Pinewood Derby

[StoopTroup]

Took the Son to his first Derby Car build tonight. Forgot how cool it was.

Pics of the car to come soon. :D

http://www.scoutderby.com/ScoutRentals/Images/PinewoodDerbyTrack1.jpg

[Petro-Sooner]

Ahh I remember my pinewood derby days. Had an OU car once.

[AlbqSooner]

So did ya break the rules and put graphite on the axle?

[MR2-Sooner86]

Took the Son to his first Derby Car build tonight. Forgot how cool it was.

Pics of the car to come soon. :D

http://media.southparkstudios.com/media/images/1306/1306_press_image_2.jpg

Pretty cool.

[setem]

Did you win? If you aint first you are last!


MY FATHER NEVER TOOK ME TO PINEWOOD DERBY!

[btk108]

Shake and Bake!

[Petro-Sooner]

So did ya break the rules and put graphite on the axle?

We did that but it wasnt frowned upon really. At least from what I remember. What they didnt like was modifying the wheels. Got disqualified at our little regional derby day. :D

[TUSooner]

I worked like crazy on my car and even had a little plastic "army man" driver. Then I got stuck on a defective lane. One and done. Meanwhile, everybody was taping quarters to their cars and doing other dodgy stuff. I felt pretty cheated.
Thanks for the memories! :(

[SunnySooner]

Graphite is kosher, baby, pour it on. And the wedge design is always the fastest, it's just a matter of figuring out exactly how to weight it. There are a ton of websites to give you tips, but some of it is luck with the track, etc. Good Luck!!!!

[SoonerJack]

- make sure your axle grooves are perfectly perpendicular to the long axes of the car

- let your son carve, paint, excavate or whatever for the design

- make it weigh exactly 5 ounces

- polish the trash off of the axle nails where the shaft meets the head.

- apply liberal amounts of graphite to the axles where they meet the wheels

[C&CDean]

I never did pinewood derby as a kid because I got kicked out of Cub Scouts for stealing Girl Scout Cookie money (our den mother was also a Girl Scout leader).

However, I helped my kids with it when they were in scouts. Here's my memories of it:

We'd pick up the kits and build the cars. All the kids painted theirs red and put OU stickers on them. I made/let them do everything. As you might imagine, the cars were pretty crude, but the kids thought they were allsome.

We get to the derby at Sooner Mall, and here's these dad/son teams wearing matching racing garb, their cars were so modified from the kit/rules it was pathetic, and it wasn't the kids racing the cars, it was the dads. It was the saddest thing I think I ever watched. Well maybe not sadder than when I coached Pop Warner football or little league baseball where frustrated jock parents were trying to live vicariously through their limp-wristed, pencil-necked, pasty-faced kid who couldn't care less about sports.

Anyhow, not to **** up your thread Greg, but pinewood derby memories remind me of a bunch of parents I want to kick in the junk. Kids are great. Parents are ****wads.

[SunnySooner]

Ya know, Dean, I guess I've been lucky, thru 5 years of derbies in different states, I haven't had that experience. All the Packs we've been involved in were very "kid" centered, but I can see that happening. It's up to the Pack leaders to set the tone, it should be about the scouts. You get some hilarious (on purpose) cars that way, the kids care more about the design than the speed.

[BermudaSooner]

Graphite is kosher, baby, pour it on. And the wedge design is always the fastest, it's just a matter of figuring out exactly how to weight it. There are a ton of websites to give you tips, but some of it is luck with the track, etc. Good Luck!!!!

Exactly right, wedge is the best. First year I did this cool looking curvy job and got crushed. Next year some stupid looking wedge thing and won it all.

[Tulsa_Fireman]

I never did pinewood derby as a kid because I got kicked out of Cub Scouts for stealing Girl Scout Cookie money (our den mother was also a Girl Scout leader).

I got kicked out of Cub Scouts, too.

I got caught eating Brownies.

*rimshot!*

[C&CDean]

"rimshot" indeed

My favorites were the Brown Rounds.

[TopDawg]

We get to the derby at Sooner Mall, and here's these dad/son teams wearing matching racing garb, their cars were so modified from the kit/rules it was pathetic, and it wasn't the kids racing the cars, it was the dads.

IIRC, that's the basic idea of that South Park episode from above.

[soonerboy_odanorth]

For Dillon's last pinewood derby, he designed a "muscle car" including a big honkin' carb scoop and a fastback. I helped him start his cuts, but he finished 'em, did all the sanding and all the painting.

Great looking car!

Won the award for fastest looking!

Came.

In.

Dead.

Last.

:D

That's how you Pinewood Derby, dambit!

[StoopTroup]

I'm on a diet and just bought 7 boxes of Girl Scout cookies from my niece.

[walkoffsooner]

I know a guy who builds pinewood derby cars for people. Has about 5 state champions to his credit. About 100 dollars a pop.

[StoopTroup]

I put the axles in a mini-vise tip of my dremel and took 2400, 3600,4000, 6000, 8000 and 12000 grit micro-mesh to them.

I think it's gonna run OK

[bent rider]

For Dillon's last pinewood derby, he designed a "muscle car" including a big honkin' carb scoop and a fastback. I helped him start his cuts, but he finished 'em, did all the sanding and all the painting.

Great looking car!

Won the award for fastest looking!

Came.

In.

Dead.

Last.

:D


Kids got a future as an automobile exec.

[proud gonzo]

i remember when GHP did the pinewood derby.

[fadada1]

ya ain't cheatin', ya ain't tryin'.

wish i would've know that when i was in scouts. might have won the derby.

[picasso]

Mine's still at my folks house somewhere. It sucked.

[SOONER44EVER]

We had father and son classes. Dad made one shaped exactly like a cigar. He even painted it brown and put a cigar band around it. He never lost a race. Could have been the mercury inside of it. :D

[StoopTroup]

Found a mandrel that allows you to put the tires in a dremel and turn them down too. The tires spin on those axles like a perpetual motion machine now. I also bought one of these workstations for the dremel. :D

http://www.micromark.com/RS/SR/Product/83453_L.jpg

[StoopTroup]

OK...It's finished and the race is tonight.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c333/stooptroup/DSC03988.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c333/stooptroup/DSC03987.jpg

[Partial Qualifier]

that is ****ing awesome. :D

[1890MilesToNorman]

Looks like one of those Duck Boat tour things in Boston. :D

[Breadburner]

Needs some Playboy Bunny ears on it....And name it Pet Wussy....

[soonermix]

i remember my days in the pinewood derby.
first my dad would go buy the kits then i would look at the kit.
then he would take it and make all the cuts he went with the wedge shape. then he would paint it and put the wheels on. after he was finished with all that he would let me roll it around in the graphite and maybe some stickers too.

woot thanks dad it was awsome

but at least he finished second the first year and first the second year.

[soonermix]

oh yeah he also had mom help him with the chisels but told me it was too dangerous. and when my mom slipped and cut herself he looked up at me and said "see i don't want you cutting yourself like that"

[Breadburner]

http://sprintcarforum.mywowbb.com/images/avatars/117.jpg

[StoopTroup]

3rd Place Baby!

Good Times!

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c333/stooptroup/DSC03989.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c333/stooptroup/DSC03997.jpg

[Al Gore]

Machine the axles and cut a 45 angle on the head where it meets the wheel (less friction), set them up so they balance on 2 wheels or angles 3 axles so they run on the edge and the 4th axle on the front way up so it doesn't touch. Route a square hole in the bottom and use wheel tap on weights towards the rear. Get it close to the official weight but leave it a little less until you weight it and use some putting to get it exact. Make hubcaps and pour graphite in the hubs and put your hubcap over it. This keeps the wheel and axle running smooth when the other cars lose the graphite after a couple of races. It also makes sure you wheels are always in the right position.
Remember..friction is your enemy.....

[Stitch Face]

Did the derby thing with my dad. Neither of us had **** for woodworking skills so it pretty much looked like the piece of wood from the kit, painted black with some stripes and a Han Solo action figure head sticking out of it. I think when we let it go it went backwards somehow.

[StoopTroup]

Machine the axles and cut a 45 angle on the head where it meets the wheel (less friction), set them up so they balance on 2 wheels or angles 3 axles so they run on the edge and the 4th axle on the front way up so it doesn't touch. Route a square hole in the bottom and use wheel tap on weights towards the rear. Get it close to the official weight but leave it a little less until you weight it and use some putting to get it exact. Make hubcaps and pour graphite in the hubs and put your hubcap over it. This keeps the wheel and axle running smooth when the other cars lose the graphite after a couple of races. It also makes sure you wheels are always in the right position.
Remember..friction is your enemy.....

YEAH THERE IS A YOUTUBE VIDEO WHERE HE DISCUSSES HOW TO "RIDE THE RAIL AND ALLOW THE REAR WHEELS TO TRACK BEHIND THE FRONT WHEEL. HE TAKES THE FRONT AXLE AND SETS IT IN A BLOCK AND THEN TAKES ANOTHE U-SHAPED BLOCK OVER IT. HE THEN WHACKS IT WITH A HAMMER WHICH PUTS A 2.5% BEND IN THE AXLE. YOU THEN INSTALL YOUR TIRES MAKING SURE THE OTHER THREE TRACK PERPENDICULAR TO EACH OTHER. YOU MAKE A TEST RUN ON THE 4 FOOT TEST TRACK YOU MAKE FOR YOURSELF AND IF THE BENT WHEEL DOESN'T TAKE TO THE RAIL JUST A BIT...YOU THEN TAKE A PAIR OF PLIERS AND SPIN THE AXLE A 1/4 TURN. BASICALLY WHAT YOU ARE DOING ID SETTING UP TOW AND CAMBER THE SAME AS YOU WOULD A COMPETITIVE GO-KART OR AN INDY CAR....LOL

Teah...it's all about good sportsmanship.....lol :pop:

9MAQxhi_AN4

[StoopTroup]

I'm ptreyy sure this guy might have taken it s bit to far...lol

2M6fbrzU0Dc&feature=related

[OU_Sooners75]

- make sure your axle grooves are perfectly perpendicular to the long axes of the car

- let your son carve, paint, excavate or whatever for the design

- make it weigh exactly 5 ounces

- polish the trash off of the axle nails where the shaft meets the head.

- apply liberal amounts of graphite to the axles where they meet the wheels

I had some girls do that for me a few times. :D

[SunnySooner]

Allsome car, ST, tell little ST congrats, those are a lot of work!! Good Jorb.

My Webelo is crossing over to Boy Scouts in a couple weeks, no more derbies for us, sniff, sniff.

[badger]

I saw a kit for one of these in a Lowe's and I was tempted. My brother never had fun with his pinewood derby car. Parents really weren't that mechanical and he had a slow car. He'd basically paint the body one color (and not do anything to it) and voila slow. The only slower car in the field was the one where one of the boys decided to paint his wheels yellow.

The boys in his class were very cruel and he was once on the verge of tears from that the first year (he doesn't post here). He quit scouting a few years later. I, however, had to stay in girl scouts till high school, since, you know, girls weren't cruel like boys I guess :rolleyes:

[Stitch Face]

I, however, had to wear a too-tight girl scout uniform as a blossoming seventeen year-old


Go on...

[badger]

Very funny Stitch. Unlike you boy scouts that had your dark blue/tan shirt with all the patches and beads that teachers would take away if you played with them during class and that little scarf of varying colors, girl scouts only had vests or sashes for patches. rarely did any of us have anything more excessive than that.

[Stitch Face]

I never played with them in class.




Okay, once in fourth grade during a filmstrip.

[badger]

They were totally annoying, but what do you expect a kid with beads to do, even if he's surrounded by kids without beads? :D

http://www.depack527.org/images/progress_wolfbear.jpg

[Stitch Face]

They were totally annoying, but what do you expect a kid with beads to do, even if he's surrounded by kids without beads? :D

http://www.depack527.org/images/progress_wolfbear.jpg

Heh. That brings back memories.

Our pack leader (was it "pack leader?" the guy over all the "dens?") stole all of the popcorn fundraiser money and skipped town. Seriously.