I would like to take a few lines here to unabashedly applaud my wonderfully creative and gifted husband on his latest achievement: the Train Table!! Jay is not what you would call an experienced woodworker, nor does he have access to a fully equipped workshop. But when we talked about getting the kids trains this year for their Christmas gift, he mentioned how much he’d like to build a table for their collection.
Admittedly I was somewhat hesitant. Besides the aforementioned drawbacks, when would he possibly find time for such an undertaking? But Jay was quite certain he wanted to do this and so I encouraged him that I thought it was a great idea.
He did encounter a few frustrations along the way, mostly caused by a lack of proper tools for the job (thanks to David C for the use of his fine router!) but the finished product is proof of his hard work and determination. The table is a beauty. He designed it to be a bit larger than those generally sold so as to allow for more play area. The design is simple and compelling. Corners and edges are soft and rounded, very child-friendly. And it is sturdy enough for Jonathan to climb on top of it (which he’s already done several times!).
Most importantly, Abigail and Jonathan love it. And in this day of factory-made toys, etc, when we use our hands less and less to create, it is wonderful to me to see this table in our play loft, laden with trains and track, and think of Jay’s labor of love.
Impressive!
Nifty!