I was thinking of a project to do this summer - and as I had to get a Christmas present for my nephew, I thought I would make it myself. If it fell into big pile I could always head down to Toys r Us and buy some more plastic.

I came out OK, although there are things i'd like to fix on it, plus I'm not sure how well it will put up with abuse in the toy room.

Had to be fairly cheap and easy to make with the limited space and tool set that I have. I have to pack everything up each day as the GF doesn't like mess on her patio.

Step 1: Planning

I decided to go with 6mm MDF. It seemed the most appropriate and would be fairly easy to cut, while still being close the the thickness required for a toy.

I planned out how much I would need from a quick sketch and a few calculations. Then headed down to our local Bunnings to get the sheet and to get some of the longer cuts done at the chop shop. Their chop shop has a vertical table saw thing that is much more accurate that what I can do at home. I only have a jigsaw so straight lines are almost impossible.

Step 2: Puting It Together

Using a couple of matchbox cars for scale I adjusted my initial drawings to suit the cars. I oversized it a bit so he can use lego cars as well. Then it was just a case of cutting and glueing.
The ramp as a bit tricky bur a rasp and a bit of trial and error got that sorted out.

Then a quick paint job. MDF sucks up paint so make sure you run some primer over it first. Then modpodge the edges (or waterdown PVA will also do the trick).

I used spay cans rather than a brush for a smooth finish.

Step 3: Finishing Off

I deliberately used white so I could contrast it with bold signage I either created or downloaded.

Signage was printed out onto photo paper and then PVA glued onto the sides of the station. I'll finish this off with some line marking on the base and on the roof parking.

This is going to be a present for a 4 year old so I'm expecting it to be trashed by March. Making this instructable is kind of a way to remember what I made before it goes to the great toy box in the sky.