pinewood derby vette...

[jonfor]

i am spending some time on the axles and wheels because i hate to see a vette lose. the car is roughed out:

[GDaina]

look at the axles pins...there are burrs...file the burrs and then polish the axles

when done. spray silicone on the pins. Don't forget to put some ball bearings for weight

[SignMan59]

slightly front load the weight too. Go in heavy and take a drill to the weigh in.

Our first year...I thought the kids were supposed to do the cars....we got ran over. I told myself.....ill give them a derby car next year they wont believe....we took city with it.

Its all about squaring the axel axis...polish the $hit out of the pins. Bath it in graphite dust from a lock shop. OH and rounding the wheels on a lathe or use a drill.

Make us vette people proud. Let us know how you do.

[redman76]

With 3 boys, I built a few of those myself the 7 years we were in Cubs. Post some final Pics when done.

[GDaina]

Originally Posted by SignMan59

slightly front load the weight too. Go in heavy and take a drill to the weigh in.

Our first year...I thought the kids were supposed to do the cars....we got ran over. I told myself.....ill give them a derby car next year they wont believe....we took city with it.

Its all about squaring the axel axis...polish the $hit out of the pins. Bath it in graphite dust from a lock shop. OH and rounding the wheels on a lathe or use a drill.

Make us vette people proud. Let us know how you do.

yep but be careful with the wheels...plastic melts so use a light touch and fine grit in a sanding block..

[rexx78]

Great job, that was one of my favorite times in Boy Scouts.
Use lead rods for weight and sidepipes/exhaust pipes.

[PRNDL]

Originally Posted by SignMan59

OH and rounding the wheels on a lathe or use a drill.

As I recall, one of the many gofast tricks was to take a lathe to the wheels to make them thinner, thus providing less surface area in contact with the track and less rolling resistance. This requires skill well beyond the 3rd grade level!

Also, there is a weight limit and most of the cars will have weights added to put the car exactly at the limit. Cheaters will try to devise ways to add weight after the weigh-in. I remember one year the beotch den momma in charge had a faulty scale that was weighing too high so she forced kids to dig weights out of their cars!

[Ron R]

Is this a matching #'s pinewood vette?

[GDaina]

if you can get a vial of mercury, that will do wonders for the car....

if you need one...I can give you the one used in my son's car

[firefighter]

Pinewood? Is that similar to Greenwood?

Looks like fun. I was never a Boy Scout. I woulda had fun with the Derby.

[21boy]

I won that one year.. My dad didn't want to do it for me, he just "suggested" what to do, and then told me to do it or I'd lose

Remember, paint it red... It makes it look faster going down the ramp

[GDaina]

and wax it...lots of wax...less air friction..I glued little wings, ala Indy, F1 cars, one in front of each wheel...

[blk79nj]

I did these for a few years with my sons. Here is what 'we' did, and we took 1st place 2 out of 4 years.

I listed them in order of importance

1. Polish the axels by putting them in a drill. They should look like a mirror when done.(Graphite)

2 Lower one of the front wheels, so that only 3 are touching, 1 front and 2 back. (graphite)

3. Go to the max weight 5oz. I made the balance point about 1" in front of the rear wheels. (graphite)

4. The wheels need to be close enought to the body so they don't drag, but far enough away so they don't chatter. Don't paint the body next to the wheels, it may gum up. (graphite)

5 DON'T put weight on the bottom. It may drag on the track. (graphite)

6 Make sure the car rolls as straight as possible (Graphite)

6 Use plenty of graphite.

[txeagle]

All good ideas, but the bottom line is to have fun with your son... Thats the great reward of working together in the scouting program...

Ben
Scoutmaster T626

[TheSkunkWorks]

Great thread. Makes me wonder just how sick of a pinewood vette it's possible to come up with. Agree it's about having fun, but here's hoping you and yours have that little bit more fun than the competition. Definitely post up...

[GD70]

Originally Posted by GDaina

look at the axles pins...there are burrs...file the burrs and then polish the axles

when done. spray silicone on the pins. Don't forget to put some ball bearings for weight

Silicone is not allowed. Use graphite powder to lube the wheels. When I did this with my son, they were very strict about not using any kind of oil or silicone. Several cars were disqualified. I felt bad for those kids, but it was the dads who violated the rules!
BTW-It's looking good!
Also ALL 4 wheels must touch the surface, not 3. Another reason for a disqualification. Again, I saw it happen.
Good luck.
Glenn

[hicswa]

So is that a BB?

[lock-n-load]

I agree ...use the graphite ...it worked on my sons car..he won every round ...
And yes ..red IS a faster color .....
But most of all have fun ......My son is over 30yrs old now, but it seems like that pine wood derby race was only yesterday ....

[929nitro]

Number one thing is enjoy the time with your kids. Thing I use to do that helped was to under cut the axles just a little and keep undercut narrower than the width of wheels, reduces friction and adds pocket for graphite. Have a blast and good luck.

[7T1vette]

Time with the kiddies is #1, of course.... but put some teflon "hub caps" on the ends of the axles so speed isn't scrubbed when it hits a side wall. Also, make those caps slightly shorter in back than in front, so that the car will steer away from the wall if it does contact it. Good luck..and have lots of FUN!!!