Wingman44 Posted January 26, 2005 Share Posted January 26, 2005 Hi folks, my son is a tiger cub (1st grader) and is entering his first pinewood derby contest in a few weeks. Does anybody have advice on how to build a fast car. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
@DCGoldPants Posted January 26, 2005 Share Posted January 26, 2005 oh man, I totally forgot about those. I remember we sorta copied the idea in Jr Highschool shop class....and built our own cars to race. My Dad suggested Basil(sp?) Wood since it was so light. Well, we had those little Co2 tanks attached....and mine literally took off. I won, but lost since mine didn't actually use its wheels. oh well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnyderShrugged Posted January 26, 2005 Share Posted January 26, 2005 I'm not sure if the rules still allow it, but strategic weight placement in the front of the car, and hollowing out other spots to balance, always worked for me when I was a kid. Check the rules in detatil and take advantage of what may be "left out" of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMac Posted January 26, 2005 Share Posted January 26, 2005 Just go to a hobby shop and buy the kit. The other thing you must buy is graphite powder for the wheels. Its all about the weight and the wheels more than it is the actual car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkinsNut73 Posted January 26, 2005 Share Posted January 26, 2005 Oh, I loved the pinewood derby races. My first year we made the mistake of putting most of the weight in the back of the car - I was more interested in how it looked that time and just had too much stuff on the back end of the car. I got CREAMED in every race, but did win best looking car. The next year we went for speed. Drilled a few holes in the bottom and put some led in there. Graphite on the wheels. I was placing in the top 3 in every race. When my younger brother did it they ruled out the led in the bottom. So he went out and bought solder from the hardware store...cut it into small pieces...and drilled holes in the side of the car...used the solder as exhaust pipes to give him the weight. He did well too...can't remember how he placed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
endzone_dave Posted January 26, 2005 Share Posted January 26, 2005 WD-40 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnyderShrugged Posted January 26, 2005 Share Posted January 26, 2005 I had forgotten about graphite wheels! Good catch! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Destino Posted January 26, 2005 Share Posted January 26, 2005 Are these those little wooden CO2 powered cars that run along a fishing line? If so, mine didn't have wheels. It was meant to glide and I owned everyone else. Sadly most rules prohibit my brand of creativity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red zone Posted January 26, 2005 Share Posted January 26, 2005 Spray-on teflon on the axles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doubledeuce Posted January 26, 2005 Share Posted January 26, 2005 - Keep the car a full seven inches. It has to do with the physics of velocity and length of travel of the weights. - Use the full 2 3/4 inches (outside wheel to outside wheel) that the rules give you. This will allow the wheels to travel farther before hitting the center strip. - Use the groove closest to the end of the block of wood as the rear axle. - Debur the wheels. Take off the flashing and seam that was produced when the wheel was molded with a 600 grit or better sandpaper. Sand any bumps off the wheel. Metal polish will restore the gloss. Be careful not to break any rules your race has regarding wheel modification. (Narrower wheels have less friction and are better, but often disallowed). Don't sand too much or you'll create a flat spot. Sand by hand not in the drill. Heat from the high speed of a drill will damage the plastic wheel. - Polish the axles. - Wax the wheels with furniture polish. Make sure the polish does not contain a solvent of any sort. - Use graphite only. Oil damages the paint and collects dust. But most of all, let your son do the work, just guide him through the process. Nothing is more annoying than seeing boys walk into the weigh-in with these pristine cars. Believe me, everyone will know which cars were made by dad and not the scout. Don't over-emphasize winning over the process of engineering the car. Give your son the opportunity to learn about car design, wheel friction, and axle lubrication. My own son has his derby cars carefully preserved on his shelf - he values them cause he made them! Most of all, keep the whole process fun - Good Luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebornempowered Posted January 26, 2005 Share Posted January 26, 2005 I did 3 or 4 of these as a young 'un and my best finish was when I kept my car with a low aerodynamic profile. Blew the rest of mine away. The best advice though is to have fun and enjoy the time with your son. My dad passed away 9 years ago next month and when I saw this thread title I thought of him. The memories you make will be the most important part. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joeythetapeworm Posted January 26, 2005 Share Posted January 26, 2005 I don't have any tips for making a fast car, but if you want to go for "most original", I pulled that one off by adding an extra set of wheels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redman Posted January 26, 2005 Share Posted January 26, 2005 Good posting, doubledeuce. Man, this brings back memories! I can't believe it but that was about 24 years ago for me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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