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!

Richard · 03-01-2009, 22:51

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!

Richard's $.02

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...

**Razor** · 03-02-2009, 09:07

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.

Paslode · 03-02-2009, 09:14

Our race is this weekend! It brought back some memories of when I built mine.....thirty some years ago

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.

Sten · 03-02-2009, 09:28

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."

Dozer523 · 03-02-2009, 09:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Razor

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

Quote:

Originally Posted by TOMAHAWK9521

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."

Tiger Cubs. . . "if it was easy everyone would do it."

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

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dozer523

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....

GB TFS

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!

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

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dozer523

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?

SnT