Okay, so I’ve been wanting to make a custom basketball court section for a while, you know, that classic hardwood look. I finally dove in and, let me tell you, it was a learning experience! I decided to go with hard maple – tough stuff, perfect for bouncing a ball.

First, I gathered all my materials. This was a bit of a scavenger hunt. I needed:

• Sheets of hard maple timber. I found a local lumber yard that had some beautiful pieces.
• Plywood for the subfloor. This is important for stability.
• A ton of wood glue. Seriously, you’ll use more than you think.
• Screws, nails, the whole nine yards.
• Finishing stuff – sanding sealer, polyurethane, the works.

The first big step was prepping the plywood. I cut it to the size I wanted my section to be. Then, I started laying out the maple planks on top. This is where it got tricky. I wanted that classic, staggered look, so I had to cut each plank to a slightly different length. Lots of measuring, lots of cutting, lots of double-checking.

Next up: glue. So much glue. I spread a thick layer on the plywood and started placing the maple planks down, one by one. I used spacers to make sure the gaps between the planks were consistent – this is important for that professional look, also because the wood might expand.

After the glue dried (which took a good 24 hours – patience is key!), I went back and reinforced everything with screws. Probably overkill, but I wanted this thing to be solid.

Sanding and Finishing

Now for the fun part: sanding. I started with a coarse grit sandpaper to level everything out, then gradually worked my way down to a super fine grit. This took forever, but it’s crucial for a smooth finish. Dust mask is a must!

Once everything was silky smooth, I applied a sanding sealer. This helps the polyurethane adhere better. After that dried, I applied several coats of polyurethane, sanding lightly between each coat. This is what gives the wood that beautiful, glossy, protective finish.

Finally, after all that work, I had my finished basketball court section! It wasn’t perfect, there are a few little imperfections here and there, but I made it myself, and that’s what counts. Plus, it looks pretty darn good, if I do say so myself. Now to test it out the main use, the basketball dribbles!