So yesterday I got this crazy idea to build a dancing pad that wouldn’t slide around my crappy apartment floors. Been using my laptop keyboard for dance games but kept smashing the wrong buttons, ya know?

Why wooden flooring beats duct tape

Last week I tried the dumb duct tape method – total disaster. Taped my foam tiles together but they bunched up like nacho cheese under my shoes after two songs. Peeled it off and left sticky crap everywhere. Wood won’t curl up and gives that sweet clicky feedback.

Scrounging up materials

First rummaged through my junk closet for parts:

• That dusty Ikea shelf board from last year’s failed plant stand project
• Old controller wires from broken Xbox 360 joysticks
• Random sensors ordered online that took three weeks to arrive
• Half-empty Gorilla Glue bottle with crusty nozzle

The ugly assembly mess

Measured the board wrong twice before cutting – almost hacked my finger with the rusty saw. Glued sensors too close together so the left and right arrows kept triggering together. Scraped off that crap with a butter knife after it dried all lumpy.

Got pissed when the sensors wouldn’t stick properly – used a whole damn tape roll holding them in place overnight. Almost spilt soda on the wiring setup when my cat knocked over the can.

Making it actually work

Tested the pads with socks first – nada. Realized I put the sensors in backward. Had to pry them all out with pliers. Re-soldered the wires so bad that smoke came out twice, but hey it finally registered when I stomped on it.

Added skateboard grip tape for shoe traction but it shredded my socks. Finished it off by stabbing holes near the edges and tying ugly rope handles. Looks like a drunk kindergarten craft project but survives my heel spins now.

Final disaster zone results

Danced two songs before my downstairs neighbor pounded the ceiling. Board slides less but sounds like elephants tap-dancing. Wood feels solid under feet but I’ll probably trip on those rope handles tomorrow.

At least I didn’t glue my hand to the board this time like with that failed clay sculpture last month. Still cheaper than buying new gear, plus got a funny story when my roommate asked why the living room smells like burnt plastic.