Frank, Last December my mom was diagnosed with brain cancer (it was completely out of the blue and she was extremely independent and active). It only took a very short 22 days from the time she was diagnosed until her passing. Needless to say, the entire ordeal was absolutely awful. I tell you that, to tell you this: I spent every possible minute at her side and about the last 14 days she wasn't even awake enough to talk. So, I ended up watching a lot of UA-cam to pass the time and that included rewatching a lot of your videos. I just wanted to thank you for what you do. I can only dream of becoming a woodworker the likes of yourself, however, just having something to distract me (and keep my interest regardless of what you were building/showing) was extremely helpful in keeping level headed and calm. I just wanted you to know that your work is so appreciated.
You are just the best dad with exceptional skills. I hope your children pass this great quality on to their children, and it keeps going n going n going. Thanks for all you do for all of us watching your videos come to life. To me you get Father of the year. You make other things, but in alot your children are involved. We need more parents like you. Thanks so much.
As a Carpenter myself, I was BLOWN AWAY by your shop and your QUALITY BUILD. Top Marks. And your Video and Narration skills are Great as well. Look forward to seeing more of your vids. JOHN R.
I wish Frank was my dad growin' up. Frank you're a great dad and a respectable role model. The world needs more men like you, but I think you need to know too you are a great guy.
Every boy should have a train set to enjoy with his Dad! My Dad built me a table that hinged down from the wall so it could be completely out of the way when it wasn't in use. This obviously limited the landscaping and buildings to only temporary installation, but our house at the time was pretty small, so it was a great solution. Fond memories... Thanks, Frank. I hope Calvin enjoys his train table as much as I enjoyed mine! Tip: If he finds that he's running out of space, consider smaller gauge trains.
my dad built one for my brother and me. but he never got it running fully functional. it was fun when it did work! but, man took up soo much space in our room.
The table looks great. I think it's awesome that you do these projects with your kids. Trust me, they will remember those moments and share them with their own children. Keep up the great work!
When I was about Calvin's age, I had an HO train set in my bedroom. My father bought a defective hollow-core door that was badly warped, thus dirt cheap. The warped hardboard surface made for gently rolling hills, so it was perfect. I didn't have floor space for it, so my father mounted a 2x4 on the wall (my bed was up against the wall) and we used butt hinges to hinge the door horizontal over the bed. A swag chain from screw eyes in the wall supported the door/table when it was deployed, and I could swing it up against the wall when I wanted to go to bed. I had lots of fun building hills and rock formations using plywood scraps glued to the door and aluminum window screen stapled to that to provide the basic shape of the rock formation. Plaster of Paris was troweled onto the screen and while it was still soft, I textured the surface with a putty knife. It came out looking pretty realistic. I spent far more time on landscaping than I did running the trains.
Would very much like to see another video whenever your son gets the layout more complete, realizing that trains layouts are relatively dynamic and can change constantly. Really enjoyed this.
Those are memories you're building right there that will last your son his lifetime and perhaps even be told to his children. Fantastic stuff Frank! Good luck Calvin and I can't wait to see what neat things you guys do with that setup.
Love to see kids interested in this kind of stuff versus those who are connected to an iPad all day long. Awesome stuff as always, brings me back to my childhood!
Oh man, this brings me back to when I was in awe of scenery and dioramas. I think I basically kickstarted my "making" creativity from realistic miniature model making. Started with trains, and just kept growing.
I really love how when you have projects involving your children that you get them in your shop and help them help you!! It really shows them how to be responsible in the work shop... And oh my how Calvin has shot up like a sprout!! They grow entirely to fast these days!! I also like how he set up the train and track.... Maybe you could drill some holes in the table to put some of those wires through and make a few boxes topside for the controls.... or set them up on the sides of the table.... Fantastic job though.... Cant wait to see the finished project though.....
A fabulous father and son project! Calvin will enjoy the table immensely I'm sure. Looking forward to future updates. Also, I luv to see you include your 'errors' in your videos, it makes it real.
Great to see you passing on the skills to the next generation. My farther taught me woodwork and metalwork and I would say it is one of the best things a parent can do for their child. I look forward to seeing this project progress. Keep up the great work. 👍👍👍
Beyond your advanced designing and building skills, you're obviously a devoted father and mentor. I really enjoy your projects and your ability to share your journey with us.
I just recently came across your videos. You created a wonderful shop and make top quality, well thought out products. Great to see your son involved along the way.
I'd love to have something like that for a couple of trains I have but I don't have the space right now, but definitely a great project for the future. Thanks for showing the build and getting Calvin involved as well. Can't wait to see future videos of the train table build.
Man, those EZ tracks bring back memories of when I was a kid like 8-12 years ago. I can still smell that kind of burning metal of the rails. I actually had that same exact controller too. I still have a dream to own a huge house and have a room or two dedicated to just trains.
Great project when it’s for your kids! Thanks Dad, I’m sure both your kids will enjoy it. Just don’t let him catch you playing with it while he’s asleep!
Frank, I really appreciate your videos and how well produced they are. I have probably watched them all but in this particular one it just occurred to me how well narrated they are. Can’t wait to see the layout grow!
Those memories.. had a HO train table myself, it was a gift but we couldn't keep it very long due to missing space in the flat :( But I had a lot fun with it a couple of years while it was standing at my gram's :)
Keeping the train on the track! Another great video. Takes me back to the Christmas I got an HO scale train. Spent the next few months creating a layout that ran around the circumference of the rumpus room!
I guess at 60 I'm to old to be adopted, but one can dream 😉. I was wondering if those draw pulls stick out a bit to far, looks like you guys will be constantly be bumping into them. Can't wait for the landscape, woo hoo!!!
Homasote is great for deadening the sound the train will make on the plywood. Also that area where you left out the drawers would be great for a hidden staging yard. There is no such thing as a small layout. Once bit by the model railroad bug there is no going back. Great layout table, I am a N-Scale guy myself.
When my family query my collection I tell them that it's more of a disease than a hobby. :D At some point the castors will come off the table and it'll grow a bridge to some newly-installed shelves around the walls. :)
What a great video , as always. A few years back, I took over a pizza`place and they had a model train set up that ran all around the interior walls. That was a great hit with the kids. Unfortunately, we had to take it off because of remodeling. I took everything home, hoping some day I would bring it back to life for my son. Needless to say, I got busy with other things in life and we could not make it happen. So I have been looking for a good home for them. When I saw your video today, I said to myself "there it is". If you are intersted, I will be honored to ship them to you as a small token of appreciation for all the great videos. Just let me know.
Fun Sunday morning coffee. Will be interesting to see how Calvin finishes out the landscaping. Thanks for sharing this small piece of family history in the making.
Nice bench! You know that you are just starting something way bigger. Put a 2” foam on top for the landscape, track slope and hide all the track wire. Then next step is DCC and classification yard. That’s when you add up the first extension:)
Frank,I am really interested in seeing a update on this project. I am getting ready to build my layout and have spent time watching your videos for tips and tricks as to how to better make use of my tools including my small CNC router. Project request. I would like to see how you would build a multi layer helix for the train layout. Great work. Thanks for showing your wood working technique.John
My thoughts are with you at this terribly sad time, I can see how franks commentary would help too. I too dream of one day having my own workspace, maybe we can build / make something to commemorate our mothers memories when we do.
I've build and HO train table as well with my dad when I was younger, mine was a bit biger and was hollow in the midle so I could reach every part. And from experience, I can tell you I was constantly leaning over it. My point is I thing those giant drawer pulls of yours will get in is way all the time when trying to reach the midle of the table, or juste bumb is side walking along the table. Anyway thats my experience, Awesome build do you're a great Dad !
I don’t know why, but I always get really excited when people use biscuits. Maybe because it reminds me of New Yankee Workshop? 😆 Very cool project! And so much storage!
Ahhh memories! Most of the time my train layout was in a drawer under my bed. Worked okay until you forgot to lay the water tower down before stowing it. My younger brother was able to get a more permanent home and build mountains and trestles. Jealous of the square footage!
Wow 2 of my 3 expensive hobbiest in life, woodworking and model trains! Always wondered how stiff a torsion box would be if only one side had a sheet of plywood, but I guess the thickness of those plywood ribs it really doesn't matter
When I was a kid, my father built a layout table in the basement that folded up onto the wall, much like a Murphy bed. Not only did it have HO scale track, but it also had slot cars. You could run both the trains and the slot cars at the same time. When the train was about to cross the road, a crossing gate would come down and it would interrupt the power to the slots so the cars would stop at the gate. The scale of the cars and the trains didn't match up, but that didn't matter to a 7 year old.
Cool. DCC train control, Howarth guys. Even for just two locomotives on a tabletop, so much more fun. Son and Dad can run 2+ trains independently, both in direction and speed. The concept might make you rethink the track layout, moving away from just loops to watch trains run, to adding industrial sidings and such. Then trains have a purpose and a place to go, and you can operate with that goal and manage traffic accordingly. Have fun!
Good job Frank, I’m impressed with the attention to detail as usual & he will get many hours of enjoyment out of it ... Forget about the little fubar, it comes under the realm of CRS and will return to say hello every now and then :)
Frank, great to see your little boy growing into a fine young man! I am thrilled that you're planning to follow up on this video, as I have a keen interest in modelmaking. Also, good call not doing all the drawers: that way, you'll be able to extend the table on those sides if the diorama calls for that. Cheers!
I was looking forward to this build. Nice job and thanks for postings. I grew up with trains because of my dad and I enjoy woodworking, so this was a real treat.
Really neat! taking notes for when my 3y will be able to have it's own!!! One details, I would suggest an outer structure instead of your torsion box so a canyon could be added. Else that, this look perfect, bunch of hole for wiring and drawer for tools and acessories.
Usually a table is about 4 x 8. For the landscaping I'd buy foam insulation so that way you glue and cut the scenery, cut out a river and put bridges. Just a pointer.
After all those attempts to get the kids to play with the wooden toys (wooden beach toys lol) you've finally hit the nail on the head. Looking forward to the follow up videos.
Lovely work - I would like to make a desk using out of all "natural" wood (i.e. not plywood etc - just natural "planks") out of cherry wood using the same principle - if I only I had some of your skill ! The only issue with making it out "planks" is that it's a lot less stronger than plywood would be so if you put a monitor and computer unit on it the whole thing would fall apart !
Terrific work as always Frank! Great Father & Son project. I really enjoyed the footage of those large "Old Grumpy" trains. Can't wait to see the finished train set in action. Brings back memories of a train set that my brother & I had as kids......... :)
Such a beautiful design for a work/project table, Frank. Well done. I've been watching you for years, and finally have my first constructive (albeit armchair) critique; those drawer pulls are going to get in the way. Calvin will be snagging his torso on them constantly and bumping/moving the table. They also disrupt the lines of an otherwise clean, flush-mounted table design. I suggest just using finger holes as the way to open the drawers. Otherwise, gorgeous as always!!
I use a CNC for custom production work and nearly always cut out a blank to put on the table rather than cut the profile of the part with the CNC. The exception is when the part has a lot of curves and/or has holes that need to be precisely located in relation to the profile. I use a 1/4" bit on the CNC and the table saw has half the kerf and the cut is much cleaner requiring less sanding. I have a couple of outfeed/assembly tables in my shop that are built similar to this. I made the legs a square box and had the two outside faces run up the outside of the torsion box to attach them with screws and the two inside faces stop under the box to carry the load. I also have a square on the bottom of the torsion box in the corner that the leg indexes on and provides a place to screw the inside faces to without using pocket holes or something like that. Of course the legs project 3/4" in each direction at the corners, but my top overhangs the box by 3" anyway to allow for easy clamping to the edge. My original idea was to have the whole thing open like yours so I could roll a shop vac and similar items under it. In practice I found that the legs splayed out just a little because I didn't really make the torsion box thick enough trying to maximize my clearance. I ended up making a lower shelf to tie the legs together. That negated my maximum clearance, but allows me to move the tables without having to move the stuff stored under the tables separately so it worked out in the end.
Hi Frank. You've mentioned fuzzy cuts in several of your videos. I get my cleanest cuts with a low helix down cut bit, an Amana Tool 51732. I have used it in hardwood, plywood, and Corian with equally good results.
I have a huge Lionel train collection that my dad and I have been amassing for 45 years. This winter I plan on making a train table so my kids can enjoy this expensive hobby. Also, was that Bernie Sanders on that train? LOL
Frank,
Last December my mom was diagnosed with brain cancer (it was completely out of the blue and she was extremely independent and active). It only took a very short 22 days from the time she was diagnosed until her passing. Needless to say, the entire ordeal was absolutely awful. I tell you that, to tell you this:
I spent every possible minute at her side and about the last 14 days she wasn't even awake enough to talk. So, I ended up watching a lot of UA-cam to pass the time and that included rewatching a lot of your videos. I just wanted to thank you for what you do. I can only dream of becoming a woodworker the likes of yourself, however, just having something to distract me (and keep my interest regardless of what you were building/showing) was extremely helpful in keeping level headed and calm. I just wanted you to know that your work is so appreciated.
My condolences.
I can see Frank's voice over just being perfect for this.
My condolences
Thank you for the kind comments! Even the folks that subscribe to Franks channel are better than most.
My condolences
You are just the best dad with exceptional skills. I hope your children pass this great quality on to their children, and it keeps going n going n going. Thanks for all you do for all of us watching your videos come to life. To me you get Father of the year. You make other things, but in alot your children are involved. We need more parents like you. Thanks so much.
As a Carpenter myself, I was BLOWN AWAY by your shop and your QUALITY BUILD. Top Marks. And your Video and Narration skills are Great as well. Look forward to seeing more of your vids. JOHN R.
I wish Frank was my dad growin' up. Frank you're a great dad and a respectable role model. The world needs more men like you, but I think you need to know too you are a great guy.
Really cool project, not just functional furniture, but something for your son to enjoy in a practical setting relevant to him.
Every boy should have a train set to enjoy with his Dad! My Dad built me a table that hinged down from the wall so it could be completely out of the way when it wasn't in use. This obviously limited the landscaping and buildings to only temporary installation, but our house at the time was pretty small, so it was a great solution. Fond memories...
Thanks, Frank. I hope Calvin enjoys his train table as much as I enjoyed mine! Tip: If he finds that he's running out of space, consider smaller gauge trains.
That sound super cool. I love those kinds of space saving ideas.
my dad built one for my brother and me. but he never got it running fully functional. it was fun when it did work! but, man took up soo much space in our room.
The table looks great. I think it's awesome that you do these projects with your kids. Trust me, they will remember those moments and share them with their own children. Keep up the great work!
When I was about Calvin's age, I had an HO train set in my bedroom. My father bought a defective hollow-core door that was badly warped, thus dirt cheap. The warped hardboard surface made for gently rolling hills, so it was perfect. I didn't have floor space for it, so my father mounted a 2x4 on the wall (my bed was up against the wall) and we used butt hinges to hinge the door horizontal over the bed. A swag chain from screw eyes in the wall supported the door/table when it was deployed, and I could swing it up against the wall when I wanted to go to bed. I had lots of fun building hills and rock formations using plywood scraps glued to the door and aluminum window screen stapled to that to provide the basic shape of the rock formation. Plaster of Paris was troweled onto the screen and while it was still soft, I textured the surface with a putty knife. It came out looking pretty realistic. I spent far more time on landscaping than I did running the trains.
That sounds awesome.
That sounds great, I can picture your set up. when I was in high school I made a bed over by desk, that worked that way.
Would very much like to see another video whenever your son gets the layout more complete, realizing that trains layouts are relatively dynamic and can change constantly. Really enjoyed this.
Those are memories you're building right there that will last your son his lifetime and perhaps even be told to his children. Fantastic stuff Frank! Good luck Calvin and I can't wait to see what neat things you guys do with that setup.
The Molalla Train Park looks amazing.
You made your son an awesome table for his train setup. I always wanted one of these.
Absolutely brilliant. He’s so lucky to have Frank for a dad. Look forward to seeing the train set develop
Love to see kids interested in this kind of stuff versus those who are connected to an iPad all day long. Awesome stuff as always, brings me back to my childhood!
In years to come Calvin will be able to watch this video (and subsequent ones) and reflect on the best Dad in the world!
One of the drawers could be converted to be a control panel. Speed, switch controls, lights, etc. Keep it off the deck and a cleaner layout.
That is the plan, One of the small drawers is ready for that.
Oh man, this brings me back to when I was in awe of scenery and dioramas. I think I basically kickstarted my "making" creativity from realistic miniature model making. Started with trains, and just kept growing.
Frank this was now very interesting your son is a very lucky young man. Fantastic.
My dad built my brother and I a table for our scale trains when I was about your son’s age. Seemed like no matter what, the table is never big enough!
I really love how when you have projects involving your children that you get them in your shop and help them help you!! It really shows them how to be responsible in the work shop... And oh my how Calvin has shot up like a sprout!! They grow entirely to fast these days!! I also like how he set up the train and track.... Maybe you could drill some holes in the table to put some of those wires through and make a few boxes topside for the controls.... or set them up on the sides of the table.... Fantastic job though.... Cant wait to see the finished project though.....
Frank, you are a great dad. Well done.
I always love it when someone shows their mistakes, and how they fix them. Thank you!
I can't believe the craftsmanship it's so beautifully executed
You're a good dad Frank.
And man, has Calvin grown.
A fabulous father and son project! Calvin will enjoy the table immensely I'm sure. Looking forward to future updates. Also, I luv to see you include your 'errors' in your videos, it makes it real.
Great to see you passing on the skills to the next generation. My farther taught me woodwork and metalwork and I would say it is one of the best things a parent can do for their child. I look forward to seeing this project progress. Keep up the great work. 👍👍👍
Calvin will never forget this Frank. That's amazing.
Beyond your advanced designing and building skills, you're obviously a devoted father and mentor. I really enjoy your projects and your ability to share your journey with us.
I just recently came across your videos. You created a wonderful shop and make top quality, well thought out products. Great to see your son involved along the way.
I'd love to have something like that for a couple of trains I have but I don't have the space right now, but definitely a great project for the future. Thanks for showing the build and getting Calvin involved as well. Can't wait to see future videos of the train table build.
Great to see how much Calvin has grown.
Very cool Frank. Love seeing your son getting involved.
Love seeing you work with your son.
Keep up the great videos.
Always a pleasure to watch.
I don't what is more impressive the wood work or the video editing.....
Nicely done Frank. 16:20 the old jig saw / circ saw switcharoo. Just know your subtleties don’t go unnoticed.
I was too dumb to put the trains away after Christmas. I’m 53 and have a basement full of trains. I support & salute you Calvin! 😉
Man, those EZ tracks bring back memories of when I was a kid like 8-12 years ago. I can still smell that kind of burning metal of the rails. I actually had that same exact controller too.
I still have a dream to own a huge house and have a room or two dedicated to just trains.
Great project when it’s for your kids! Thanks Dad, I’m sure both your kids will enjoy it. Just don’t let him catch you playing with it while he’s asleep!
I use to have a train setup when I was your sons age. I like the design, with the storage drawers. Great video! Thank you!
Frank, I really appreciate your videos and how well produced they are. I have probably watched them all but in this particular one it just occurred to me how well narrated they are. Can’t wait to see the layout grow!
Those memories.. had a HO train table myself, it was a gift but we couldn't keep it very long due to missing space in the flat :(
But I had a lot fun with it a couple of years while it was standing at my gram's :)
Keeping the train on the track! Another great video. Takes me back to the Christmas I got an HO scale train. Spent the next few months creating a layout that ran around the circumference of the rumpus room!
I remember as a kid going to Shady Dell with my parents. Be there all afternoon, have a picnic and ride the trains. Good times.
Casting my vote for more father/son collaborations.
And so the train obsession begins...
What a killer table to start too!
I'd have killed for a solid table that size when I was Calvin's age.
Happy Father's Day Frank! Here in Brazil, Father's Day is celebrated today. So I congratulate you in advance.
I guess at 60 I'm to old to be adopted, but one can dream 😉. I was wondering if those draw pulls stick out a bit to far, looks like you guys will be constantly be bumping into them. Can't wait for the landscape, woo hoo!!!
Homasote is great for deadening the sound the train will make on the plywood. Also that area where you left out the drawers would be great for a hidden staging yard. There is no such thing as a small layout. Once bit by the model railroad bug there is no going back. Great layout table, I am a N-Scale guy myself.
When my family query my collection I tell them that it's more of a disease than a hobby. :D
At some point the castors will come off the table and it'll grow a bridge to some newly-installed shelves around the walls. :)
Hi Frank, hope you and the family are all safe. Regards Bernie - New Zealand.
It's so cool you fixed it and you didn't go and remake the broken part! gives this story more character
What a great video , as always.
A few years back, I took over a pizza`place and they had a model train set up that ran all around the interior walls. That was a great hit with the kids. Unfortunately, we had to take it off because of remodeling. I took everything home, hoping some day I would bring it back to life for my son. Needless to say, I got busy with other things in life and we could not make it happen.
So I have been looking for a good home for them. When I saw your video today, I said to myself "there it is".
If you are intersted, I will be honored to ship them to you as a small token of appreciation for all the great videos.
Just let me know.
Worlds greatest dad! All I ever got from my dad were paper planes 😔 great job Frank!
Fun Sunday morning coffee. Will be interesting to see how Calvin finishes out the landscaping. Thanks for sharing this small piece of family history in the making.
Nice bench! You know that you are just starting something way bigger. Put a 2” foam on top for the landscape, track slope and hide all the track wire. Then next step is DCC and classification yard. That’s when you add up the first extension:)
Frank,I am really interested in seeing a update on this project. I am getting ready to build my layout and have spent time watching your videos for tips and tricks as to how to better make use of my tools including my small CNC router.
Project request. I would like to see how you would build a multi layer helix for the train layout.
Great work. Thanks for showing your wood working technique.John
My thoughts are with you at this terribly sad time, I can see how franks commentary would help too.
I too dream of one day having my own workspace, maybe we can build / make something to commemorate our mothers memories when we do.
...And the train arrives. Thanks for sharing ! Cheers !
Lo mas importante del proyecto es tener un maravilloso ayudante... Felicitaciones a los dos!
Nice Project. Well done Frank.
I've build and HO train table as well with my dad when I was younger, mine was a bit biger and was hollow in the midle so I could reach every part. And from experience, I can tell you I was constantly leaning over it. My point is I thing those giant drawer pulls of yours will get in is way all the time when trying to reach the midle of the table, or juste bumb is side walking along the table.
Anyway thats my experience, Awesome build do you're a great Dad !
Calvin is getting big , hes as tall as you now Frank. Came out great
Real Electric Trains have 3 Rails!!! .. Love your work frank... You are such an inspiration.
I don’t know why, but I always get really excited when people use biscuits. Maybe because it reminds me of New Yankee Workshop? 😆
Very cool project! And so much storage!
When I saw the name of the video and the creator, I couldn't click on it fast enough. Thanks again Frank!
Ahhh memories! Most of the time my train layout was in a drawer under my bed. Worked okay until you forgot to lay the water tower down before stowing it. My younger brother was able to get a more permanent home and build mountains and trestles. Jealous of the square footage!
Thanks Frank for another great project. Looking forward to future train videos!
Wow 2 of my 3 expensive hobbiest in life, woodworking and model trains! Always wondered how stiff a torsion box would be if only one side had a sheet of plywood, but I guess the thickness of those plywood ribs it really doesn't matter
When I was a kid, my father built a layout table in the basement that folded up onto the wall, much like a Murphy bed. Not only did it have HO scale track, but it also had slot cars. You could run both the trains and the slot cars at the same time. When the train was about to cross the road, a crossing gate would come down and it would interrupt the power to the slots so the cars would stop at the gate. The scale of the cars and the trains didn't match up, but that didn't matter to a 7 year old.
That's a very lucky child. Well done mate.
Cool.
DCC train control, Howarth guys. Even for just two locomotives on a tabletop, so much more fun. Son and Dad can run 2+ trains independently, both in direction and speed. The concept might make you rethink the track layout, moving away from just loops to watch trains run, to adding industrial sidings and such. Then trains have a purpose and a place to go, and you can operate with that goal and manage traffic accordingly.
Have fun!
Awesome that you are doing this for him! Kudooos
Looking forward to this video series, I’m sure it’s something I can enjoy with my son
Good job Frank, I’m impressed with the attention to detail as usual & he will get many hours of enjoyment out of it ...
Forget about the little fubar, it comes under the realm of CRS and will return to say hello every now and then :)
Hey, Frank it would be great to see part 2. :)
Calvin is such an awesome name!
Frank, great to see your little boy growing into a fine young man! I am thrilled that you're planning to follow up on this video, as I have a keen interest in modelmaking. Also, good call not doing all the drawers: that way, you'll be able to extend the table on those sides if the diorama calls for that. Cheers!
Awesome...you're a good dad Frank!
Nice project. You seem like a good dad.
I was looking forward to this build. Nice job and thanks for postings. I grew up with trains because of my dad and I enjoy woodworking, so this was a real treat.
very nice, When I was his age I loved my HO trains. I had a layout similar to this size. Good work Dad!
Really neat! taking notes for when my 3y will be able to have it's own!!!
One details, I would suggest an outer structure instead of your torsion box so a canyon could be added. Else that, this look perfect, bunch of hole for wiring and drawer for tools and acessories.
I spy rainfall projects sign. He sent me , I am now binge watching your channel. Love it!
Usually a table is about 4 x 8. For the landscaping I'd buy foam insulation so that way you glue and cut the scenery, cut out a river and put bridges. Just a pointer.
as a heads up, flextrac is really cheap and super fun for permanent layouts! get really interesting curves and twists from it!
After all those attempts to get the kids to play with the wooden toys (wooden beach toys lol) you've finally hit the nail on the head. Looking forward to the follow up videos.
Lovely work - I would like to make a desk using out of all "natural" wood (i.e. not plywood etc - just natural "planks") out of cherry wood using the same principle - if I only I had some of your skill ! The only issue with making it out "planks" is that it's a lot less stronger than plywood would be so if you put a monitor and computer unit on it the whole thing would fall apart !
Nice project Frank. Looking forward to see it evolve.
Terrific work as always Frank! Great Father & Son project. I really enjoyed the footage of those large "Old Grumpy" trains. Can't wait to see the finished train set in action. Brings back memories of a train set that my brother & I had as kids......... :)
Awesome stuff Frank! 👍🚂👊
Really looking forward to more in this series. Great job.
Thank you for another excellent tutorial on a project that can be adapted for several uses. Looking forward to next update!
you have a really cool channel man its like ASMR with your voice and the woodworking is just magnificent. Thank You for making these videos much love
Such a beautiful design for a work/project table, Frank. Well done. I've been watching you for years, and finally have my first constructive (albeit armchair) critique; those drawer pulls are going to get in the way. Calvin will be snagging his torso on them constantly and bumping/moving the table. They also disrupt the lines of an otherwise clean, flush-mounted table design. I suggest just using finger holes as the way to open the drawers. Otherwise, gorgeous as always!!
I use a CNC for custom production work and nearly always cut out a blank to put on the table rather than cut the profile of the part with the CNC. The exception is when the part has a lot of curves and/or has holes that need to be precisely located in relation to the profile. I use a 1/4" bit on the CNC and the table saw has half the kerf and the cut is much cleaner requiring less sanding.
I have a couple of outfeed/assembly tables in my shop that are built similar to this. I made the legs a square box and had the two outside faces run up the outside of the torsion box to attach them with screws and the two inside faces stop under the box to carry the load. I also have a square on the bottom of the torsion box in the corner that the leg indexes on and provides a place to screw the inside faces to without using pocket holes or something like that. Of course the legs project 3/4" in each direction at the corners, but my top overhangs the box by 3" anyway to allow for easy clamping to the edge. My original idea was to have the whole thing open like yours so I could roll a shop vac and similar items under it. In practice I found that the legs splayed out just a little because I didn't really make the torsion box thick enough trying to maximize my clearance. I ended up making a lower shelf to tie the legs together. That negated my maximum clearance, but allows me to move the tables without having to move the stuff stored under the tables separately so it worked out in the end.
Hi Frank. You've mentioned fuzzy cuts in several of your videos. I get my cleanest cuts with a low helix down cut bit, an Amana Tool 51732. I have used it in hardwood, plywood, and Corian with equally good results.
you seem like a very successful and smart man. I salute you.
The mini train you show looks like the one I remember from from Becker's farm in Nj in the 60's.
Another winner. Thanks Frank!
I have a huge Lionel train collection that my dad and I have been amassing for 45 years. This winter I plan on making a train table so my kids can enjoy this expensive hobby. Also, was that Bernie Sanders on that train? LOL
Great video as always. The animation at around 1 minute in was very slick.
Great job! Awesome skills sir!