Building my own lighted disco dance floor

[Brian Schonecker]

Ok, continue laughing at me but I am a 70s child afterall....

Think Saturday Night Fever or "Hollywood Squares".

I've already got the PLC for programming the chasing lights and have found a source for lexan/acryllic squares but I'm confused as to how I should go about building the dance floor itself.

I'm the first to admit that I can't make a wooden box without illustrated plan so any help that you can give me must be 'lowest common denominator' so to speak.

My first inclination was to make a 6' x 6' frame with cross members half-lapped on edge at 12" centers. Then I would route a 1/2" rabbit around the inside of the squares and place my lexan. Underneath I am going to put leveling screws because my basement floor isn't exactly level.

Would 2x4 pine be strong enough for this application? I'm not sure that pine would look too good, however. I could paint the pine black... If I went with oak, what thickness would be appropriate? Since the leveling screws would be every 24" or so I guess that 2x4 oak would be overkill.

I'm trying to keep the overall height of the dance floor to a minimum because the ceiling in the basement is about 7-1/2 feet high.

The dance floor must either be assembled in the basement or be constructed of knock-down hardware to facilitate transport down the steps. I've been able to get a 4x8 sheet of drywall down the steps so anything smaller than that would be just fine.

Any suggestions appreciated!

Brian

PS: Anybody got a source for a floor to ceiling brass pole for the inevitable alchohol-induced 'exotic dances'??? :-)

(you can stop laughing at me now) hehe

[LRod]

Ah, ha. All that "disco" stuff was a red herring.

- - LRod

Master Woodbutcher and seasoned termite

Shamelessly whoring my website since 1999

[Robert Bonomi]

A 'lazy' way -- steal the design work from 'raised computer room flooring'.

The 'standoffs' used to support the computer-room stuff provide the leveling capability you need, and they're designed to handle _much_ higher weights than you'll have on the dance floor.

Computer-room flooring is designed in 2'x 2' squares -- a nice 'standard' dimension for other work. :)

You can get standoffs that are adjustable so that the raised floor is as low as about 6" above the actual floor. Dunno if that is 'low enough' for your needs, or not.

You have (at least) two issues to deal with -- the size of the 'open span' (between supports) for the lexan, and keeping the supports for the lexan stable/upright.

Lexan *is* rather flexible, unfortunately -- an undesirable characteristic for 'raised floor' materials.

This translates into a need for more frequent support points. Note: this does -not- necessarily mean solid members running across the span -- a simple 'point' support (e.g. a vertical piece of 2x2) will work just fine, with appropriate spacing.

Put down a 'grid' of 2x2 'posts', on, say 7.2" ('odd' dimension, yes, but it gives exactly 5 intervals across 36" :) centers. Note: the outside, or 'perimeter' posts should *not* be 'centered' on the dimension, but fully on the 'inside' of it -- then you can run 'decorative' (non-load-bearing) stock around the outside, flush with the edge of the lexan, and all the way to the 'real' floor.

You can omit the need for 'leveling screws' if you carefully cut each post to the exact height needed for that particular place on the floor. One of those rotating laser levels is a godsend for this kind of work. But you can do amazingly well with just some tight fishing line. (set the corners first, carefully matching the heights with a water-level -- then run the fishline (tightly!) between the corners. Make the intermediate posts come up to the fishline. Next run line (again tightly) between those intermediate posts on each side, filling in the middle of the grid. Voila! tops of all the posts are at the same place, regardless of the shape of the floor.

Note: you'll want "something" to function as 'shock mounts' between the top of those posts, and the lexan. An inexpensive source is the rubber-like gripper "jar opener" pads you can find in the grocery and/or 'dime stores'

[[.. munch ..]]

Practical comment: Check your homeowner's insurance, regarding 'injury' coverage.

That said, *WHY* would you want somebody to just tell you where you can buy one? Go do some direct, FIRST HAND, "research" -- visit a bunch of the places where said equipment is already installed and _in_use_. Observe it in operation for a while. If it seems satisfactory for your needs, then ask the management of that facility 'where' they bought it from.

Something like this is a difficult decision -- do *lots* of research first!

[Silvan]

Difficult decision? Lighted disco floor? That's not a difficult decision at all. :)

I remember the last time I went dancing. It was Spanish Camp. Some really cute girl was like "Come on! I'm going to make you dance! Come ON!" So she literally dragged me out onto the dance floor.

Then after a few minutes she looked at me in disgust and turned her back on me. That was the last time I went dancing. I have four left feet.

[LRod]

This one time at Spanish camp...

- - LRod

Master Woodbutcher and seasoned termite

Shamelessly whoring my website since 1999

[Mark & Juanita]

But that doesn't matter anyway since you don't look good naked anymore. ;-)

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

[Unisaw A100]

The other day I woke up, went into the bathroom, looked at myself in the mirror and realized I looked like Sadam Hussein fresh from his spider hole.

I just gave up trying to make myself look pretty anymore after that.

UA100, who just finished a job in Vegas (baby) where the lit up dance floor was made of onyx onna 'count of it looked so good but when you're Steve Wynn you can afford these things...

[Robert Bonomi]

Pay attention to the context!

Which was selecting the "right" floor-to-ceiling brass pole.

Checking out ones that are _already_installed_ and in use at other properties is where all the research effort is expended.

[ Damn! I hate having to explain a joke. *SIGH* ]