Couple of 2nd Place Finishes at Pinewood Derby

[hunt4it]

Well, Pinewood Derby is complete for my boy. He came in 2nd place, missing 1st by one point! My Uncle (whom is a trapper/hunter/fisher/woodworker/etc brought home a 2nd place finish in the open class. I'll tell you...these two are competitive against each other like crazy but have an absolute blast doing so.  Was a very proud moment for me today watching these two compete.

 

[rendezvous]

Congratulations! Awesome memories right there, way to go! 

[shawn]

Very cool. Put a smile on my face, not quite as big as your son's. I love the multi-generational thing, it keeps the family connected. Congrats to all. 

[farmertrappe]

Thats neat, I have never participated, whats the deal? Does everyone start with the same chunk of stock and then carve and sand your car to ones liking before a custom paint job? Is there a weight requirement?

[hunt4it]

Apr 11, 2016 7:42:05 GMT -5 farmertrappe said:

Thats neat, I have never participated, whats the deal? Does everyone start with the same chunk of stock and then carve and sand your car to ones liking before a custom paint job? Is there a weight requirement?

Great questions Farmer.  Each scout is given a Pinewood Derby "Kit" that consists of a piece of pine, 4 wheels and 4 axels (basically nails).  Block is 7" long, 1 3/4" wide, 1 1/4" high with precut groves for axel placement and weighs approximately 3.4 oz.  The object is to modify the block of wood as desired physically and add weights so that the total weight does not exceed 5 oz.   There are aftermarket wheels, axels, and other whatnots that can be added to aid in aerodynamics. 

What we did/do is instead of relying on the precut groves, we fence up the drill press and drill our own axel cavity, one slightly higher than the other three so that only 3 wheels are touching the track, at a specific measurement so that the wheels are truly straight and in the area where we prefer with the design we come up with.  (Less resistance - hope that makes sense).  After that, we draw our design on the block and get to cutting on the band saw.  We also chuck up the axels in the lathe and sand the groves off the underside of the axel head and make sure they are as straight as possible.  We then find a balance point roughly 1" in front of the rear axel so that once the car comes off of the ramp and is on the straightaway, it has the momentum to carry the car as fast as possible to the end of the track.  In addition, we add powder graphite to the axel/wheels to reduce friction and as a lubricant.

The particular design we came up with this year, we drilled holes in the body of the car, filled with the appropriate lead and then plugged the holes with wooden plugs we made out of the scrap wood we removed from the block.  Next comes the paint... which is always fun to see the image my boy has in his head.  This year....Green with a yellow stipe down the center.

On race day...fingers are crossed that it performs well.  This year...well enough to move onto regionals, which is this Saturday.

Hope this helps.  Have more questions, please don't hesitate to let me know.   

[farmertrappe]

Good Lord you sound like the crew chief on a NASCAR! (I had a Southern draw in my head while reading your reply) Thats awesome, I figured there was some rules for weight ect and a whole lot of customizing goes into a winning ride. Next year I think SWAMP TALK should be a sponsor if legal. Nice logo on the car would be sweet. Good luck this weekend fellas.

[Brad H.]

Apr 12, 2016 7:28:00 GMT -5 farmertrappe said:

Good Lord you sound like the crew chief on a NASCAR! (I had a Southern draw in my head while reading your reply) Thats awesome, I figured there was some rules for weight ect and a whole lot of customizing goes into a winning ride. Next year I think SWAMP TALK should be a sponsor if legal. Nice logo on the car would be sweet. Good luck this weekend fellas.

I LOVE that idea, and we will make it happen!

[hunt4it]

Apr 12, 2016 7:28:00 GMT -5 farmertrappe said:

Good Lord you sound like the crew chief on a NASCAR! (I had a Southern draw in my head while reading your reply) Thats awesome, I figured there was some rules for weight ect and a whole lot of customizing goes into a winning ride. Next year I think SWAMP TALK should be a sponsor if legal. Nice logo on the car would be sweet. Good luck this weekend fellas.

Did some videoing of the event and compiled a short video.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsvFDHmYdw4

Hope you enjoy!

Chris

[farmertrappe]

That was great, you can sure tell who builds for speed and who builds for style.