Alright, so I’ve been meaning to share this little project I put together. It sounds a bit weird, maybe? A portable wooden floor, specifically for dancing, with a rubbery touch, built by yours truly, an engineer by trade, though maybe ‘tinkerer’ is more accurate these days.

The whole thing started because I needed a decent surface to practice some moves. You know how it is, regular floors are either too sticky or too slippery, and carpets? Forget about it. Plus, I move around a bit, sometimes practice at a friend’s place, sometimes in the garage, so dragging a heavy floor wasn’t an option. It had to be portable.

Getting Started – The Idea Phase

First, I just sketched out some ideas. Nothing fancy, just pencil and paper. I knew I wanted wood for the top feel, that nice slide but with control. Plywood seemed like the obvious choice – strong enough, relatively light, and not crazy expensive. The ‘rubber’ part was crucial. I needed some shock absorption, something to save my knees, and also to stop the whole thing sliding around on whatever surface it was placed on. And ‘engineer’ brain kicked in thinking about how to make it easy to put together and take apart.

Gathering the Bits and Pieces

So, off I went. Finding the right wood was step one. I settled on some decent quality plywood sheets, not too thick to keep the weight down, but not so thin they’d warp or break. Got them cut into manageable squares at the store, saved me some hassle.

Next was the rubber backing. This took a bit more searching. I looked at gym flooring, yoga mats, all sorts. Eventually, I found some dense rubber sheeting, often used for sound dampening or industrial stuff. It seemed tough and had the right amount of give. I bought a roll of it.

Then just the usual stuff: strong adhesive for sticking rubber to wood, some sandpaper, sealant for the wood surface, and I decided on a simple interlocking mechanism, kind of like puzzle pieces, so I needed tools to cut those shapes precisely.

Putting It All Together – The Build

• Cutting and Sanding: First, I double-checked the dimensions of the cut plywood squares. Needed them to be identical. Then spent a good afternoon sanding all the edges and surfaces smooth. Don’t want splinters mid-dance, right?
• Adding the Rubber: This was messy. Cut the rubber sheet into squares slightly smaller than the wood pieces. Applied the adhesive – wow, that stuff smells strong, definitely needed ventilation – and carefully stuck the rubber onto the underside of each plywood square. Put weights on top (stacks of old books, mostly) and let them cure properly. Getting it flat and even was key.
• Creating the Interlocks: Okay, this was the ‘engineering’ bit, albeit simple. I decided on a basic slot and tab system on the edges of the squares. Measured carefully and used a router to cut the shapes. Took a few tries on scrap wood to get it right so they’d lock together snugly but still be easy enough to separate.
• Finishing the Top: Once everything was assembled and the interlocking worked, I applied a couple of coats of clear sealant to the top wooden surface. This protects the wood and gives it that smooth, danceable finish. Let it dry completely between coats.

The Result – Does it Dance?

So, after all that cutting, gluing, and waiting, I finally laid it out. Clicked the pieces together – satisfying sound! It formed a nice little square, maybe 6×6 feet, big enough for practice.

And the moment of truth? Stepped onto it… yeah, felt good. The wood surface had the right slide, the rubber underneath gave it a subtle cushioning, much better than the concrete floor of the garage. And it didn’t budge! The rubber backing gripped the floor underneath really well.

Taking it apart was easy too, just unclicked the pieces, stacked them up. They’re not super light individually, but the whole stack is manageable to carry or throw in the car. Exactly what I needed.

It’s not professional grade, you know. There are little imperfections here and there. Some edges aren’t perfectly aligned if you look closely. But hey, I built it! It does the job, saves my joints, and I can take my practice space with me. Pretty chuffed with how this “rubber dancing engineer portable wooden flooring” turned out. A fun weekend project, really.