DIY Train table

My Grandsons LOVE trains!  They also love cars, airplanes and anything else with wheels.  I decided to make them a train table this year for Christmas.

I began looking for a table at a second hand shop.  I found one that was the perfect height with built-in shelves and drawers.  It was $30 at Salvation Army and I knew it was perfect the moment I saw it!  I love how all the toys have their own drawer or shelf for storage.

I added a place for cars, airplanes and boats as well.  I filled in a few dents with putty on the top and then sanded those smooth after they dried.
I laid the train track on top of the table and then sketched out car tracks, an airport take-off strip and a little area of water for the boats.  After painting each section and letting them dry, I put 4 coats of poly-seal on top.  I knew that the boys would beat this thing up so I wanted to make certain the paint wouldn't chip off.

After the Poly was completely dry, I used heavy duty glue to hold the tracks in place.  The latest report from my daughter is that even the heavy duty glue didn't keep one of the tracks from being pulled off so I'll be screwing these tracks into the wood soon!

Train tables are expensive to buy new.  I probably could have found one second hand, but the part I loved best was customizing it with things I knew they'd like and knowing that I was able to give these sweet boys my labor of love.