Starting Point: The Need
My kid’s dance pads kept sliding everywhere. Ruined my damn hardwood floors too. Saw those fold-up plastic dance floors online, but they cost like a car payment. Thought, “Screw it, I got wood scraps and tools – why not make my own portable floor?”
Grabbing Junk
Rummaged through my garage first. Found:
- Four plywood sheets collecting dust
- Leftover carpet tape from God knows when
- Half a can of polyurethane under the workbench
- Hinges from an old trunk I threw out last year
Drove to Home Depot for stuff I didn’t have:
- Non-slip rubber sheets
- Cheap handle straps
- Wood glue that promised “instant hold” (lied)
The Messy Assembly
First, I hacked those plywood sheets into 2×2 squares with my jigsaw. Should’ve measured twice – ended up recutting three pieces. Got wood shavings all over the damn living room.
Glued rubber sheets to the bottom sides. Peeling bastardly. Made me curse for ten minutes straight. Pro tip: Peel backing SLOWLY.
Laid out all squares like a puzzle. Smashed carpet tape between them. Looked like Frankenstein’s dance floor. Then screwed hinges between sections. Drill slipped – put an ugly scratch right across one panel. Kids said it looked “cool” though.
Finishing Nightmare
Polyurethane time. Put two coats on top surfaces. Stunk up the whole house for days. Wifey threatened to make me sleep in the garage. Still worth it – now the surface’s smooth as butter.
Last step: Strap handles screw job. Drilled pilot holes too big. Had to use washers the size of quarters. Looks janky but holds like a champ.
Final Disaster Test
Unfolded the whole contraption in driveway. Threw dance pad on it. Made my teenager jump around like a maniac. Not a single slip! Folded it up – fit perfect in my trunk. Best part? When my neighbor asked where I bought it. Told him “Custom job, bro.” His jaw dropped. Probably gonna make one for him next weekend.
Total cost? Forty bucks. Beat paying two hundred for that flimsy store crap. Still finding wood chips in my hair though.
