Pinewood Derby time!

[Travman]

For Cub Scouts and their dads this time of the year means Pinewood Derby cars.  I know I enjoy working in the cars more than the kids.  They don't like all the detail work and sanding.  Have any of you ever enjoyed making and racing the cars?

Here is our progress so far...  The painted cars are last year's cars. 

[radguzzi]

Awesome... we. my Wife and I were long time Scout Leaders, stayed on through Boy Scouts and filled every role from Scout Master to Committee Chair.

Our Son, who went on to become and Eagle Scout made some sweet Pinewood Derby cars and I did too.  Good fun.

Love the shapes of yours.


Best,
Rob

[Yukonica]

Those are soooo cool.
Like "Christmas gifts to the grand-kids cool"
.. or to me.  ;D

[Groover]

Those look great! I love the design. I helped my nephew years ago and he actually did great. Get the weight as close as possible to the maximum allowed, be sure the axles are as square as you can get them, and then add a touch of graphite powder to the axles for low friction, dry lube.

Good luck!

[Nic in Western NYS]

Cooler than the other side of the pillow! (RIP S Scott)

[Jim Rich]

I have some good memories from competing in the Pine Wood Derby.  Your car is really beautiful.

[AMGeneral]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RjJtO51ykY

 ;-T

[DC950]

it still seems odd not making cars with my sons.  It's been 3 years now.  As soon as I find the camera battery charger, I'll have to take a picture of the fleet.  We almost always won the pack and got a trophy from the district.

Here's my now 16 year old's Tiger car - a Dakar VW Tuareg.  Yes, he made it.



This was his favorite, a Lotus:





The Lotus was a rocket, IIRC getting 4th at the district and cleaning up at the 25+ car pack meet.

Here's a tip - the cars are more stable, and thus almost always faster, with the long end of the block pointed down hill.  His brother learned that the hard way.

[Travman]

Here's a tip - the cars are more stable, and thus almost always faster, with the long end of the block pointed down hill.  His brother learned that the hard way.

Good to know.  It will be hard to get enough lead into the front end to make it stable.  Of course a majority of the weight should always go into the back, but I have noticed what happens if the front end is too light.  The car will weave a little which isn't good.  Anytime the wheels touch the track guide it slows the car down. We may start another car with the long end pointed down hill.

Very cool cars.  It looks like you have a Lego block for an engine on that Lotus.  When I help kids other than my sons I almost always recommend a trough in the bottom so we can easily add weight.  

[fotoguzzi]

BTDT.. wonderful memories! 

[Testarossa]

I remember the Pinewood Derby from Scouts, but my local YMCA had a drag race series for CO2 cars and they were FAST.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkHivUBQNXs

[Rough Edge racing]

 Pinewood Derby, kids watch dads build beautiful cars .....real Pinewood Derby,mostly crude cars built and raced by kids as dad watches

[Steve Cas]

Great cars, brings back lots of memories. Spent a lot of years with both of my boys (now men, both Eagle Scouts) in the Scouts. 

   "Pinewood Derby, kids watch dads build beautiful cars .....real Pinewood Derby,mostly crude cars built and raced by kids as dad watches"

We used to hold a Dada's only race, the  est was one of the crude kid built cars beat out the Dad's!

[DC950]

Good to know.  It will be hard to get enough lead into the front end to make it stable.  Of course a majority of the weight should always go into the back, but I have noticed what happens if the front end is too light.  The car will weave a little which isn't good.  Anytime the wheels touch the track guide it slows the car down. We may start another car with the long end pointed down hill.

Very cool cars.  It looks like you have a Lego block for an engine on that Lotus.  When I help kids other than my sons I almost always recommend a trough in the bottom so we can easily add weight.  

oscillation is the problem with the long end and the weight in the back.  My youngest son had a very cool car, with the slickest axles you've ever seen.  It beat every car till the track leveled out and it started swinging like a lantern in a hurricane.  He wanted the long end up front but I convinced him to put it in the back.  That car should have won the district.

Yep, that's a leggo.  As you can see from the Lotus, there's always a way to add more weight!  Tungsten is the best though, which you'll see when I find that charger.

[Mark West]

Pinewood Derby, kids watch dads build beautiful cars .....real Pinewood Derby,mostly crude cars built and raced by kids as dad watches

Pretty much sums it up. When my son was in cub scouts, I took the block and made a hog out for some weight in the bottom and told him to do what he wanted with the rest of it. Since it was all him doing it, he was an active participant in the racing.

You could tell which cars were made by the dads cause mostly the kids seemed rather disinterested in whether their car won or not.