In article ,
Brian Schonecker wrote:
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.

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.

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.

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 ..]]

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

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!