This years pinewood derby was a few months early, to boost up membership numbers we merged with another pack.
We made a simple wedge with tungsten weight in a precise location, right at 5.00 ounces. I trued up the wheels on my drill press with some sandpaper wrapped around a file, leaving at least 40-60% of the origional tread like the rules stated. We used the revell brand axles, they are BSA approved and are much nicer than the kit provided ones, no burrs, nice and round....no prep really needed on them, and a good slathering of graphite lube on every surface on the wheel. My son drilled the wheel holes, hand sanded the body and spray painted four coats of duplicolor gloss black by himself, same paint as I use on the old tecumsehs... The "gas pedal" won every heat and final....he took the overall win. Most finishes were close...a car length or even less some more....plenty of nail biting to go around.
what makes this win satisfying is the dads in the other pack "engineers" with their cnc, lathed wheels and axles couldnt beat his car....
The other pack we merged with had looser rules with their wheels, and of course didnt bother to tell us. Even though the written rules specifically state wheels which come in the derby car kit musy be used, the kids cars passed tech and were permitted to use the CNC'd custom wheels and titanium axles. I figured it was all over....but as they say, it aint over till its over..........and boy there were some surprised dads to see their high dollar goodies were falling to a kid built car. Not too many came by and congratulate us....haha
We made a simple wedge with tungsten weight in a precise location, right at 5.00 ounces. I trued up the wheels on my drill press with some sandpaper wrapped around a file, leaving at least 40-60% of the origional tread like the rules stated. We used the revell brand axles, they are BSA approved and are much nicer than the kit provided ones, no burrs, nice and round....no prep really needed on them, and a good slathering of graphite lube on every surface on the wheel. My son drilled the wheel holes, hand sanded the body and spray painted four coats of duplicolor gloss black by himself, same paint as I use on the old tecumsehs... The "gas pedal" won every heat and final....he took the overall win. Most finishes were close...a car length or even less some more....plenty of nail biting to go around.
what makes this win satisfying is the dads in the other pack "engineers" with their cnc, lathed wheels and axles couldnt beat his car....
The other pack we merged with had looser rules with their wheels, and of course didnt bother to tell us. Even though the written rules specifically state wheels which come in the derby car kit musy be used, the kids cars passed tech and were permitted to use the CNC'd custom wheels and titanium axles. I figured it was all over....but as they say, it aint over till its over..........and boy there were some surprised dads to see their high dollar goodies were falling to a kid built car. Not too many came by and congratulate us....haha
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