Thread: Thomas Table

One of my grandsons has a smaller version

besides why a table why not the floor

Originally Posted by wheelinround

besides why a table why not the floor

A lady who moved her kids' train sets from the floor to one of these little tables told me that she did it because, after a while, the train set became a real nuisance every time that she vacuumed the floor.

Her kids' set was largish, it seems and the kids would have the track meandering all over the place and she used to have to pick it up before she vacuumed.

However, apart from that, what I saw when a whole stack of kids of various ages descended on to the table was that it was just more ergonomic for the kids to have one at their height than to crawl around on the floor. Probably no different to why we all like to have a workbench rather than using sawhorses all the time, I suppose.


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Top table Charleville,
A job well done.
Many hours of play ahead for the little one,
and mum's happy for the tidyup drawer.
Cheers, Crowie

Looks fantastic!

I hope the kids and the older kids have a great time with it.

But I have to ask , how much did you save relative to the $400 version.

Not that it really matters a hoot.

Originally Posted by Avery

But I have to ask , how much did you save relative to the $400 version.

Not that it really matters a hoot.

Well, lets see...

I used 3/8 of a sheet of 15mm CD plywood from Bunnings at about $57 per sheet, I think it was. I needed some plywood for another purpose so I can cost that incrementally at about $22.

The sides were pine from Bunnings, which I cannot recall the cost of but it was not real expensive - lets say $25.

The drawer bases were from a handyman 1200 x 450 sheet of 7 mm plywood from Bunnings for about $9.

The sides of the drawers were made from hardwood given to me by someone who had them left over from a building renovation 22 years ago and who just wanted to get rid of them after sitting in his garage for that long.

For paint, I used five cans of spray paint on special at Bunnings for around $6.90 per can plus an incremental bit of brushed on undercoat already in a tin on my shelves. So, lets say $35 for paint. That includes a tiny bit of marine varnish in a tin left over from a job on my boat and used on the legs.

The cuphead/square neck bolts which hold the legs on cost about 69 cents each for eight = about $6.

The timber for the legs came from the Reverse Garbage shop at $1.80 per kg. I think that they probably work out at about $8 worth for the four.

The plastic knobs cost about $3.50 each =$7. Next time, I would make my own out of scrap and paint them in a bright colour like that green.

A bit of glue was used but I shall not bother counting that as that is just part of my annual usage for which I buy a big bottle. Likewise, there is some dowelling used but only at a tiny incremental cost from existing stocks.

So let's count that up... It comes to about $105.

A bit could be saved on the paint just by painting it with clear polyurethane and not fiddling with colours but overall, it was a $100 job or thereabouts.

People who own the bought versions have already told me that there is no comparison in the obvious strength and on things like drawer quality between my version and the bought ones.

There are no metal fixings other than the eight bolts which hold on the legs and the two screws that hold on the knobs. All joints are proper woodworking joints with additional security achieved with some dowels here and there and some hidden bracing made from scrap. It ain't gonna move!

Of course, it helps that the 4.2 m of hardwood used in the drawers was free. Drawers are not essential but they are handy.



Tools used include...

Mark 3 Triton Work Centre
Makita 12" Sliding Compound Mitre Saw
Router table utilising Makita 3612 router
Handheld Triton Compact Router
Gifkins dovetail jig
Jet 17" pedestal drill
Metabo 18v Drill
Metabo sander
DeWalt circular saw
Carba-Tec 12" fixed disc sander
Triton Multistands
Carba-Tec 1 HP dust extractor




My labour cost at my pre-retirement hourly rate in a big corporation probably totaled $4000. Heheheh! ... but damn, it was fun!



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Originally Posted by Charleville

My labour cost at my pre-retirement hourly rate in a big corporation probably totaled $4000. Heheheh! ... but damn, it was fun!
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So now tell us the truth. How much of the hourly rate was spent on playing with it once you had finished.....

BTW top stuff.

Originally Posted by The Bleeder

So now tell us the truth. How much of the hourly rate was spent on playing with it once you had finished.....

BTW top stuff.

Thanks. I did not play with it but I will concede spending a bit of time admiring it.


I did however, get a lot of joy watching the kids swarm around it. They were attracted by the train set, not the table of course, but nonetheless, it gives an immense sense of satisfaction and, yes, even relief, when you see something that you make for grand-kids actually get used with such energy.


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Nicely done. My boy's been asking me for one of these for a while, so it's on the "to do" list. It'll be a pretty basic version though...

Looks good. well done.

Many thanks for all of the nice comments, folks.


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Top job there Charleville!!

Originally Posted by mimac

If your going to do more track you can get a router bit set specifically for track:
Train Track Router Bits and FREE Plan - Rockler Woodworking Tools

Thanks mimac. Your post prompted me to look at the Aussie woodworking retailers and I see that they have such things here also but they have a bearing on the double track cutter which I suspect would make them easier to use.

Train Track Bits : CARBA-TEC


A whole new world opens up to one's imagination...


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McJings also sell a set for $99.

Originally Posted by Geoff Dean

McJings also sell a set for $99.

Thanks. That's a better deal!


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