Okay, so let me walk you through this little project I cooked up. It started with this idea, maybe a bit weird, about making a small practice floor. Something better than just the rug, you know? I had some leftover engineered wood planks kicking around, and thought, why not use ’em?

Getting Started

First things first, I gathered up my materials. Found those engineered wood planks in the garage, thankfully enough for a decent little square. Then I needed some rubber. Didn’t want anything too thick, just something to give it a bit of grip or maybe some cushion. Found some rubber matting, the kind you might put in a workshop. Perfect.

Tools needed were pretty basic:

• Saw (just a handsaw, nothing fancy)
• Measuring tape
• Some strong wood glue
• Clamps (always need clamps)
• Utility knife for the rubber
• Sandpaper

Didn’t really have a solid blueprint. More like a picture in my head. Figured I’d make a square base with the wood, maybe two layers thick for sturdiness, and then figure out the rubber part.

Building the Base

I started by measuring and cutting the engineered wood planks. Wanted about a 4×4 foot area, something manageable. The tongue and groove on these planks made joining them pretty straightforward, but getting them perfectly square took a bit of tapping and adjusting. Glued the edges and clamped them tight. Decided to do a second layer on top, staggering the joints for strength, like laying bricks. More glue, more clamping. Let that sit overnight to really set hard.

The next day, it felt solid. Good start. But the edges were a bit rough from the cuts, and the surface wasn’t perfectly even in spots.

Adding the Rubber and the ‘Dance’

Now for the rubber. I played around with a few ideas. Should I cover the whole top? Just strips? Decided to put a thin layer of the rubber mat underneath the whole wooden platform. My thinking was it might absorb some shock, give it a tiny bit of bounce – make it feel less dead than the concrete floor beneath. Called it the ‘dancing’ part in my head, mostly ’cause of that slight spring I hoped it would get. Used the utility knife to cut the rubber mat to size, just a fraction smaller than the wood base. Didn’t glue it down initially, just placed the wood on top.

Then I took some leftover rubber strips and decided to glue them around the top edges of the wooden platform. Thought it might look neat and maybe stop my feet slipping off the edge. This part was fiddly, cutting thin strips straight and getting the glue right.

Finishing Touches

With the main parts together, I spent some time sanding. Smoothed out the top surface where the planks met, rounded off the corners and edges so they weren’t sharp. Didn’t want any splinters catching my socks. Wiped everything down clean.

I thought about putting a varnish on it, but decided against it for now. Liked the raw look of the engineered wood, and figured I could always add a finish later if it started looking rough.

The Test Run

Finally, time to try it out. Put it down in the living room. Stepped on it. Felt sturdy, which was a relief. Tried a few basic steps. The rubber underneath did give it a subtle cushion, not exactly a trampoline, but definitely better than the hard floor. Less jarring on the knees. The rubber strips on top didn’t really do much for grip, but they looked okay.

So, yeah. That’s the story of the ‘rubber dancing engineer board wooden flooring’ thingamajig. A bit of a mouthful, I know. It was a weekend project, used up some scraps, and now I’ve got a little spot to practice my moves without wrecking the carpet or my joints. Took a bit longer than planned, always does, right? But pretty happy with how this piece of engineered wood and rubber turned out. It does its job.