So last month my kid’s dance teacher complained about their creaky studio floors, and I thought, “Heck, why not build something portable?” Grabbed my sketchbook and scribbled down “removable dancing rubber tree portable wooden flooring” – yeah, the name’s a mouthful, but stay with me.
The “This Can’t Be Hard” Phase
Started simple: bought a bunch of rubber tree wood strips from this shady lumber yard downtown. Figured I’d just slap ’em together, right? Wrong. First try looked like Frankenstein married a deck. Boards were uneven, edges jagged – felt like dancing on a cheese grater. Kid tried one shuffle and face-planted into my toolbox.
Glue Apocalypse
Switched to gorilla glue for the joins. BIG mistake. Glue leaked everywhere, boards stuck to my garage floor, and my dog trotted through the mess – spent an hour scrubbing glue-paw-prints off the driveway. Lesson? Rubber wood hates glue. Switched to hidden interlocking brackets instead. Hammertime! My neighbors probably thought I was building a tank.
- Materials salvaged: Rubber wood strips, interlock brackets, non-slip pads
- Tools murdered: One hammer (RIP), my sanity
Portability or Bust
Wanted these panels to snap together like Lego. Cut notches into each board using my jigsaw – looked like a beaver went wild. Tested portability by hauling ’em to the park. Panels slid around like butter on ice. Added grip pads underneath scraped from old yoga mats. Now they cling to concrete like geckos. Victory?
Nope. First real dance test: kid jumps, panel flips up like a seesaw. Almost launched her into the rose bushes. Back to garage – drilled anchors into the seams. Finally, they lock tight but pop apart with one kick. Portable. Removable. Not weaponized.
The Frankenstein Moment
Assembly day: panels interlock smooth, grip pads hold strong, wood doesn’t squeak. But holy moly, it weighs a ton. “Portable” my foot – need a forklift! Stripped off extra layers of wood, sanded everything down to paper-thin. Still sturdy, but now I can actually lift it without throwing my back out.
Final Kick Test
Kid and her crew danced for two hours. No slips. No flying panels. Rubber wood didn’t crack. Just smooth spins and happy feet. It works! But next time? I’m buying a pre-made dance floor. This project cost me three weekends, one hammer, and a bottle of aspirin.
