So yeah, the idea hit me when I tried practicing some moves on my buddy’s super uneven patio tiles – nearly busted my ankle. Thought, why not just make my own floor I can chuck in the car? Removable dancing solid portable wooden flooring. Sounded good.

Started simple. Needed wood, obviously. Didn’t want anything fancy or crazy expensive, just sturdy stuff. Wandered down to the local hardware spot with my rusty old measuring tape. Just kinda grabbed some standard one-inch thick plywood sheets – the stuff they use for basic framing. Felt solid enough under my foot. Bought two big sheets. Figured I’d cut ’em down later.

Cutting & Sizing the Pieces

Got home, dragged out the circular saw – been collecting dust for ages. Safety glasses on (learned that the hard way once!). Measured out my basic studio spot dimensions and drew some rough lines with a dusty pencil right on the wood. Cutting wasn’t too bad, though the saw got jumpy a few times, edges got a bit ragged. Ended up with like, eight manageable panels. Sanded down those rough edges quick so I wouldn’t get splinters dancing barefoot. Sandpaper went everywhere.

Figuring Out the Locking Trick

The “removable” bit was the head-scratcher. How do I make these panels lock together quick and come apart easy? Pondered it over cheap instant coffee. Stumbled on those metal joining plates you see on furniture legs sometimes. Little L-shaped bits with holes. Grabbed a bunch. Got my drill out – slightly nervous about drilling wood but just went for it. Attached these plates flush to the edges of each panel using short screws.

• Align two panels side-by-side.
• Slide the L-shaped plate from one panel under the plate of the next.
• Tighten a wing nut through the overlapping holes.

Sounded okay on paper. Tried it on two panels. Worked! Nice solid click and they felt locked tight. No crazy wobble. Did a little victory shuffle.

Making it Actually Portable & Floor-Friendly

Panels locked, nice! But… laying them straight on my concrete garage floor? Felt rough, scratchy. Plus, sliding! Needed a smooth base, but also some grip underneath so the whole floor wouldn’t skate away during a spin. Remembered those furniture felt pads – the soft sticky circles you put on chair legs. Went back to the hardware store (felt like I lived there now). Bought a huge pack.

Stuck ’em on each corner, underside of every panel. Loads of ’em! Like little soft feet. Then, for the top surface? Grabbed a basic wood sealant can – water-based, stuff was practically odorless. Brushed a thick coat onto every top surface. Wanted that smooth, slidey feel but protected the wood.

Testing it Out

Let the sealant dry overnight (smelled faintly weird, but not too bad). Next morning, chucked all the panels, tools, nuts and bolts into a big duffle bag. Drove down to that bumpy patio.

Popped ’em out. Laid four panels down first. Connected ’em with the plates and wing nuts. Took maybe five minutes? Then laid the next four. Thumped the joints with my foot – solid. Stepped on. The felt pads gripped the tiles perfectly. Felt super flat! Slid my socked foot across – smooth! Launched into a simple box step… flowed like butter. Didn’t budge an inch. Packing up? Unscrewed the wing nuts, slid the plates apart. Panels back in the bag. Easy.

So yeah, it ain’t a sprung professional floor, but it does exactly what I needed: solid, portable, protects my feet, protects the floor below, and packs away fast. Already planning to take it to the park next weekend.