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Fastening recycled bowling alley floors

| Posted in General Discussion on March 28, 2000 06:13am

*
I have aquired pine bowling alley flooring in 16′ lenghths 42″ wide and 2 1/4″ thick. I plan to put these on oak beams spaced 48″ o.c. Any ideas on how to attach sections togeather between the beams? My only thought is using stair railbolts or face drilling and screwing the floor then plugging the holes.Please help!

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  1. Guest_ | Mar 27, 2000 05:59am | #1

    *
    If I'm reading and understanding correctly, what about end drilling and pinning with 1' doweling? Or if the look of the rest of the room will allow, how about face drilling but hide the screws with bowling alley "arrows" for a conversation starter? Cut a larger than normal t/g ? One question, 16'x 42"x 2 1/4", how the hell are you going to manuever some of these slabs into a room, they can't be light?

    1. Guest_ | Mar 27, 2000 06:02am | #2

      *Just a second thought....It would make one hell of a hallway/bowling alley at your next get together!

      1. Guest_ | Mar 27, 2000 12:24pm | #3

        *<>Attach how? End to end where they meet between the beams? I'd check with a structural person before trying something like that.Bob

        1. Guest_ | Mar 27, 2000 02:31pm | #4

          *Sam-Have you checked to make sure your beams will carry the load? I just built a bar out of bowling alley and an 8' x 2'2" section weighed just over 2 hundred pounds.Anyway, I like Chris's suggestion with the 1" dowells. If the alley is like the stuff I worked with, it has 2x4 sleepers screwed to the underside. I would mount steel angle a few inches in from the ends of these sleepers and then pull them together with long 1/2" bolts or allthread. I think the sections are too heavy for rail bolts to move them.

  2. Sam_Pritchett | Mar 28, 2000 03:35am | #5

    *
    Doug;
    Good to hear from you! I've got 8" x 10" oak beams @ 48" o.c.-16' long.Trying to connect the slabs between the beams to keep them from separating. The underside of the floor is to be the exposed ceiling
    from below.The ends of the slabs would just butt each other.
    And yes,these guys are heavy, about 500# each.
    I've got extra in both solid pine and maple.Ready for a new bar top?
    Give my best to Stonehill!
    Later-
    Sam

  3. Guest_ | Mar 28, 2000 05:31am | #6

    *
    Sam, if you mean edge to edge, how about a router with a rabbeting bit? The cutting height is usually about 1/2" and depth about 3/8". Groove each edge and rip some plywood splines 2 x the depth of the rabbet minus a 1/16" or so. I'd probably use 1/2" seven ply baltic birch. Glue it into one side and you have a tounge and groove joint that will keep the peices in the same plane but still allow them to expand/contract independently.

    I may be totally off base here on what your trying to do?

    Chuck

    1. Guest_ | Mar 28, 2000 06:13pm | #8

      *If its only to keep them together and not weight bearing I'd use pocket screws.

  4. Sam_Pritchett | Mar 28, 2000 06:13pm | #7

    *
    I have aquired pine bowling alley flooring in 16' lenghths 42" wide and 2 1/4" thick. I plan to put these on oak beams spaced 48" o.c. Any ideas on how to attach sections togeather between the beams? My only thought is using stair railbolts or face drilling and screwing the floor then plugging the holes.Please help!

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