View Full Version : Pinewood Derby
Dozer523
03-01-2009, 22:43
Anyone remember the Pinewood Derby? Well, the Little Dude is 7 and a Tiger Cub. This was our first year of it, so when I kept hearing "Dad, We gotta get this thing done." I was trying to figure out how without serious blood loss. Back in the foggy days of my Boy Scouts we were talking whittling. And the idea of the Little Dude wielding my Buck was scary. So off to Sears. We discovered the Rotory Tool. A great time was had by all!
Way cool fun! Let us know how he does. Scouting is a great organization and teaches young men a lot of life skills.
One of my sons was an Eagle Scout and we shared many memorable adventures during those times. It's fun to fill the old memory box with these kinds of things so it will keep you from seriously harming the little *** when he becomes a gnarly teenager! :rolleyes:
Richard's $.02 :munchin
rubberneck
03-01-2009, 22:54
I gotta get my son off the ball. His pinewood derby is at the beginning of April and he hasn't done anything for his yet. It's a lot of fun for someone (me) that didn't get the chance to be a scout.
Blitzzz (RIP)
03-01-2009, 23:02
My sons and I did them for 4 years. great fun if you can let the guys do more of the work.:)
cornelyj
03-02-2009, 02:02
Now you need to teach him some kinetic energy principles and weight distribution techniques and he will be one step closer to genius and winner of the soap box derby!!!
That stuff is great love the snow goggles! Wish him luck and make sure he puts plenty of powdered graphite on them squared axles...:cool:
Just finished my youngest's last PWD (he crossed over into Boy Scouts earlier this month). PWD was a great excuse to teach the boys how to use woodworking tools, and practice some patience ("Am I done sanding yet, Dad?"). IMO, the key to speed is weight placement and axle/wheel prep. Keep the added weights just ahead of or centered over the rear axle. Put the axle pins in the chuck of a drill and use a file to remove the spurs under the head (you run the drill, while the boy can hold the file). Then use wet 220 sandpaper to burnish the pin, followed by a rag with Brasso to polish it. Again, the boy can help chuck the pin, then hold the sandpaper/rag while you run the drill. Lightly sand the outer circumference of the wheels to remove injection spurs/holes and help round them. Put the axle in the wheel, then chuck the axle in the drill, add LOTS of graphite in the wheel center hole where the axle rubs and have Jr. hold the wheel still while you run the drill. Add graphite occasionally. Repeat the graphite process 2 - 3 times. Between the 2 boys, they have 5 1st place pack finishes out of 6 derbies to show this technique works well.
Our race is this weekend! It brought back some memories of when I built mine.....thirty some years ago:eek: It was alot of fun making it.
My sons car weighed 4oz so I added a couple 175gr bullets to bring it up to 4.8oz and with any luck the bullet powered beast will put up a good fight.
My dad and I set up a Bridgeport mill and we really went to work on the axles and wheels.
Saturdays in an empty machine shop with my dad are some of my fondest memories.
If it is still legal to re-cut the axle channels, square them up with a good miter box and the boy can do all the sawing.
TOMAHAWK9521
03-02-2009, 09:39
Great pics, Dozer. I especially love the choice of eye protection. Just think, 30 years from now when he has sons of his own he'll tell them: "You think you have it tough? Ha! In my day, my dad made me build mine out in the snow in the middle of winter, not in some warm, cushy living room." :D
Dozer523
03-02-2009, 09:59
Just finished my youngest's last PWD (he crossed over into Boy Scouts earlier this month). PWD was a great excuse to teach the boys how to use woodworking tools, and practice some patience ("Am I done sanding yet, Dad?"). IMO, the key to speed is weight placement and axle/wheel prep. Keep the added weights just ahead of or centered over the rear axle. Put the axle pins in the chuck of a drill and use a file to remove the spurs under the head (you run the drill, while the boy can hold the file). Then use wet 220 sandpaper to burnish the pin, followed by a rag with Brasso to polish it. Again, the boy can help chuck the pin, then hold the sandpaper/rag while you run the drill. Lightly sand the outer circumference of the wheels to remove injection spurs/holes and help round them. Put the axle in the wheel, then chuck the axle in the drill, add LOTS of graphite in the wheel center hole where the axle rubs and have Jr. hold the wheel still while you run the drill. Add graphite occasionally. Repeat the graphite process 2 - 3 times. Between the 2 boys, they have 5 1st place pack finishes out of 6 derbies to show this technique works well.
MY Gosh. . . You ACTUALLY LOST one? Wish I'd posted these pictures before the race. We went four for four . . . Dead last. With this advice "We'll get'em next year!"
The little dude was cool about it."I don't think the super charger works unless there is a real engine in it." Even so, making it was lots of fun and he was very proud that he got to make it himself. Sure was easy to tell the cars that had been "contracted out" to Dad.
And that rotary tool . . . That is so sweet! I remember Pinewood Derby when I was a Cub. (we probably used fosilized wood) Carving and carving between and during three weekly meetings with my little Boy Scout folding knife. We did a little first aid cross training too.
Dozer523
03-02-2009, 10:33
Great pics, Dozer. I especially love the choice of eye protection. Just think, 30 years from now when he has sons of his own he'll tell them: "You think you have it tough? Ha! In my day, my dad made me build mine out in the snow in the middle of winter, not in some warm, cushy living room." :D :D Tiger Cubs. . . "if it was easy everyone would do it.":D
You are right about the eye protection. They are made by a company called REVISION. http://www.revisioneyewear.com/index.html
I ran into a Rep at a Conference and he GAVE me a sample of EVERYTHING. (Note to Aspiring QP's The long tab gets you free stuff ;))
These goggles are awesome; they have the widest field of view I've ever seen. And they fit everyone comfortably -- little dude to big headed big guy. I wear a pair of black one when I ski in lousy weather; they are comfortable and never fog up. Nice weather I wear the Sawfly style (glasses) -- very comfortable even with a ski helmet (NSP recommends helmets) the lenses are easy to change. The example they showed of the one that took a shotgun blast with no penetrations or cracks was pretty cool too. I'm not getting a commission and this is not a commercial endorsment but, good gear is good gear.
greenberetTFS
03-02-2009, 10:56
Anyone remember the Pinewood Derby? Well, the Little Dude is 7 and a Tiger Cub. This was our first year of it, so when I kept hearing "Dad, We gotta get this thing done." I was trying to figure out how without serious blood loss. Back in the foggy days of my Boy Scouts we were talking whittling. And the idea of the Little Dude wielding my Buck was scary. So off to Sears. We discovered the Rotory Tool. A great time was had by all!
Dozer523, Boy those pictures bring back some really great memories. My boys are in their mid to late forties and they are following up with their kids now. Great post....:D
GB TFS :munchin
Plutarch
03-02-2009, 11:12
Twenty nine years later, my two PWD cars sit on a bookshelf in my home office. They are fond reminders of the time spent with my Dad in the wood shop.
Your son will treasure those photos in the years to come. Good job! :)
ZonieDiver
03-02-2009, 12:11
Dozer,
Looks like you missed a few spots when shoveling snow around the b-ball hoop. (Unless you made the "little dude" do it! If you need an extra snow shovel, I'll send you mine. I rarely use it anymore! :D
Congrats on the PWD time. You cannot buy time like that with your children later in life... and they never, ever forget it.
Surf n Turf
03-02-2009, 12:17
Anyone remember the Pinewood Derby? Well, the Little Dude is 7 and a Tiger Cub. This was our first year of it, so when I kept hearing "Dad, We gotta get this thing done." I was trying to figure out how without serious blood loss. Back in the foggy days of my Boy Scouts we were talking whittling. And the idea of the Little Dude wielding my Buck was scary. So off to Sears. We discovered the Rotory Tool. A great time was had by all!
Dozer,
That sure brings back memories from 30 years ago.
Both of my guys participated. I “helped” a little, after they went to bed, by finishing off some rough edges.
Have you enjoyed runny pancakes at Oh-dark 30 yet? :D
SnT
My son was a Tiger Cub when he was 7 YO. He went on to be a Boy Scout and later a Venturer. Made Eagle Scout and Ranger. He was an Order of the Arrow Founder's Award recipient and a Brotherhood Award recipient.
I am a commissioner in the BSA now.
einherjar
03-02-2009, 15:42
I still have my car, as well as the first place medal it earned. It didn't hurt that my dad was/is a professional carpenter.
As we were putting it together I expressed to my dad my concerns that the car wasn't cool looking. My dad suggested we maybe should concentrate on making it go fast first, and looking good later.
I was bummed out at the meet when people didn't stop to check it out before the race, mostly concentrating on the cars with paint jobs and flames and G.I. Joe glued on. Lucky for them they got a second chance to check it out, sucking all the bling off the other cars as it blasted past.
If I hadn't realized it before, I did then; my dad is a wise man.
6.8SPC_DUMP
03-05-2009, 02:51
Looks like you have quite a young man there Sir. I got a kick out of how determined he looked going to work on his project. I'm glad his old man can teach him a thing or two growing up. :D:p
Dozer523, you the man. Thats very cool of you getting him in the scouts.
I am a Cub Master here in MD, and ours is on the 4th of April.
There is no better way to teach then experience.
The rest of you Gents,
its good to see that there is a bunch of us that are or have traveled the same scouting trial. This summer I am heading to NM to PTC, with the whole family.
My team are all scouters. its just another adventure to go on.
With many of our back-grounds, I also believe in this way. Heck after 20 years it does matter. its all about the young children that soon will run our country.
CM AL 4 RIVERS Pack 119
surfcolt
03-05-2009, 13:50
Just finished my youngest's last PWD (he crossed over into Boy Scouts earlier this month). PWD was a great excuse to teach the boys how to use woodworking tools, and practice some patience ("Am I done sanding yet, Dad?"). IMO, the key to speed is weight placement and axle/wheel prep. Keep the added weights just ahead of or centered over the rear axle. Put the axle pins in the chuck of a drill and use a file to remove the spurs under the head (you run the drill, while the boy can hold the file). Then use wet 220 sandpaper to burnish the pin, followed by a rag with Brasso to polish it. Again, the boy can help chuck the pin, then hold the sandpaper/rag while you run the drill. Lightly sand the outer circumference of the wheels to remove injection spurs/holes and help round them. Put the axle in the wheel, then chuck the axle in the drill, add LOTS of graphite in the wheel center hole where the axle rubs and have Jr. hold the wheel still while you run the drill. Add graphite occasionally. Repeat the graphite process 2 - 3 times. Between the 2 boys, they have 5 1st place pack finishes out of 6 derbies to show this technique works well.
Razor is right on. My son is on his 4th PWD and he has 2 Second place finishes and 1 First place finish. I now have 2 more boys to do this with, looks like I have about 6 more years of PWD ahead of me. Whew!
Dozer523
02-05-2010, 10:49
It's that time of year, again. Bumping this to the fore.
All builders take careful note of Razor's advice.
Good Luck!
Sacamuelas
02-05-2010, 11:40
Our race is in two weeks... this weekend should be the "big build". I am going to use Razor's advice. :lifter
Snaquebite
02-05-2010, 12:46
Knowing that I had been in Scouting growing up, a friend of mine asked me to help her grandson build his car. I helped him research building techniques, designs, and "go fast" tricks etc. Once he came up with a design, we worked on the car in my shop over several weeks until he finished it. Other than the initial band saw cut out, he did all the final shaping, sanding and painting. When trying to get the weight to the maximum 5 oz, he came up with the suggestions on placing the weights and actually suggested the steel rod he saw in the shop over lead weights. It was a great experience and brought back a lot of memories.
First race tomorrow.
14423
Used all the techniques Razor mentioned. Getting the weight distribution just in front of the rear axle was probably the trickiest because of the body design Nathan chose. Getting this right is a key step. Too far back and the front will hop around, too far forward and you get no "push" down the track.
...ABSOLUTELY!!
We substituted a dremel instead of a drill and substituted PLEDGE(yup, the furniture cleaner) for the graphite.
Careful not to go too long in the dremel at 30,000 rpm. this will will heat up the axel (nails)too much and mis-shape the axel, which is illegal. (oops! :D)
Slight side track - "Space Derby" rockets - (maybe you have done this, but for those that haven't...)
Glue two pieces of balsa together, the hole in the nose end of the rocket should be no more than 3/8" once glued together.
One piece of 3/8" threaded rod long enough to be chucked into a drill/drill press and fit through the body of stock, one 4 pronged tee nut, a couple large washers.
Chuck threaded rod in drill/drill press, thread one nut, large washer, tee nut into base of rocket body, thread the tee nut while on the rocket down onto the threaded rod, top off with a large washer and double nut nose end.
Turn on drill and using smooth grit sandpaper let the kids sand it down starting at the nose end...
*careful not to sand too much off the top third of the rocket as the walls of the rocket will get thin and this coupled with the tension of the tightly wound rubber band will crush the nose down into the body of the rocket... Oops, again! :D
Thanks for seeing Tatonka316 and myself today for lunch.
Glad to hear everything is going well.
WD
p.s., I've got some great PWD model plans, I'll bring them next time I'm the springs.
Snaquebite
02-06-2010, 10:59
Won all heats in the Pack level races today. 197.9 avg MPH :lifter Overall 1st Place
Snaquebite and Razor: You're doing some superior "dad work" right now and you deserve to be applauded. Stick with it. Well done!
Edit Note: This accolade applies to y'all doing St Joseph's work. God bless each of you...seriously.
1stindoor
02-06-2010, 21:34
What a fun read...helped my son build his last entry into the pinewood derby two years ago. Thankfully he's still going strong in scouting and already thinking about Eagle Scout projects.
I used my scroll saw to rough cut his car and then he finished with all the sanding, painting, detailing, etc. When I get back from to Bragg I'll have to take some pictures of his earlier entries. Good luck to all of the participants this year.
Dozer523
02-06-2010, 23:20
RAZOR, YOU ROCK.
Little dude and I followed your advice and we made it through the prelims and we are going to district!
greenberetTFS
02-07-2010, 12:34
RAZOR, YOU ROCK.
Little dude and I followed your advice and we made it through the prelims and we are going to district!
Go Dozer,Gooooooooooo Little Dude. :lifter:lifter:lifter
Big Teddy :munchin
Dozer523
02-08-2010, 11:12
Here are a few shots from the Preliminary run. Note the difference in styles. And that is Little Dude and his best bud - chief competitor. I wonder if they realize how lucky they are to have each other as "wingmen" at such an early age.
BTW I need to find about .005 of a second. I'm open to suggestions.
einherjar we used your car design as our base. Thanks (I think "cars" should look like cars.)
Snaquebite
02-08-2010, 11:43
BTW I need to find about .005 of a second.
1. Lengthen the wheel base. (If allowed)
2. Some folks believe raising one of the front wheels off the track creates less friction. Never tried it though.
3. Center of gravity, 1 to 1 1/4 inches in front ot the rear wheels. Keep the weights low in the body. The car should balance somewhere between 1 and 1-1/4 inches in front of the rear axle.
4. Once you get the wheels correctly aligned, use a small amount of super glue to keep them that way.
5. Take a pipe cleaner and polish the inside hub of the wheel. Most folks don't think about this.
6. When you lube the axels, don't just add a few puffs of graphite. Spin the wheels and work the lube in the hub. Then add a little more on both sides of the wheel.
If your rules allow:
1. Make a round paper hub cap to glue onto the wheel after final assembly of the wheels and axles. When the wheel moves towards the car body, the hub cap contacts with the axle cap before the wheel can touch the car body. The spinning wheel and hub cap just touch in the very center of the axle cap resulting in minimal friction. Even better if you put a bit of graphite in the hubcap before final glue-down.
2. Shave down the wheel width so they look like bicycle tires. This causes a very thin track contact point for less friction. It also has less mass in the wheels meaning less inertia and less energy to get the wheels spinning at the start.
3. The cap on the axle touches the plastic wheel across its surface. This means for friction to slow down the wheel. Grind away the outter side of the wheel so a thin circle around the axle hole is higher than the surrounding wheel. This causes the wheel to touch the axle cap close to the center where there is less energy wasted.
Edited to add: these last three mods are a little difficult for the kids to do.
Happy Racing
I wonder if they realize how lucky they are to have each other as "wingmen" at such an early age.
Sure looks like they know. Great pics, sir!
Dozer523
02-08-2010, 12:08
Snaquebite, I'm callin' the entire pit crew in tonight. The car is going back up on the lift.
We're going to work on the alignment. -- hubcap idea merits some thought. Major source of frustration was the open slot for the front axles. Did not offer the tighness and support; and any downward pressure messes up the alignment. Solved that by covering the slot with a piece of popcicle stick.
We'll look at the weight placement, too. Thanks.
Snaquebite
02-08-2010, 12:17
Dozer, sounds like fun....good luck.
For any who have not seen this it's worth a look. Funny Movie.
http://www.downandderby.com/home.php
ZonieDiver
02-08-2010, 12:46
Congrats to you and the Little Dude, Dozer.
Congrats to you both, Dozer! Be sure to check the District rules before you do any modifications to wheelbase, wheels or axles--you don't want LD to be DQ'ed for something inadvertently. One year, we did raise one of the front wheels about 1/32" higher than the other three to reduce rolling friction. I don't know if it made a significant difference in overall performance, but that car was also a 1st place pack finisher. If the District rules are pretty strict on modifications, I'd recommend doing the axle-and-wheel-in-the-drill routine with LOTS of graphite (better do it outside to keep momma happy) several times every day this week. The more graphite gets imbedded in the wheels' axle channels, and the more the axle pin and channel gets burnished, the less friction the car has to overcome. Good luck!
Dozer523
02-17-2011, 19:34
bumping this to the front.
It's Pine Wood Derby time.
For those just joining us, there is invaluabe advice here.
We have already spent 2 days working on the axles and wheels alone. We are going with the weights internal. Last year we had them mounted underneath and forward. We were good on the Pack track but didn't have enough clearance at the Council. At the last second we had to move the weights to the roof but we still did well. Thanks again.
mojaveman
02-17-2011, 20:16
Many years ago (40 to be exact) I was a member of the YMCA Indian Guides and not only participated in, but actually took first place in a pinewod derby competition. Can't remember all of the regulations regarding construction but do remember that Dad and I added the melted lead fishing weights to a 3/4" hole that was bored in the top of the car just behind the rear axel. It made the required weight perfectly. I remember that during my constant wins the judges weighed the car several times to make sure it was within regs.
NICE! This time of year we weight a a few of those for our customers since we have two sets of certified scales that weight down to the 1 tenth of an ounce.
NoTime89
02-17-2011, 22:18
I am a life long scouter (Cub to Eagle) and my parents were a tremendous help. It takes a village...
That homage being said I remember my oldest brothers first Pine Wood Derby:
He was excited. He had just opened the box kit and I heard him across the house. (Wasn't that hard--Army housing in some spots are like bunkers, in others reminiscent of the lumber they give you in that Derby box).
Like most Pine Wood Derby's, my dad immediately took this as a challenge and he spent long hours tutoring Andrew on aerodynamics, resistant airflow techniques, and rates of gravity/mass.
The creation: a crescent shaped metallic purple shaped 'car' that was covered with sand across the top.
He and Andrew spent hours fine tuning that car, working long hours to get the right weight in the right area.
He ended up getting beat by a 3 wheeled uncrafted block that one kid was allowed to race.
If I'm lyin', I'm dyin'.
My dad then started focusing on the 'DESIGN' portions of the event. We had a tank, magic schoolbus, and Log Truck. The Truck was my favorite, it had dowels cut down to lay in the back. Looked great. I can post pic's if you guys want.
Do your packs still do Regatta's?
Dozer523
02-09-2012, 16:29
Bumping this to the front.
It's Pine Wood Derby time. AGAIN!
For those just joining us, there is invaluabe advice here.
this year we're going with the "wedge" with internal weights.
greenberetTFS
02-09-2012, 20:37
Bumping this to the front.
It's Pine Wood Derby time. AGAIN!
For those just joining us, there is invaluabe advice here.
this year we're going with the "wedge" with internal weights.
Go for it Dozer and I hope you and little dude make it to the finals again !!!!........;) :D
Big Teddy :munchin
Snaquebite
02-09-2012, 20:46
Did the scroll saw cutting last week on my girl's grandson's car last week... called me today wanting to come over a do some fine tuning after he sanded it down.... lots to do this weekend....his race is the 18th.
Ah, Pinewood Derby time. I loved it back in the day. I had a big box of cast .45 bullets and an accurate scale so I was the "weighting" guru. No one ever went over weight. It was never cutthroat back then in the way I hear it can get now. Everyone shared ideas. Enjoy these days they go by so fast!
Dozer523
02-13-2012, 13:57
Little Dude won all three heats and was fastest in his catagory (1st year Webelos)
Thanks Razor!
We went with LD's design for a wedge -- I was not to sold but . . .
Also tried something new. ( In the second year we probably did a better job on the axles; we could get them to spin with just the air from the drill; did not happen this year.) Sooooo. . . . we fired up the belt sander clamped it down with the belt up. We lightly set the car on it, sorta like on a tread mill. Kept graphit-ing the wheels. Probably went a few MILES! Had to resmooth the wheels, though. We'll do that again before the District meet but with a very fine grit.
Pretty proud of my buddy.
greenberetTFS
02-13-2012, 15:14
[QUOTE=Dozer523;434862 Little Dude won all three heats and was fastest in his catagory (1st year Wedelos)Thanks Razor!
we went with LD's deswign for a wedge -- I was not to sold but . . .
Also tried something new. In the second year we probably did a better job on the axles; we could get them to apin with jist the air from the drill. did not happen this year. Sooooo. . . . we fired up the belt sander clamped it down with the belt up. then we lightly set the car on it sort of like on a tread mill. Kept graphiting the wheels and probably went a few MILES!
Had to respmooth the wheels, though. We'll do that again before the District meet but with a very fine grit.
Pretty proud of my buddy.[/QUOTE/]
Terrific News :lifter:lifter:lifter
Big Teddy :munchin
Dozer523
01-17-2013, 21:04
Bump.
It's RACING SEASON!
Lots of great tips, here for you Dad's. :D
My Pinewood Derby Winner back in the day - 1967
Streck-Fu
01-18-2013, 06:56
My son is doing his first derby this weekend. He wanted to model his after a tank so I doubt we'll win on aerodynamics alone but it looks cool and he can joke about blowing up the competition.... :)
We'll throw a little graphite lube on the axles and see how slick we can get them.
I'll have to take a picture tonight.
Chairborne64
01-18-2013, 08:01
Funny,
My youngest sons last Pinewood derby is next weekend. All 3 of my boys have done 4 each Pinewood derbys at this point. At this point I feel like I have earned a PHD in this event and all sons still have all fingers attached.
Dozer523
01-18-2013, 10:34
My son is doing his first derby this weekend. He wanted to model his after a tank so I doubt we'll win on aerodynamics alone but it looks cool and he can joke about blowing up the competition.... :)
We'll throw a little graphite lube on the axles and see how slick we can get them.
I'll have to take a picture tonight.I doubt aerodynamics plays that big a piece -- the track is steep and short and there is no wind to overcome. As long as the front isn't an air dam.
Make sure it's in Travel Lock. They might not allow that main gun leading.
I think it all comes down to the smoothness of the axles and the weight being exactly at 5 oz. Weight placement might be a factor. Little Dude and I place it toward the rear. Just make sure the front doesn't get un-ballanced and float. we use the biggest weight we can get and mount it on the under carriage. We make up the difference by drilling a hole and filling it with the right number of fishing weights (we flatten them first and then cork the hole).
Graphite the wheels one last time at home spin them to smooth the dust and leave it alone! fresh graphite before the race may cost you the five or six thousandths of a second you need for first. Good luck.
Streck-Fu
01-18-2013, 10:59
Thank you for the advice. I need to check the main gun to see if it extends. May need a little trim....
I have some graphite that we will use.
I have one axle that is slight off that allows one rear wheel to not always contact the surface. Tomorrow I'll get them balanced.
Chairborne64
01-18-2013, 12:13
You also might want to put them in a drill spin them and polish with metal polish. It will cut down on the friction and add some speed. Another trick is to remove any paint where the weels will make contact with the body and then rub graphite into those areas to cut down on more friction.
I never knew there were different grades of graphite: http://www.maximum-velocity.com/lubesqa.htm
Dozer523
01-18-2013, 17:11
Thank you for the advice. I need to check the main gun to see if it extends. May need a little trim....
I have one axle that is slight off that allows one rear wheel to not always contact the surface. Tomorrow I'll get them balanced. Regarding the main gun extending past the front you could go with an M60A2 (Starship)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGVa4EC6HLA
As for the fourth wheel not always touching -- the rules state only three wheels have to be in contact with the track at all times. There is a school of thought that one less wheel touching is just that much less friction.
Friction is bad!
Streck-Fu
01-20-2013, 18:04
2nd of 8 in his Tiger Den and 11th overall out of 45.
We were under weight by .7oz so we could have added a lot more weight which would have probably boosted his performance...
He (We ;) ) had a lot of fun and enjoyed it. Now that I know more of what to expect, we'll really prep the cars well. The only thing we did was put graphite on the axles....
His younger brother will be in scouts as a Tiger next so I think there will be a bit of competition in the house.... :D
Dozer523
02-21-2013, 12:22
We did really well at Pack -- four heats and Little Dude placed 1st, 2nd, 1st and 1st. We stuck with "The Slice" body.
Couple of changes this year. Biggest changes were tapering the sides (wider at the base and narrower at the top) we practically eliminated all extranious wheel friction. We also had an engineer friend help us embed the weights under the car. The car total weight was 4.99 oz.
Now we wait (and keep spinning and graphit-ing and polishing those axle shafts) until Districts in the next couple of weeks. Fun part for me was Little Dude did almost all the work himself.
We did really well at Pack -- four heats and Little Dude placed 1st, 2nd, 1st and 1st. We stuck with "The Slice" body.
Couple of changes this year. Biggest changes were tapering the sides (wider at the base and narrower at the top) we practically eliminated all extranious wheel friction. We also had an engineer friend help us embed the weights under the car. The car total weight was 4.99 oz.
Now we wait (and keep spinning and graphit-ing and polishing those axle shafts) until Districts in the next couple of weeks. Fun part for me was Little Dude did almost all the work himself.
Well done! It was our first year of PWD, came in 3rd. I'd forgotten how much fun it is to design the cars - we even did some 3D modeling in AutoCAD and some lessons in physics (7 yr old style). It came down to friction this year- little things make the difference. My 3 yr old wants to know when he can do the race. Looks like I'll be a PWD expert by the time he's finished with Cub Scouts.
We did really well at Pack -- four heats and Little Dude placed 1st, 2nd, 1st and 1st.
Great job! Sadly, with the new BSA rules on power tools we'll be seeing less and less of your last picture at organized Scout events.
Streck-Fu
02-22-2013, 13:25
Great job! Sadly, with the new BSA rules on power tools we'll be seeing less and less of your last picture at organized Scout events.
Which rule change is that?
Age Guidelines for Tool Use and Work at Elevations or Excavations, BSA Pub 680-028. It basically makes wood and metal cutting power tools off limits to anyone under 18, and other power tools such as lawnmowers (push, not riding), string trimmers, leaf blowers, belt sanders and similar off limits to those under 16.
ZonieDiver
02-22-2013, 20:30
Age Guidelines for Tool Use and Work at Elevations or Excavations, BSA Pub 680-028. It basically makes wood and metal cutting power tools off limits to anyone under 18, and other power tools such as lawnmowers (push, not riding), string trimmers, leaf blowers, belt sanders and similar off limits to those under 16.
Damn! Where was that lawnmower restriction when I needed it? (1.5 acres, 16 inch swath mower... you do the math. Age at start - 10.):D
Stiletto11
02-23-2013, 22:36
I heard they are banning the Pinewood due to the chance a little guy can get splinters and be scared for life. We used a dremmel tool and covered them with monocote which is used for RC airplanes. Graphite on the axle and away she went. As long as they were at weight we were good to hook.
Streck-Fu
01-17-2014, 07:23
This year's designs....
My oldest wanted to make a bullet car so I used a case I had, rough shaped a bullet out of wood and put it together. His design and color choices.
I tried to make a 20mm case work but it was way too heavy at 4.5g for the case alone.
My youngest wanted to a Star Wars theme. I had to tell him that it won't be the fastest car out there but he wanted it. :p The Death Car is supposed to be borrowed from Death Star but it has more of a B Horror Movie look... LOL...
those are nice..good job :)
mark46th
01-17-2014, 08:56
To increase the speed, reduce the surface area of the wheels. Grind or sand down the tread so it is almost a sharp edge...
Snaquebite
01-17-2014, 08:58
To increase the speed, reduce the surface area of the wheels. Grind or sand down the tread so it is almost a sharp edge...
Make sure you check the rules. Sometimes that is not allowed. You can still buff the surface area of the wheels.
Streck-Fu
01-17-2014, 08:59
To increase the speed, reduce the surface area of the wheels. Grind or sand down the tread so it is almost a sharp edge...
Not allowed according to the rules the pack adopted. However, when inserting the axles, they may have gone in at a slight angle making the wheels contact on a smaller surface.....
mark46th
01-17-2014, 10:24
Bummer- It has been a while since I was involved.
Snaquebite
01-17-2014, 10:47
Not allowed according to the rules the pack adopted. However, when inserting the axles, they may have gone in at a slight angle making the wheels contact on a smaller surface.....
Any angle will slow it down significantly. Also make sure you polish the axles and use graphite.
If you have access to the actual track measure the height of the rail and ensure the car has just enough clearance above the rail to clear. The lower the car the faster it will be. Ensure you measure the rail in several locations to make sure its uniform all the way down and the car will not scrape anywhere along the run.
Red Flag 1
01-17-2014, 11:18
My grandson is now in the "Derby" with my son helping out. Something I did with my son, was to polish the axels. I would put the nail that is used as an axel for each wheel, in a drill. With the drill spinning the nail/axel, I would polish the surface with 000 steel wool. After that, I would rub some graphite onto the nail/axel before mounting the wheel. Had pretty good results doing this, and making sure the wheels were smooth.
Streck-Fu
01-19-2014, 16:59
The .50 bullet car took second over all in the pack and first in his den. The car that beat him was put together by his grandfather that invested in axle guides and jigs to relocate the axles farther front and rear.....
The Darth Vader was pretty quick in spite of the cape as drag. Fun day overall.
mark46th
01-19-2014, 17:22
What about a little Teflon grease for the axles/wheels?