Bowling alley lane wood for component tables?

How about bowling shoes for feet !!!!!!!!! Sorry

Are you sure it's Oak? I always thought most bowling alleys where Maple. I don't know that Oak would necessarily be bad (especially if it's free), but Maple is really nice for your application.

Chris

You know, I've never personally tested alternative woods to maple platforms, but maple is the consensus of most who have. If you go to Mapleshade records & audio's website, their chief designer gives quite an account of those woods he did try, with maple emerging his clear favorite. Of couse, I suspect that availablility and cost of alternatives is a major factor in the decision to market a product. I'[d like to hear pricey alternatives to maple such as cocobolo and rosewood, I bet they would sound good too. As Chris mentions, I've never seen an oak bowling alley, every one I've ever seen has been maple.

Well, at least you know they will be well borken in.

Use boards from the left side of the alley, they will be less worn. :-)

The 1st 16' past the foul line is maple. The remaining 44' is pine. The back section where the pins are is maple. Try to get the maple portion because it is more dense. A friend of mine made a coffee table out of a 6 foot chunk. Be advised that this stuff is heavy. (his maple piece was 3" thick")

In the early 1980's maple was replaced by synthetic surfaces which require far less maintenance.

Used to frequent a bar restaurant that had bowling alley flrs. 35yrs. ago. Those flrs. are still holding up well to this day. The place was in biz 10yrs. before I darkened the door step.

How are you going to get the lane oil off?
Won't that make your component table slippery?
Will the tone arm tend to drift to the right as the left is usually the high side? :)

Dusty is correct in that bowling alley flooring could be either maple or pine. I made a woodworking bench from bowling alley flooring and the individual wood strips where glued and nailed together. I found out the hard way when I began to cut through the stuff and sparks flew. So watch out for nails and good luck.

Yikes!
Thanks Hank. I forgot about the nails. Most new lanes (well, new 20 years ago) were glued and nailed together. A 3" thick bed had the 1st 1-1/2" studded with nails. This side was laid down on the bottom crib or floor. Thus, when the lane was sanded to remove the "grooves" you didn't hit any nails. When the sander hit nails it was time to replace the whole lane bed. If you drill into your piece be sure to use the side that has the finished surface, and limit your depth to about 1/2".

Hello everyone,
Thanks for your comments. Yes, the bowling alley wood is maple and there are no nails in it or nail holes. It consists of inch and a quater lengths that are about an inch and a half thick, then glued together. The pieces are solid and heavy. I am gonna go ahead and make the component tables out of this stuff.
So the next step is decided on the feet. Do I use spikes and what kind, or do I use some kind of sorbethane feet?
I am making it for a Rega Plana 3 table, which picks up my steps when I walk on the wood floor in my living room. I think I will also make one for my Magus preamp and my Rotel CD player.
Cheers,
Joe