Flipping Train coffee table(different from all the others)

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Check out my n scale Train coffee table I built over the last year, It is much different than most tables you have seen! Let me know what you think of my idea for the table and the layout itself.

Thanks , Pete

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24vvFtsCFRM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeDsFoG0ka0

Thanks, Pete

2

That is really cool Pete! Excellent job. After watching the first video, I didn’t think that tall mountain, with trees was going fit, then I watched the second video.

Excellent job!

Looks like you have a lot of nice wood working tools, and you know how to use them. Obviously not your first project!

Mike.

3

That’s great. And a really nice looking piece of furniture regardless of layout. In some ways the slat idea is almost like the old fashioned railroad water tanks.

The crabby geezer in me however does warn that in some of the shots involving power tools you were not using eye protection.

Dave Nelson

4

[#welcome] to the Model Railroader forums. Your first few posts are delayed by the site moderators, but that will com to an end soon enough.

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Please stick around.

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You are right… that layout is different from any other coffee table layout that I have seen before.

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Well done. It looks great.

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-Kevin

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5

Hi Pete!

Welcome to the forums!! [#welcome]

Your coffee table layout is really amazing, and you are right - it is different. I can just imagine the look on peoples’ faces when you flip the top over.

Dave

6

Thanks! l loved building this project and have a few other train layout ideas. I’m Still learning about the train stuff, but yes woodworking is my main hobby.

7

Thanks, hat was my first criteria in building the table, it had to be a good looking piece. About the slats,I wish that was the reason I built it that way, but I never thought of that about the slats that way. That is cool!

You are completely right about the eyes, I have a bad habit of forgetting to put them on, and during the winter months they fog up on me, even more dangerous. I need to figure out how to prevent the fog.

8

Thanks, appreciate it. yeah I was wondering about the delay.

9

Thanks, its usually a very surprised look.

10

Pete,

Very creative & well executed. I see in the video you have a lot of power tools, so I suppose woodworking is something you enjoy very much.

That being said in the most positive way I can imagine, I cringed when I saw you pushing boards through the table saw using only your hand. I know a person whose career path changed after cutting off his fingers with a power saw.

You might want to consider using a push stick.

–Doug in Salem.

11

Hey Pete-

Nice work. Tidy shop, too.

It looks like the outermost lower ring has what modelers here would call a staging/storage track. How does the train transition from storage to display and back again? It appears to be hidden from the camera. Is there a lot of fidgeting and hand work (what modelers here would call the 0-5-0) involved?

Thanks.

Robert

12

Pete, very nice work.

This thread has taught me one important lesson, I will not be posting any videos of my upcoming layout construction…

I work with tools most everyday, for most of 45 years now, I am 61. I do carpentry, plumbing, electrical and more. I have built houses, restored (not renovated) ones over 100 years old, and done every sort of renovation. I also have extensive experiance working on/restoring autos.

I still have all my fingers, toes, eyes, etc…

My humble opinion, there are times for specific safety gear, and times when the safety gear IS the hazard.

In Pete’s videos, one time he is pushing a wide piece of material thru the table saw, another time a very small piece. I would NEVER use a push stick on that large piece, and I would ALWAYS use a push stick on the small piece.

Eye protection is great, as long as it does not restrict your vision…

Safety gear will never replace care and common sense, and I have seen safety gear cause injury, by restricting movement or vision.

I should stop right here…

Sheldon

PS - I might also mention much of my electrical and plumbing experiance when I was younger was in industrial/commercial construction, not just residential work…so I know all about “safety gear”…

13

Hi Pete,

What a nice construction project! A FWIW: The “Add Quote to your Post” feature is a nice way to respond to specific posts or posters. That way it’s clear who you are responding to. Again, FWIW…

Tom

14

Hi Doug, I don’t usually use a push stick unless the piece I’m ripping is less than an 1.5", I feel like a push stick gives me less control. Those slats were on the border though. That being said, you are right, I should use a push stick more often. I did see a tool in a video that looks like a trowel which holds the piece down and pushes. I think I will buy one of those.

I am very careful but you never can be too careful, and that is why I just today upgraded my 22 year old dewalt for a Saw stop. But I dont want to test it so I will start using a push stick more often. I also need to where saftey glasses more often, but the darn things always fog up.

Thanks for the concern, I do appreciate it.

Thanks

15

Hi, Pete, I have one of those push tools you describe, it works nice.

https://www.amazon.com/GRR-RIPPER-Pushblock-Router-Jointers-MICROJIG/dp/B001I9UNWC/ref=asc_df_B001I9UNWC/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312003160272&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9471879225940032985&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9007855&hvtargid=pla-383691585001&psc=1

The portable Dewalt table saw we use on the job comes with one of these clipped right on the back of the fence:

https://www.amazon.com/Dewalt-DW744X-Table-Replacement-A24507-2pk/dp/B00GUU4VRC/ref=asc_df_B00GUU4VRC/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309869401414&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15098542908408468678&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9007855&hvtargid=pla-568021547462&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=63364097444&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=309869401414&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15098542908408468678

16

Robert, you are correct the train is stored on the outer lower ring. I do plan on making another video showing more detail on how the table works. The train never needs to be removed and placed back on the track. The train is always on that loop until the table is flipped. It will run on that loop until I flip a momentary toggle switch, this throws two turnouts to allow the train to travel from the bottom to the top by way of the helix(I call spur line). When I see the train at the top then I can switch back to the mainline. The controls are hidden in the mountain on left side of the waterfall below the tunnel.

Not sure what you mean by fidgeting and handwork, if you mean is it a smooth transition crossing the gap between the outer ring and inner circle, Yes. I have only had one derailment in a year. Ther

17

[quote user=“ATLANTIC CENTRAL”]

Hi, Pete, I have one of those push tools you describe, it works nice.

https://www.amazon.com/GRR-RIPPER-Pushblock-Router-Jointers-MICROJIG/dp/B001I9UNWC/ref=asc_df_B001I9UNWC/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312003160272&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9471879225940032985&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9007855&hvtargid=pla-383691585001&psc=1

The portable Dewalt table saw we use on the job comes with one of these clipped right on the back of the fence:

https://www.amazon.com/Dewalt-DW744X-Table-Replacement-A24507-2pk/dp/B00GUU4VRC/ref=asc_df_B00GUU4VRC/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309869401414&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15098542908408468678&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9007855&hvtargid=pla-568021547462&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=63364097444&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=309869401414&hvpo

18

Not to butt in on Robert, but I think he, as I, wondered how the train is staged, and how it gets to the layout, and does it include picking up the train, one car at a time, and putting it back together again on the layout.

It seems like you have this all worked out, even with the helix! Yes, we’d love to see the details!

Mike.

19

Tom,

Thanks for the tip, I was wondering about that. This is the first time I have joined a discussion site like this.

20

I do agree with every thing you said. Yes, I should use saftey glasses, very bad habbit of mine. How do keep the glasses from fogging ?