# Help! Bowling Alley flooring for a table or ???



## Toomas (Sep 13, 2012)

I've hooked up with a local company that buys and sells used woodworking machinery. They also sell reclaimed wood - a goldmine for me! Turns out they had a nice piece of bowling alley floor and a great price (including delivery), so I bit and now its in my workshop, er, garage. Now I need to figure out what to do with this - help!

It screams out "Table!" but I'm not sure what form of table or maybe something else? Any thoughts out there?


----------



## Toomas (Sep 13, 2012)

I forgot to add the dimensions: 96" long by 42" wide and 2" thick


----------



## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

By the measurements and the look of it. It would make a great dining table. Clean it up and add some legs. Looks cool.
Greenfield Wisconsin hah. Ill be up that way tomorrow for the snowmobile show at the convention center.


----------



## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

Historically these have been used for shop workbenches. 

George


----------



## burkhome (Sep 5, 2010)

Bowling alley is the main bench in my shop. Never used a better one.


----------



## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

It'd make a heck of a workbench or a big kitchen table....or smaller versions of both!


----------



## Jimbo. (Jan 28, 2009)

Some giant turned bowling pins for legs would be really cool! Maybe upside down so the dimensions would look right, and painted as well! Just a thought


----------



## gideon (May 26, 2010)

yeah dude, that needs to be a table or matching set of coffee and end tables.

furniture made from "reclaimed" materials is hot, hot, hot right now and is commanding a premium. 

if you can figure out shipping logistics, I would make a knock out dining table out of that to get attention on etsy - and if your style is urban enough, it will get attention. you would use this to sell smaller pieces - people will see this and look at what else you have posted. 

contact me for advice on marketing if you'd like.


----------



## Toomas (Sep 13, 2012)

Gideon, that's just what I had in mind. I think I've settled on making a dining room table with a steel edge around the entire top. The base will be two hefty wooden legs angled slightly out and connected by a steel arch. I think it will look like a bridge - very urban, I'll make a Sketchup drawing and post it. I'm also going to plane the top down to clean wood, then finish it with oil It will go up on Etsy as a showpiece for sale. I just need to find someone in town here who can help me with the metal work.
I'm pumped! I'll post pictures as the work gets going.


----------



## Itchytoe (Dec 17, 2011)

I agree with everyone. It's screaming to be a table top, or workbench top, or top of something. As a workbench, you may not have to clean it up much, but as a dining table top, some cleaning is definitely in order. I bet it would look great cleaned up and with a nice finish on it.


----------



## dbales (Jun 21, 2011)

I'm interested in seeing how this turns out since I work at a bowling alley. Looks like a piece of the approach.


----------



## vursenbach (Apr 11, 2012)

I agree with everyone that said workbench.

Sent from my iPad using Wood Forum


----------



## Da Aardvark (Oct 11, 2012)

Get the backside supported, since it no longer is laying flat on the floor.
My method is a welded rectangle, with 2 center slats of 1" tube steel, lag bolted to the back side. It can't lift or separate (sounds like a bra commercial)
Yeah, size is perfect for a kitchen table as is. A few bowling pins for a center piece


----------



## J Thomas (Aug 14, 2012)

Big coffee table?? Bowling pins for the legs?? Slice a ball in half & lathe out a couple bowls for chips, nuts etc..
Just a coupla thoughts for ya.
..Jon..


----------



## dbales (Jun 21, 2011)

Da Aardvark said:


> Yeah, size is perfect for a kitchen table as is. A few bowling pins for a center piece


He could get with me on some bowling pin centerpieces, as I'm working on a few at the moment :thumbsup:



J Thomas said:


> Big coffee table?? Bowling pins for the legs?? Slice a ball in half & lathe out a couple bowls for chips, nuts etc..
> Just a coupla thoughts for ya.
> ..Jon..


Lol I wonder if he's that big into bowling. The balls would be hard to turn on the lathe because the centers are pretty...weird.


----------



## Toomas (Sep 13, 2012)

I'm thinking more of selling this than keeping it. I like the welded rectangle for support. I just need to get friendly with a local metal shop or two. I don't think I'll do the bowling pins. I'm not really into bowling much myself and I think it might reduce the market for a table like this.


----------



## MidGAOutdoor (Apr 7, 2011)

dining table for sure


----------



## Da Aardvark (Oct 11, 2012)

Yes, but if you laid a few pins across the top, it would let others see the reclaimed use.


----------



## vursenbach (Apr 11, 2012)

Da Aardvark said:


> Yes, but if you laid a few pins across the top, it would let others see the reclaimed use.


I too think there is no need to make reference to where the wood came from, just what the end result is. I think it could be a very nice table either by leaving it rustic or cleaning it up and just using the wood instead of buying new.

Sent from my iPad using Wood Forum


----------



## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

Does it have the guide arrow dot patter on it that is usually seen on the near end of lane? I think that'd look excellent under a fresh gloss finish. I guess someone else said that this might be part of the approach, so maybe it wouldn't be on there. Either way, I think that those dotted marks would be a more subtle reference to the wood's history than bowling pin legs.


----------



## Toomas (Sep 13, 2012)

Phaedrus - no the lane markers are not on this section. Too bad, that would be a nice detail.


----------



## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

Toomas said:


> Phaedrus - no the lane markers are not on this section. Too bad, that would be a nice detail.


Well, depending upon what you do for finish, you could certainly paint them on there. If you decide to keep it rustic and just clean and lay a clear finish on top, you could just use a translucent white paint (so that it doesn't look too new).


----------



## Da Aardvark (Oct 11, 2012)

I'll tell you right now. Women won't want a dirty looking table. Distressed? Maybe.


----------



## Toomas (Sep 13, 2012)

I planed a section as a test to see the condition under the old finish - jackpot! It looks great. It still has a bit of a yellow patina but looks fresh and clean.


----------

