Spring is just around the corner, which means that a lot of people are going to start cleaning out their attics, garages and storage spaces. It is because of this that the spring time is a great time to attend toy train shows. Whether you are selling or buying Brio trains or other brands of toy trains these tips will help you at a spring train show.
If you are in the market to buy toy trains then you don’t want to attend a train show without educating yourself first. You will want to select one or two types of trains that you are interested in and then research a little bit about each type of train. This will give you an idea of what pieces are valuable, which ones are common and what prices are reasonable. Make notes about the trains or pieces that you want to find. These notes can be printed on a note card or they can be printed out on a regular sized piece of paper. It is a good idea to include a color photo with your notes to help you identify key pieces.
If you are trying to make some money or just clean out your storage units then you too will want to research the toy trains that you have. You will want to get the background information for each piece you intend to put up for sale or auction. This background information needs to be printed out and mounted neatly on a display board. This will not only help your items to sell faster, but it will also help you to get the best price possible for your items.
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Spring is only four weeks away so now is the time to start planning your spring activities. One activity that fits perfectly into a spring weekend is the building of a toy train table. For this project all you will need is a set of plans for a toy train table, some lumber and a few basic tools.
The first step is to find a set of plans that will fit your activity needs. For example, if you want to build a table for your Brio trains and accessories then you will want to look for designs that have the dimensions that will accommodate your favorite track layouts. You may also want to look for plans that are specifically designed for Brio model trains. These toy train table plans will have all the features that you will need to keep your trains on the table.
If you are not up to building a toy train table from scratch you can also refurbish an older toy train table. This too will take about a weekend. To refurbish your toy train table you will need to strip the paint of finish, fill any holes and scratches, sand the surface of your table, prime it and finish it. You can also add a clear coat protective finish to your table. This will help you to protect the top of your table from dings, scratches and other damage. It will also protect the table from moisture and food spills.
Share your toy train table with our readers by posting it below.
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Last week I talked about the fact that January is a great month to buy your building supplies and plans for your toy train table project. This week I’d like to give you a few tips for putting together your toy train tables. These tips will help you to customize your toy train table designs so that they compliment the activities that you will be doing on the table.
The first tip is to figure out what activities the table will be used for. The table top design will need to work with these activities. For example, if you will be playing with Name Trains on your activity table, then you will want a nice flat open table top. You will also want to create a painted insert that has track design on it. You will also want table top that is surrounded with a slight lip to keep the rolling train pieces from rolling off of your activity table.
The next tip is to be smart about the finishing products that you select. To start with you will want to select products that are kid friendly and as non-toxic as possible. If you will be working on your toy train in a basement then you will also want fume free products. Finally, since your table is designed for kids to play with you will want to use a finishing product that will not scratch easily. This may mean adding a special top coat or sealant to your table.
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While there is a huge push for people to shop during the months of November and December, January is actually one of the best months to find deals. If you put off buying your toy train table plans during the holiday, now is a great time to look for deals on these plans. Many retailers, especially this year, will be slashing their prices in order to make up for a disappointing 2008 holiday shopping season. This means you will be able to find toy store coupons and discounts and building material deals that will cut the cost of building a toy train table by 60 or more percent.
January is a rough month for a lot of people. Not only is the weather cold and harsh, but there really isn’t another big holiday scheduled for a while. This makes many people depressed during January. Building a toy train table is a great way to shake the post holiday blues and to keep yourself entertained when you can’t get outside or when road conditions kept you trapped at home.
Building a toy train table will generally cost you between $150 and $200 depending on the current price of lumber. However, during January, lumber prices and toy train table plan prices drop because there is less of a demand for them. This means you can buy everything that you need to build your train table for closer to $100. This is just another reason why January is the perfect month for building a toy train table or activity table.
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Today is December 26, the day after Christmas. If you didn’t have time to paint or finish the toy train table that you built using your toy train table plans, then this weekend is a good time to handle this project. In fact, since the kids are home from school, let them help you decorate the table.
If you have helpers then you can give them jobs that they are designed to handle. For example, since little kids have smaller hands they are better able to sand the small areas around the leg joints and the underside of the table. Next they can also handle priming the table. Just make sure that you are all working in a well ventilated area, that they are wearing a face mask and that the primer is as non-toxic as possible.
The next step is to paint the base coat. Again, this is something that the kids can help with. Select a color that they like and that will compliment the colors that are already in the playroom or their bedroom. Allow this base coat to dry over night before finishing the table with accent colors, decals and other decorative touches. You may want to handle this part of the paint job. However, your kids or grandkids may enjoy painting their toy train table or adding the decals and character stencils to the table.
The final step is to seal the table. This is a step that you need to do, as most sealants are moderately toxic. To seal the table you can use a clear polyurethane or another type of wood sealant.
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With less than a week left until Christmas, you are quickly running out of time to assembly your toy train tables. Fortunately, most toy wooden train table plans only take a couple of days to complete. That means, that this weekend is the perfect time to build your child or grandchild a toy train table.
Obviously your first step will be to find a toy train table plan that you like. You will want to select plans that have the dimensions that fit both the kids the table will be for and the area in which the table will be placed. Finally, you will want to select plans that will fit the types of activities you will complete on the table.
The next step is to go shopping for your supplies. The best way to get all of your shopping done is to first go into your garage and see what supplies you already have. You can check these items off your shopping list. Then head off to your local building supply or home improvement store. If you know your way around the store you can quickly find the materials that you need for your project. However, if you are not familiar with the store, or if this is your first woodworking project, then you will want to enlist the help of a sales clerk. Give them your shopping list and the toy train table plans and have them find what you need. They will not only be able to find the items that you need, they will also be able to recommend products and tools that will make assembling your toy train table much easier to do.
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The holiday season is the perfect time of year to be giving. However, this year instead of giving gifts that you bought from a store, why not give gifts that you make from scratch. One of the best gifts you can give to the toy train lovers on your shopping list is a homemade toy train table.
If you are interested in building a toy train table for Brio trains then your first step will be to find toy train table plans. These plans will provide you with a list of materials that you will need for your project, the dimensions for each part required for building your table and general assembly instructions. You can use these instructions as they are, or you can modify them to meet your space and use needs.
If you already have a toy train table that is in less than perfect shape, then consider refurbishing the table. Usually all that will be required is the stripping of the old finish, filling the scratch and gashes with wood putty, sanding the piece down and refinishing it. If there are structural problems with the table then you may want to use toy train table plans to figure out what pieces are broken and need to be replaced, or to get ideas for rebuilding the old table so that it is more stable.
Another project idea is to have your kids help you refinish their old toy train table so that you can give it away to someone else in your family or neighborhood. This is a great project for churches, service groups and community projects.
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A couple of weeks ago I noticed a post from a dad who was interested in tips on expanding toy train tables for extra storage. I thought that this would be a great topic for my weekly blog, so here are some ideas.
The first way to create extra storage for your toy train table is to buy plastic, metal or even cardboard bins that are short enough to slide under your toy train table. These bins are very inexpensive and can be found at department stores, office supply stores and even at craft stores. To help your little ones keep their toy trains, accessories and tracks organized also consider labeling each bin, for example, you can label one bin as engines, one bin as tracks and one bin as bridges and things.
If you are looking even more storage, as well as additional play area, then consider building a second toy train table and fitting it together with your existing toy train table. To do this you will first need to find toy train table plans that are just like your existing table. At the very least it will need to be the same length and height. To connect the two tables you will need to remove the rails on the connecting side of the tables. Then you will butt the two tables together and secure with a bridging system under the table.
If you have tried both of the above storage options and are still in need of extra storage for your name trains and other toy train items, then consider shelving units. These units can be mounted on the wall next to the play area with lower shelves for items that your child or grandchild can use on their own and higher shelves for season items or special items that need supervision.
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Well, Thanksgiving is over and the official holiday shopping season is in full swing. In an attempt to get more of your business, many stores are running more aggressive sales and promotions. This means that there will be plenty of in store and online sales to choose between.
When looking for good deals on your holiday gifts, especially on popular items like toy trains, you need to look for toy store coupons and discounts. These items can be found online, in printed fliers and in local newspapers and coupon books. Spending a few minutes to hunt down coupons is a good strategy that can save you between ten and forty percent off your purchases.
Another strategy that you can use to save money on your toy train purchases is to compare online prices to in-store prices. These prices often aren’t the same. Sometimes you can save more money by buying online than you can if you buy the same item in a store, however, this is not always the case. For example, if there is a special sale offered by a toy store or department store, you may temporarily be able to get the item that you want for a lower price.
If you decide to shop online this year for your holiday gifts it is important that you take into consideration the shipping and handling charges. These can add ten to fifteen percent to your final cost. You will also want to pay attention to the shipping schedule. The closer you get to Christmas the faster you will need your item to be shipped. This may mean selecting 2nd day or overnight express shipping options, which will increase the final cost of your items.
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Last week we started the holiday shopping countdown. This week I’d like to talk about how to put together a holiday gift basket for the train lover on your shopping list that is also a craftsman/woman. This gift package will provide one special person on your list with everything that they need to build a toy train table for their collection.
To start with you will need a basket that is going to be large enough, and sturdy enough to hold tools and supplies for building a toy train table. You can find good baskets in the interior décor section of your local department store, or you can pick one up at your local craft store.
The first item that you will want to buy for your gift basket is one or more toy train table plans. These are inexpensive so putting several in the basket is a good idea, then the basket’s recipient can select the one that they like. Next you will want to pick up basic hand tools and supplies that will be needed to build a toy train table. For example, you can put in a hand saw, a sanding block, sandpaper, wood glue, dowels, screws and washers.
You can also add toy train parts and tracks to your gift basket to round it off. For example, you can include a special engine that is the same gauge as the gift recipient’s toy train set, or you can include special accessories like lighting systems, props and buildings. Finally, you can include books for train collectors or woodworkers.
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