Salvage pieces from an old dance pad, such as wires if possible, computer board, foam pieces, buttons and printed graphic. Photograph or sketch the way it is put together to aid you in building your new dance pad. The pad is made up of about three layers: the computer board on the bottom with wires and a plastic layer on the inside of the old pad with tracer patterns showing where the wires go to the buttons (usually square-shaped); the foam pieces for the buttons, which need to be cut out to reuse; and the old plastic top, which can be thrown away.
Place the old computer board on your wood board. According to the trace patterns from the old plastic layer, solder the wires (or use new wire if the old is not salvageable) to the proper points on the computer board, which is now placed on the 36-inch-by-36-inch wooden board. It is best if this wood board is about a half-inch thick to provide ultimate stability when dancing on it.
Place pieces of foil the same size as the dance step buttons onto the board in the arrangement of your printed graphic, so they line up correspondingly, and so when you dance you are hitting the graphics on the correct buttons.
Layer the pieces of foam over this grounding foil, and place another layer of foil over this.
Twist the wires from the computer board until they reach each button. This isn't a complicated process–simply twist the wires from the board until they reach the buttons and cut them. Follow the pattern of the old board to twist and connect the wires to the buttons. Twist until they are in contact with the layer of foil. Tape the entire button layer–the foil, foam and wire–down using duct tape.
Layer the foam pieces (if using new, foam, make sure it has holes in it so that the layers of foil and wire make contact when stepping or dancing on the buttons) on top of the buttons and tape the foam, buttons, foil and wire all down to the wooden board using duct tape.
Lay the dance pad graphic down on the pad over the buttons and cover it with the 36-inch-by-36-inch piece of acrylic resin. Drill small pilot holes around the edges of the dance pad to avoid splintering the acrylic resin with the screws. Screw the piece of acrylic resin to the wooden board using the electric screwdriver and small screws.