweat so much my glasses fogged up completely
Wheel Deal Mess
Tried mounting casters unevenly first – looked drunk. Boards wobbled like jellyfish walking. Recalled elementary math about triangles being stable:
- Redid layout in L-shape instead of straight line
- Predrilled holes to stop wood splitting
- Glued yoga mat strips between boards – instant cushioning!
Smacked it with hammer until wobble disappeared. Violence solves things sometimes.
Field Testing Drama
Took contraption to shore last Tuesday. Got stuck in sand immediately – wheels too small. Almost gave up and set fire to whole project. Then neighbor kid suggested flipping it sideways and dragging instead. Genius!
- Added rope handles from old laundry line
- Replaced wheels with chunkier skateboard ones
- Duct taped loose corners for good measure
Boom – slides like butter now!
Finished Disasterpiece
Final product ain’t pretty but it works:
- Collapses like angry transformer
- Stands earthquakes better than my marriage
- Rolls smooth enough for beer not to spill
Played three sets without splinters! Still smells faintly of seaweed though.
Life Lesson Rant
Whole stupid project reminded me why I hate Pinterest DIY culture. Some influencer would claim this took 20 mins with perfect tools. Reality? Spent weeks stepping on screws in garage! Brother-in-law saw it and offered $50. Told him add three zeros and get lost. Thing’s priceless now – like my dignity after that wood splinter incident. Moral? Good enough beats perfect every damn time.
