Starting the project

Woke up itching to build something physical instead of staring at screens all day. Remembered those wooden panels collecting dust in my garage leftover from last summer’s failed shelf project. Figured I’d finally make that portable dance floor I’d been dreaming about for living room dance breaks. Dragged everything out around 9 AM – panels looked rough with some warping from humidity but figured they’d still work.

Planning the puzzle pieces

Knew it had to come apart easy for storage. Measured my dancing space and did sketchy math with a carpenter’s pencil directly on the concrete floor. Marked where each panel should connect like a jigsaw puzzle. Messed up twice trying hexagonal shapes before switching to simple squares when realizing my cutting skills suck. Cut four 2×2 foot sections using my janky handheld circular saw – wood chips flying everywhere like a mini snowstorm.

Key adjustments needed

• Chiseled down bulging edges with a rasp when pieces wouldn’t sit flush
• Added rubber padding strips underneath after test fit scratched my tiles
• Drilled oversized connector holes allowing some wiggle room during assembly

The connection struggle

Tried three different fastener methods that totally bombed. Bolts were too permanent, velcro couldn’t handle weight, and my duct tape idea was laughably bad. Ended up using removable cabinet knobs I found in my junk drawer – screwed metal bases into each panel corner. Weirdly perfect since they slot together like LEGO but pop apart with a good yank. Did a happy dance when the last piece clicked into place without wobbling.

Final assembly test

Slapped on two coats of quick-dry varnish while eating lunch. Afternoon did the real test: cranked disco playlist while assembling barefoot. Whole floor went together in under 10 minutes clicking those knobs. Jumped, spun, did embarrassing robot moves – thing held solid! Disassembled just as fast when neighbor complained about bass. Stacked pieces flat against the wall taking less space than my vacuum cleaner. Victory shower beer tasted extra good.

Still tweaking it though – next weekend trying non-slip spray on the surface after nearly eating linoleum during moonwalk attempts. Maybe add carrying handles too. Total cost? Basically free since everything was scrap material. Worth every splinter.