Pinewood Derby Stories and Photos from Maximum Velocity

2013-05-24T08:22:00.000-07:00

PINEWOOD DERBY MEMORY
Pinewood Derby Perspective

My scout has officially run his last race and moved on to Boy Scouts, so I would like to pass along some of my memories, both good and bad as I end this chapter of our scouting trail.

I grew up as a scout but in my pack we never had a pinewood derby; until my son’s race I hadn’t even heard of it. But I enjoy building things and I was ready to give it a shot when we heard about the pinewood derby.

Our first year neither of us knew anything about weighting, aerodynamics, or any of the many things that can speed up a car. I did a little research and found out about deburring and polishing and that was about it for our first year.

My son and his coping saw cut out his car and I helped him use a drill to hollow out the bottom for the stock triangle shaped weights. We hot glued it together, put some stickers on it, and called it a car. It looked like a 7 year-old build it, but we thought it was great.

When we arrived at the race I realized there were some parents who took this a little more seriously than I ever dreamed possible. My hope was my son would enjoy the race, have a good time, and learn a little about building something. When they announced the double elimination rule - two losses and you were out - I had this terrible feeling my son was going to lose early, he would be upset that all his hard work was for nothing, and the night was heading downhill.

In the end he wound up the winner of his den and one of the 3 overall winners that went on to the District race. He didn’t do well at the district race but he was just happy he made it. I was, to say the least, astonished.

Everyone assumed that since I worked around cars during the day, I obviously knew some kind of trick and built the car for him. Whatever, I brushed it aside till next year; at which point I got hooked.

I did hours of research, I told my son when things were wrong, and I did more work than he did. It didn’t look much better than the previous year’s car, it didn’t win and we didn’t have as much fun building it.

There were some track problems and some questionable rulings, and due to some incorrect handwritten postings we lost earlier than we should have. But I let it go and decided if I didn’t like the way it worked I better get involved and do it myself.

The next year we needed a new committee chair for the derby and I volunteered. I researched all the different ways to run a race and equipment available, and wound up buying the race management software to avoid the posting problems of the past.

I borrowed our church basement, bought a copy of the Maximum Velocity movie, and showed it at a workshop. A few parents brought tools and supplies. I found a few designs for those who needed help getting started, and even the parents who didn’t have the slightest idea on how to build a car were able to build something together with their kids. Some needed very little help, some needed a lot of help, but they all walked out of the workshop able to bring a race car to the practice and the event.

However, while I was spending all this time working on making the program better for all the kids I gave my son less help than ever before. It wasn’t till the night before the race I realized I may have made it better for all the other Scouts, but I didn’t make it better for my son.

The race had tons of technical difficulties with the old 4 lane wooden track throwing cars, and the timer showing cars that obviously did not win as winning. The worst scenario was when a fairly slow car finished fourth on our 4 lane track the timer, but the timer recorded it as 8th place.

My son did pretty good taking 2nd in his Den with the minimum amount of help I gave him, but we didn’t get to do much of it together.

The only bright spot was the parents. They told me how much more they enjoyed the derby than in years past. The kids really got to run their cars, and having refreshments and food made it more like a party.

It wasn’t so much that they told me that, but they made it a point to thank my son for the work I did. In his eyes I did something really special, even if it wasn’t specifically for him. To have your 9 year-old son tell you he is proud of you is more tremendous a feeling that I can ever begin to put into words.

OK that was it!! The next year was going to be the jewel of all races, the one that people would talk about across the land. As it turned out I think people are still talking about it. We held a Popcorn sale and made enough money to buy (what my research determined) the biggest, baddest, Pinewood Derby Track combination on the market - a 44 foot, 6 lane aluminum track with laser gate timing, and double-sided remote display. If you could get it, we got it.

We set up a camera for replays, connected the computer to a projector, and had the Boy Scouts come in to run the concessions with coffee and donuts in the morning progressing to pizza, candy and drinks in the afternoon. We had special driver's licenses laminated with the kid’s pictures holding their cars. This was going to be cool ...

... right up until the battery died on the camera and the projector couldn’t be set up in a good place. The quicksand continued. One lane of our new track was unusable as it had a big bump we couldn’t adjust, and it was throwing cars everywhere. We reconfigured the races which extended the time. Then the gate didn’t trip and we had to power the system down fairly often. Then the back side of the display was reading different from the front side of the display, and people were getting frustrated.

I had built in enough time that even though things went wrong by missing lunch and a break, by the finals we were caught up. Then the timer froze: no times, no places, no results.

I was extremely fortunate that year to have a family out of the blue step up and help. They, for all intensive purposes, ran the show as if they had planned it themselves. They helped solve the problems, they helped keep everything running, they were the ones who, in the end, really made a bad situation turn out as well as could be expected. Pinewood LaserGate2005. I am sure people are still taking about it.

Then this year, our last year, the same family took the track and spent hours fixing the lanes, and running countless hours of tests to finally determine our problem from the year before (most likely a combination of an overheated power supply and a bad serial port cable). They set up the races, they organized the location, they did every aspect of the show and it turned out tremendous.

As for my son and his car, he and I spent quite a few hours working on it together. Now that he is 11, I showed him the information I had and we discussed together what type of weight to use, where to place it, and which design he wanted. I got all the tools out and I put all the tools away, but he used them. He deburred his own axles, he polished them, and he picked the weights. He built his car and I got to watch how it was supposed to be done.

He built it, he won it, and he went on to the district races again, a great way to end his Cub Scout racing career.

The Scouts (and /or parents) who built those District cars were serious contenders. I overhead a few comments that made me realize that even though we didn’t win I guarantee we got more out of our experience than those so called winners will ever know.

"Oh, his dad just bought one already assembled on E-bay; it’s supposed to be a winner." or " ... and when he grows up then he can build one for his kids."

I saw the movie Down and Derby; I was almost there. Parents don’t let this opportunity to work WITH your kids pass you by.

RJ Irwin

P.S. I want to once again give Maximum Velocity a huge thank you for all the help over the years. Please continue to help others as you have helped me.

From Pinewood Derby Times Volume 6, Issue 1

Subscribe to this Free Pinewood Derby E-newsletter

(C)2013, Maximum Velocity, Inc. All rights reserved.

Maximum Velocity Pinewood Derby Car Plans and Supplies

2013-05-17T08:18:00.000-07:00

PINEWOOD DERBY CAR SHOWCASE

Thrasher - Dave & DJ DeFelice

This is my son DJ's car. He is 7 years-old, and a Wolf in Pack 196 in Milford, Connecticut. I cut the shape out on my band saw, and helped him carve out the flame design with a Dremel tool. DJ sanded the car, and then I painted the burgundy and black and DJ painted the yellow flames. He then polished the axles and added the weights.

Yoshi - Jim Mason

My Bear Cub wanted something different this year, while still wanting to produce a fast car. He decided to use a Yoshi theme (the character from Nintendo's Super Mario Kart, a video game we've tackled together), but he said he still wanted his car to be different. After browsing the Internet, as I'm sure many dads do, I borrowed the cut hole design in the body and suggested we modify the design to make our holes to have an egg shape, because Yoshi throws eggs in the game.

We painted it green, pasted on some photos of Yoshi and were off to the races. We took first in the pack, setting a new track record, and took third overall in our district race. (The tungsten cylinders and axle polishing kit are a must have for any serious racers. Plus, the Pro-Axle Guide was a huge hit in my pack and with several leaders at the district race. I can't say enough about it other than it's another must have.

Blue Venom - Larry Cox

This is a Dad's car we built this year. We used a PineCar kit with your matched BSA wheels and axles. The paint is Dupicolor and we used the kit decals. It looks good, but I lost to my son in the open class!

From Pinewood Derby Times Volume 6, Issue 1

Subscribe to this Free Pinewood Derby E-newsletter

(C)2013, Maximum Velocity, Inc. All rights reserved.

Maximum Velocity Pinewood Derby Car Plans and Supplies

2013-05-10T09:15:00.001-07:00

Five Keys to Performance

I can’t count how many times I have been asked, "How do I make my pinewood derby car go fast?" If you have been involved in pinewood derby racing for any time at all, or if you have been a subscriber to this newsletter, then you understand that there is no simple formula for success, and thus no simple answer to this question. But since I am asked the question, I provide five keys to unlock the performance of pinewood derby cars.

Key 1 - MAXIMIZE MOMENTUM
Maximum weight; Add weight towards the rear of the car

In an automobile, momentum helps the car keep rolling when you take your foot off the gas. In a similar way, momentum helps a pinewood derby car to continue rolling as fast as possible on the flat section of the track. Momentum must be maximized for top performance, and the key to momentum is weight. In each race, there is a maximum allowable weight for the car (usually five ounces, but certainly check your local rules). Momentum is maximized when your car has the maximum allowable weight for your race.

For a five ounce maximum weight, you will likely need to add two or three ounces of weight to the car. But where on the car do you add the weight? Add the weight towards the rear of the car.

Tests show that best performance is achieved on most tracks when the weight is added towards the rear of the car. This can be overdone, but a simple test to make sure the car is properly weighted is to balance the finished car on the edge of a ruler. The car should balance somewhere between 1 and 1-1/4 inches in front of the rear axle.

Does the type of weight matter? The maximum weight can be achieved with any type of weight; however, the type of weight does affect how easily the desired weight can be achieved. Denser weights (such as Lead or Tungsten) take up less space, so it is easier to reach the maximum weight. Also, since denser weights require a smaller volume of space, they allow creation of more aerodynamic cars (which is Key 2).

By the way, if you are in a BSA-sponsored race, ignore the picture on the front of the BSA kit. Use the slot closest to the end of the block as the rear axle.

Key 2 - AERODYNAMICS
Profile and body features minimized to improve air flow

If you asked me a year ago, "How do I make my pinewood derby car go fast?" I would not have included aerodynamics as a key. However, since that time I have read one study and performed another, both of which showed that the effect of aerodynamics on pinewood derby car performance is not trivial (see Volume 3, Issue 9 - "The Big Debates - Aerodynamics").

There are many elaborate ways to improve aerodynamics, but to simplify matters, let's use the following principles:

1. Low-profile cars (smaller surface area as viewed from the front of the car) will tend to outperform higher-profile cars.

2. Cars should taper from a smaller surface area in the front to a (possibly) larger surface area in the rear.

3. Edges running across the car should be rounded or tapered.

4. Wings, sails, flags, pennants, etc. add to the surface area, thus they tend to decrease performance.

5. Unfilled (major) holes can catch air and slow down a car.

To add some balance to this topic, Key 2 (aerodynamics) is not as important as the other four Keys, so I don't suggest that you sacrifice looks to achieve an aerodynamic shape. If your child wants to build a car that is not particularly aerodynamic, don't worry about it. Just make sure that the other four Keys are carefully followed.

Key 3 - WHEEL/AXLE PREPARATION
Axles - no flaws, straight, polished; Wheels - no flaws, polished

All of the frictional losses in a pinewood derby car come from the wheels and axles. Start by inspecting the parts in your kit to make sure they are usable. If a part has a serious flaw, replace it.

Next, prepare the nails.

1. Place the nail in the chuck of a drill and use a Mini-File to remove the flashing under the nail head and minimize the ridges on the shaft. Beveling the nail head slightly is also a good idea.

2. Optionally use the Pro-Axle Press to ensure that the nails are straight and round.

3. Finally, polish the axles with an Axle Polishing Kit until they are bright and shiny.

To prepare the wheels, use the Pro-Hub Tool to square the wheel hub. Then use a Pro-Wheel Mandrel and some fine grit sandpaper to polish the wheels. If allowed by your local rules (and the configuration of your wheels), use the Pro-Hub Tool to cone the inside wheel hubs.

Key 4 - LUBRICATION
Quality lubricant; applied properly

Lubrication is an extremely important key. The difference in time between a well-lubricated car and a car without lubrication can be one-half second or more (this translates into several feet on the track).

Most people use graphite for lubrication. Graphite is carbon that has been ground up into a fine powder. There are many varieties and qualities of graphite available at hobby and hardware stores, so make sure to get a good brand. We offer Tube-O-Lube brand, which has been proven to produce top results in pinewood derby racing.

When lubricating with graphite, take the time to work it in thoroughly; a casual puff before the race is not sufficient. After lubricating, make a few test runs to break in the lubricant (or free spin the wheels several times). Since graphite works best after a break-in period, don't re-lubricate between race heats.

If you use a liquid lube (such as NyOil II), make sure to follow the recommended application procedure. With liquid lubes, less is best.

Key 5 - ALIGNMENT
Car goes straight

In order for the car to get to the finish line as quickly as possible, it needs to go straight. If it zigzags down the track, it will travel a longer distance, but worse it will continually lose speed as it bumps and rubs against the guide rail.

To minimize the amount of alignment adjustment needed, make sure that the axle slots/holes are perfectly parallel to each other and the axles are straight. Also, when using axle slots, make sure that the axles are inserted perfectly straight. The Pro-Axle Press and the Pro-Body Tool are great tools to help minimize the need to align the wheels. In addition, the Pro-Axle Guide will help you insert the wheels and axles properly.

There are a few different alignment procedures, and they vary depending on the use of axle slots or holes. The best procedure is to use shims made from wax paper to adjust the alignment. This procedure is documented in our booklet Speed to the Finish. But a simpler method is as follows:

1. Determine which of the front axles appears to be the most out of alignment (or with a raised wheel, adjust the wheel/axle that is on the ground).

2. Make a mark on that axle where it comes out of the car body.

3. Remove the axle from the car and remove the wheel.

4. Using a vise, pliers, etc. very slightly bend the front axle at the point marked in step 2 (the Pro-Axle Press works well as an axle holder).

5. Replace the wheel and re-insert the axle.

6. Roll the car on a smooth and level surface.

7. If it does not roll straight, slightly rotate the bent axle by grasping the axle head with a pair of pliers.

8. Repeat steps 6 and 7 until the car rolls straight.

CONCLUSION

There are many other things you can do to create a competitive pinewood derby car. If you want to read further, our booklet, Speed to the Finish thoroughly documents the techniques and tips needed to get top speed out of your car.

But whatever you do, just remember that to create a competitive pinewood derby car, don't lose your Five Keys!

From Pinewood Derby Times Volume 6, Issue 1

Subscribe to this Free Pinewood Derby E-newsletter

(C)2013, Maximum Velocity, Inc. All rights reserved.

Maximum Velocity Pinewood Derby Car Plans and Supplies

2013-05-08T11:08:00.000-07:00

PINEWOOD DERBY INVENTORY CLEARANCE SALE

Now that the 2012-13 Pinewood Derby season is coming to a close,
Maximum Velocity is offering you an opportunity to prepare for the
next racing season with great products at substantially reduced
prices. Special offers include:

- Pre-cut car kits, including the Assimilator and Propeller Car Kits
- Special Edition Funny Car Kit
- Paint Stand
- 3/16 Tungsten cubes
- Axles, blocks, and more.

These are just some of the items we have reduced for this event. To
browse all of our special offers, please visit:
Inventory Clearance

== A Gift For You ==
As a token of our thanks, we are giving away a set of our BSA Speed
Axles to the first 200 shippable orders. To get this gift, please add
the BSA Speed Axles to your shopping cart at:
Inventory Clearance
This offer is good through May 19, 2013.

== Shipping Offer ==
And don't forget, we offer no cost shipping for orders over $80.

Thank you for your time and past patronage. We hope you have a great summer.

Randy & Elisa Davis

2013-05-03T09:10:00.001-07:00

PINEWOOD DERBY MEMORY
Second Chance

After flying all night March 23rd, I arrived at my home in Wisconsin at about 6 in the morning. After a short nap, I began setting up our test track. We were participating in the Cub Scout Pinewood Derby on Saturday and I only had two days to complete my work on these little 7 inch blocks of wood. Ryan (my 9 year old) had sanded his car to the shape he wanted, so now it was my turn. I promised to make it fast by helping him polish the axles and wheels. When Ryan got home from school, we began working on his car. The next day, I continued to work on Ryan's car, then Joyce's car, and then my car (for the parent's race) the rest of the day Friday so I could have Saturday morning to go with our family to a church breakfast. It was hosted by a farmer from our church (Cedrick) who has his own Sugar Bush. A Sugar Bush is an area where maple syrup is produced.

After pancakes and sausage, (this experience would probably spoil any diet you were on. Myself, I could not stop eating pancakes! Something about the environment and all the sweet maple syrup boiling right there in front of me!!) we headed over to the town hall where the Cub Scouts were setting up for the pinewood derby race. I weighed each of our cars on their scale to qualify for the race. Only two of the three were a fraction of an ounce over the maximum weight of five ounces. I planned on being over, you don't want to be underweight (at our race the judge does not have to tell you if you're underweight, only if you're overweight). I had purposely put extra lead weight underneath each car so I could easily drill out the extra lead. Then I offered to help with whatever needed to be done to get ready for the race. The leader's wife asked me "Do you want to man the concession stand?" and I said, "No, but I will" and was immediately put behind the concession stand selling cookies, hot dogs, drinks and stuff, and test runs. If you wanted to do a test run on the track, you had to buy a raffle ticket for fifty cents. I was able to get a test run in on all three cars before taking over the concession stand. We did a Wolff Family Team race and it turned out just like it did at home on our test track.

When the race started, three cars ran at a time, and at the end points were totaled for each car. I think that is a nice way to do it; it keeps all the boys involved and excited right up to the end. Ryan won the first half-dozen races and then took a second. He then won another half-dozen races and took another second. From that point on, we knew he was not going to be in first place and were hoping for just a second or third. As the race progressed it seemed that cars which we previously beat were now beating us. I took a look at Ryan's car and found that a piece of decoration (a special homemade decal), had unstuck itself from the side of the car and was rubbing up against the rear wheels. Ryan complained because when I removed the decal, it ripped paint off with it. I apologized and added "you already won the prize for "Fastest Looking Car". The boys voted on "Best Looking", "Most Awesome" and "Fastest Looking" and the Cub Scout Master broke-up the racing with announcements of the winners of those awards. But it was too late to fulfill the "Fastest Looking" title, we had already lost too many races. They announced the top three cars and my son Ryan was not in the top three.

Next was the parents’ race and I was first up against two other fathers. My car had button-like wheels (Outlaw Wheels), special axles and tungsten weights that I had purchased from Maximum Velocity. I was racing against a yellow car and a silver colored car. The silver car took off like a rocket leaving me a few feet behind. A few feet out of a 30 foot long track is a very significant win ... I think my mouth dropped open. Then he (the owner of the silver car) took his car off the track to return it to the race table, but when he set it down on the table, it took off again! He had incorporated a windup spring into the car to propel it down the track.

Now you’re probably thinking, "That's cheating". But, back about the time when we started planning this race, the Cub Scout Master had said "There will be two rules for the adult race 1) It must be five ounces or less, and 2) It must fit on the track. So we all had a laugh. Even funnier was the fact that the Cub Scout Master (Bill) broke rule number two. He built his car too tall, so we had to remove the electronic timer, which formed a bridge over the track and judge the winners the old fashion way using eye balls. So in the end, I took second place and Joyce took fifth.

After the race was over, I was helping clean up when I decided to ask Bill what place my son Ryan took in the overall finishing positions. He looked it up in his computer and found that he had overlooked Ryan's score. He said "Oh no, Ryan actually tied for third place. I should have had a run-off race". I asked him if he could send our name to the District Executive as "Tied for Third"? He agreed to do that, and that just made my day. You see, I know I could have done some other things to Ryan's car to make it faster, but I did not have the time. I could have tried some different things and run more tests. Now Ryan and I have a second chance.

Von Wolff
From Pinewood Derby Times Volume 5, Issue 15

Subscribe to this Free Pinewood Derby E-newsletter

(C)2013, Maximum Velocity, Inc. All rights reserved.

Maximum Velocity Pinewood Derby Car Plans and Supplies

2013-04-30T08:48:00.000-07:00

PINEWOOD DERBY CAR SHOWCASE

Strawberry Shortcake - Randy West

The Strawberry Shortcake car was the idea of my little girl, who is four years old. The car had a head from one of her dolls that was hard to part with, but we finally came to an agreement. Her car was FAST. The girls could only race for fun, but my little girl's car won all three races.

The Bandit - Ross & Tyler Bragg

The Bandit, a Speeder design from Maximum Velocity, was the overall pack winner. It weight exactly five ounces, runs on three wheels, has 'perfect' balance, and is equipped with matching wheels, and polished speed axles.

Fire Truck - Jim Mason

My Tiger Cub wanted to make another fire truck for his pinewood derby car this year. After two previous years in the Sibling Division with a fire truck, we decided to 'make it a go' again. We had watched the TLC channel show, "Overhaulin'" together, so I suggested we design a fire truck and make it look like a hot rod. We went on the Internet and found a photo of a 1946 Ford Fire truck and we were off and running. The light on his truck does work when it rolls down the hill; and other than wood, there is little weight added. We cut the side pieces and saved the new top from the rear cut, and then we glued it all together and painted it. The car (truck) looks great, but I wish we would have taken more time filling in with wood filler. My son loved the design and even won a trophy at our pack race. He then took third in the Tiger Division at District, along with Best Design. He was thrilled!

From Pinewood Derby Times Volume 5, Issue 15

Subscribe to this Free Pinewood Derby E-newsletter

(C)2013, Maximum Velocity, Inc. All rights reserved.

Maximum Velocity Pinewood Derby Car Plans and Supplies

2013-04-26T10:15:00.000-07:00

Weighting Materials: So many choices

What do you use to add weight to your car? Certainly the answer to this question is not "none!" For without adding weight to the car, it will not weigh-in at the maximum allowable weight (typically 5 ounces), thus it will not reach peak performance. Generally 2.5 to 3.5 ounces of weighting material is required to bring the car to the maximum weight.

So what do you use for weighting material? I have seen people use a variety of materials such as lead, no-lead weight, pennies, nuts and bolts, fishing weights, etc. Virtually any material with a non-trivial density can be used. But there are advantages and disadvantages to the various materials.

In this article we will look at several factors that affect the choice of weighting material: density, malleability (ease of shaping), cost, safety, and availability. Density will be given in grams/cubic-centimeter. A lower density number indicates that the weight will take up more space on the car, while a higher density number indicates that the weight will use less space on the car. In addition, the density of each weighting material will be compared to the density of lead.

LEAD

Lead has been the traditional weighting material since the inception of the pinewood derby. At a density of 11.34, lead is quite dense when compared to other possible weighting materials. The relatively small amount of lead required for weighting provides the car builder greater flexibility in the car design.

An added benefit of lead is that it is very malleable. With most materials the car builder must create holes or cavities in the car body to fit the shape and size of the weighting material. However, with lead the builder can create any size hole/cavity and then shape the lead to fit the hole.
Another nice feature of lead is that it can be easily drilled. Thus, the weight of the car can be easily reduced at the weigh-in by drilling out of a portion of the lead.

But as you probably know, lead has a downside. If used improperly, lead is toxic, so care must be taken when using this material. At our house, we abide by the following rules:

- Wash your hands after handling lead (and keep your fingers away from your face).
- Keep lead away from food, water, and food preparation areas.
- Collect and properly dispose of any lead pieces.
- Do not sand, saw, or file lead. Lead particles will be created which cannot be easily collected.
- Do not melt lead. The fumes are toxic, and the lead can pop and/or splatter during the melting process causing eye and skin injuries.

In summary, lead is clearly a winner in density and malleability. But be aware of the risks and safety precautions before choosing to use lead as a weighting material.

Lead Density - 11.34
% Of Lead Density - 100%
Malleability - Very good
Cost - $0.75 to $1.15 per ounce
Safety - Caution advised
Availability - Some brick and Internet-based hobby stores including: Maximum Velocity

ZINC

Zinc (or 'No-lead') weighting material is available in a variety of shapes. The material has a density of about 6.30, which is 56% of the density of lead. Thus, almost twice as much no-lead material is required versus lead.

No-lead weight is quite hard, so it cannot be shaped. To use no-lead weight a hole/cavity must be created to fit the shape of the weight. Also, since no-lead weight is very hard, don't plan on using a drill to reduce the weight of the car at the weigh-in.

The weights sold at hobby shops under the brand name "PineCar" are zinc (BSA branded weights sold at scout shops are also zinc). Several of these products are intended for mounting underneath the car with screws. Be aware that if the weights are attached directly to the bottom of the car, the 3/8 inch clearance specification will likely not be met. To ensure adequate clearance, a pocket must be milled into the bottom of the car to accept the weight.

No-lead Weight Density - 6.30
% Of Lead - 56%
Malleability - Very poor
Cost - $1.16 to $1.75 per ounce
Safety - Okay
Availability - Brick and Internet-based hobby stores including: Maximum Velocity

PENNIES

Pennies are a common weighting material, as they are very cheap and readily available. Generally, a hole is drilled into the bottom or back of the car (13/16" diameter), and pennies are glued into the hole. How many pennies do you need? That depends on when they were minted. Prior to 1982, pennies were comprised of 95% copper and 5% zinc. After 1982, the composition changed to 97.5% zinc and 2.5% copper (during 1982 both types were minted). Since copper is more dense than zinc, the older pennies are heavier. Assuming that you use pennies minted after 1982, 11 pennies is close to 1 ounce.

Although pennies can be bent if needed, they are not easily shaped. Safety is not really an issue with pennies, but you should always wash your hands after handling money.

Penny Density - 7.17 (after 1982), 8.80 (before 1982)
% Of Lead Density - 63% (after 1982), 78% (before 1982)
Malleability - Poor
Cost - $0.11 per ounce
Safety - Okay
Availability - Your pocket or coin jar

STEEL

Nuts and bolts (and screws and washers for that matter) are also commonly used as weighting material. A typical use is to insert screws into the bottom of a car to fine-tune the weight. Assuming galvanized steel (most common), the density is about 7.70, so it is a bit more dense than pennies. Steel cannot be shaped, and safety is not an issue.

Steel Density - 7.70
% Of Lead Density - 68%
Malleability - Very poor
Cost - About $0.30 per ounce
Safety - Okay
Availability - Hardware Store

TUNGSTEN

Tungsten - Tungsten is a very dense metal. At a density of 170% of lead, tungsten is the densest material that is practical for use on pinewood derby cars. Tungsten is non-toxic so it is gaining increased usage in weighting applications where lead is not appropriate. For example lead has been banned in many streams, so tungsten is often substituted for lead weight on fishing flies. Tungsten is very hard, so it cannot be shaped or easily drilled.

Click on the link below for more information on tungsten, including a chart comparing the density of tungsten with zinc and lead:
http://www.maximum-velocity.com/tungstencylinders.htm

Tungsten Density - 19.3 (essentially the same as pure gold)
% Of Lead Density - 170%
Malleability - Very poor
Cost - $2.95 to $4.99 per ounce
Safety - Okay
Availability - Maximum Velocity

OTHER METALS

Other metals exist with greater densities; however, they are either very expensive or very rare. Both gold and platinum have a higher density than lead (170% and 189% respectively), but you would end up with a car that should be locked in a safe!

SUMMARY

What do you use for weighting material? As you can see, there are a variety of choices, so pick the material that best meets your needs.

Weight Comparison Chart

From Pinewood Derby Times Volume 5, Issue 15

Subscribe to this Free Pinewood Derby E-newsletter

(C)2013, Maximum Velocity, Inc. All rights reserved.

Maximum Velocity Pinewood Derby Car Plans and Supplies

2013-04-23T08:32:00.001-07:00

PINEWOOD DERBY MEMORY
Modeling the Nissan Skyline

For the 2006 RA Derby Race at our church my 10 year old son, Jonathan, decided to make his car look like the Nissan Skyline in the movie "2 Fast 2 Furious". I told him that it would not be easy to make a car of that detail, but he was set on making that car. We received the kit in early November so we had plenty of time to work on the car. He drew the design he wanted on the block of wood, and I cut it out on the band saw (so he would have all his fingers for the sanding!). I also drilled a rough opening under the wing. He then went to work on the final shaping and sanding. His work progressed nicely, and he was becoming happy with his design. After he completed the sanding I poured lead into the routered bottom to weight the car. The car was now ready for paint. The base coat of paint was applied and let dry. He then started to work on the side graphic paint, hood stripes and wing paint. He took his time and worked very hard at making everything symmetrical on both sides. I was pleased that he was paying attention to details. It was then onto painting the windows and lights. All was looking good and he was on the way to being finished a week before the race. Then disaster struck. One week before the race he was applying the final clear gloss coat of paint. As the clear went on all the blue paint on the graphics and wing started to lift and develop an alligator texture. He was very disappointed. With six days until the race he had to re-sand and refinish the car, Since this was the second attempt at painting the car it went a lot faster. He had the car finished on Friday night before the Saturday race. Although the painting was rushed the outcome was almost as good as the first paint job. We went to the race Saturday. The car did not perform very well on the race track, but when he won 1st Place in his age class for design and craftsmanship he was very happy. Now it is on to the Association Race in two weeks; we'll see what happens there.

Jonathan and Joe Coyne
Byron GA.

P.S. The poor performance on the track is another story, all the usual work was done on the axles and wheels, and the weight was at the max but it still ran slow. I am convinced that big body cars just do not perform like small sleek designs. I helped my son's friend with polishing his axles and wheels identical to my son's wheels. His friend's car was a very thin sleek design that was only 3/4 inch high near the rear of the car. His car won every heat, and he took home the 1st Place Race trophy.

From Pinewood Derby Times Volume 5, Issue 14

Subscribe to this Free Pinewood Derby E-newsletter

(C)2013, Maximum Velocity, Inc. All rights reserved.

Maximum Velocity Pinewood Derby Car Plans and Supplies

2013-04-18T12:54:00.000-07:00

PINEWOOD DERBY CAR SHOWCASE

The Finger - Frank & Keith Tonra

My son Keith (Wolf) and his older brother Frankie (Webelo 2) started to think about their car months before the derby (like the day after the last one). Keith wanted to do a black hearse with skulls and look scary cool, and Frankie wanted a 3D Frankenstein car and to win it all. But when we talked about the car's looks versus speed, things changed. Keith's car would be big and bulky like the hot dog last year so he wanted a nose, so he could 'win by a nose'. The nose as a wedge car seemed like a good idea but proved to be hard to shape, and still look like a nose. So, the Finger car was born. Frankie settled on speed over looks, and made a lightning bolt wedge car that took second in his den and strangest shape in the pack. Keith's Finger Car came in second for Fan Favorite, won Most Humorous Car and finished forth by ten thousands of a seconds. The boys had a great time, were proud of the cars and are already at work on their next cars.

Cool Flag - Scott & Taylor Morris

Here is my daughter Taylor's Awana Grand Prix car from this year. Taylor designed her car and did most of the work herself - other than the power saw work. We used many of the ideas and techniques found on Maximum Velocity in building the wedge car for speed. Taylor wanted the car to be stylish too, so she opted for the Freedom Flag body skin. Taylor's car didn't lose one heat and took 1st Place for speed, and got lots of attention for the "cool flag". She has already started designing next year's car.

Solar Car - Anton & Andrew Petrou

The car you see here was inspired by the University of Michigan's solar race car, which we saw on display during a visit to the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry. Using this as an inspiration, we went to Michigan's web site and learned about how they minimized wheel friction, rolling resistance and aerodynamic drag. Sound familiar? This ended up being the perfect way to teach my son about the physics of a well designed pinewood derby car.

There was, however, a real challenge, which was how do you get enough weight in such a thin tail and still achieve an optimum balance point. We ended up sawing the shape of the car, and used the body to form a sand casting mold. All the materials needed were a bucket and some moist playground sand. To keep things safe, I melted the lead and poured it into the mold, and all of this was done outdoors. Once cooled, the lead was virtually the same shape as the back of the car. All we had to do was cut off the of the car equivalent to the length of the molded lead and then epoxy it to the back. All it needed was some wood putty, paint, and voila, a Solar Car is born. The side view says it all, since the car is in no way attached to the white post, instead it is balanced on top of it!

We worked hard on building the Solar Car, and at the Pack Derby it won all 15 races and ended up finishing 1st in the Pack. To this day, I think this particular experience continues to motivate my son towards a career in engineering - just like Mom and Dad.

From Pinewood Derby Times Volume 5, Issue 14

Subscribe to this Free Pinewood Derby E-newsletter

(C)2013, Maximum Velocity, Inc. All rights reserved.

Maximum Velocity Pinewood Derby Car Plans and Supplies

2013-04-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

PINEWOOD DERBY MEMORY
Forget Pinewood Fever, 2005 was MADNESS!

For our family, racing is not a hobby, it's a passion. We are a deeply rooted NASCAR clan, so it's 'somewhat' understandable that the 2005 pinewood derby season actually started for us in late 2004. We searched on the Internet for speed tips and how Packs from around the U.S. operate their events. It didn’t take us long to figure out that we weren't the only ones that had sawdust in the carport that somehow got tracked through my wife's freshly mopped floors. We discovered a guy named Stan Pope and his comments on DerbyTalk and I thought to myself, "WOW, the emerald city for Pinewood Derby and Stan is OZ". We also discovered Maximum Velocity and again were amazed at the amount of tools and so forth available. It wasn’t long before the MADNESS started and we ordered one each of every tool Maximum Velocity had in stock.

We took the block of wood, axles, and wheels out of the box, and talked about what we had learned from the net, It was decided that the design was going to be a simple one; a wedge. As we trued the axles, rounded the wheels and bored out the void where the weights were to be installed we had a pretty good feeling about what we had learned. As we used each tool we discussed safe use, and the theory behind its use. As we built the machine we discussed the previous year's entries and made immediate comparisons where we neglected things before; most notably the lack of attention to the wheels and axles - prepping them for speed. After the paint and decals were applied we aligned the wheels using the Pope method and broke in the wheels using the graphite and a Dremel tool. Once we completed the racer we took our cars from past years and lined them up next to each other. All we could do is chuckle; our new Hot Rod was going to be tough to beat. This year's car was called 'Sunday Money'.

Sierra Vista Pack 408 approached me and asked if I would be interested in running the Derby for 2005 (after I shared with them how others were running successful shows, and ours could use a little tweaking). The four-lane wooden track the pack had had for years only had two lanes that would run without the cars leaving the track, and the two that were left were inconsistent. Sure we could have remodeled the current track, but I remembered seeing something on the net and that’s when the MADNESS level increased. I ordered and donated a brand new, 4 lane aluminum track from BestTrack and an electronic scoring tower. My wife is pretty handy with a sewing machine, so the crew went to the store picking out blue, gold, and checkered fabric for table cloths, etc. to create a very festive look. Once it was all set up, it was great to see the boy’s eyes when they saw the new stuff for the Pack. There was a new excitement as a points system was used, and each entry ran four times to determine the Den and Pack Champions. More racing in less time made it exciting for everyone.

'Sunday Money' not only looked fast but performed just like we had hoped - in the first heat, she pulled away on the flat part of the track. Based on what we had learned we knew it would get faster and, as the day went on she didn’t disappoint us. I noticed she was getting faster not just by the margin of victory but by how far she would stop on the braking section of the new track. Our car went on to win both the Den and Pack Championships that day, an undefeated record of 8-0. Next stop on the schedule was the District Finals. She placed first, bumping her record up to 11-0. Finally the Council Championship, where she received the first loss and finished second. 'Sunday Money' is now retired, but will always have its own place on the mantle with her career record of 14-1.

It amazes me how a seven inch-long, fifty cent piece of wood has generated so much excitement and intensity (and MADNESS) since the introduction of the Pinewood Derby in 1953 by Don Murphy.

Robert Butterfield

From Pinewood Derby Times Volume 5, Issue 13

Subscribe to this Free Pinewood Derby E-newsletter

(C)2013, Maximum Velocity, Inc. All rights reserved.

Maximum Velocity Pinewood Derby Car Plans and Supplies

2013-04-12T08:14:00.001-07:00

PINEWOOD DERBY CAR SHOWCASE

iCar - Robert & Robbie Veltre

This year my son Robbie made a car that could fit into the Apple product line. Inspired by Robbie's PowerBook we dubbed it "iCar". iCar took 1st Place in Den, Pack, and District. Like most Apple products, it performed as good as it looked!

Prairie Schooner - Mike Slater

When my 7-year old daughter, Lauren, got the chance to participate in the Girl Scouts' Powder Puff derby this year, I encouraged her to design a car that meant something to her. When I pointed out how much she enjoys Little House on the Prairie books, she suggested building a covered wagon.

We studied pictures of several covered wagons on the internet and after a lot of thought, realized that we could easily make a wagon with very little cutting of the block. We cut an angle on the front, higher at the top than the bottom, to give the wagon a more realistic look. With the full length of the block, the wagon looked ridiculous, so we cut the rear off right at the original rear axle slot. The body for this design has only those two cuts! (We used a saw to make a new rear axle slot.)

The top was hollowed out by drilling 18 holes, each ½ inch in diameter and about ¾ inch deep. My daughter loved using the drill! When she was done, I removed the remaining wood and squared up the sides with a chisel.

We used a saw to cut the lines in the sides so that it would appear to be made of planks. Toothpicks cut short made the vertical stakes and I carved a barrel for the side. The bench seat is made from pieces of a paint stir stick.

We did a little bit of sanding on the outside of the block, but not very much. It’s a wagon; it’s supposed to be rough! A water based walnut stain completed the finish. Not using any type of clear coat or sealer left the wood looking just like old barn (or wagon) boards. It was perfect!

The hoops for the top are coat hanger wire, bent around the chuck of my drill and inserted into holes in the sides of the wagon. The top itself is muslin with pockets for drawstrings sewn around the ends and sides. This was only the second thing my daughter ever made with a sewing machine.

After weighing it a zillion times on a self-serve postal machine, weights were screwed into the bed of the wagon (near the back), and a small figure of a little girl in a prairie bonnet, peeking out the back of the wagon, was glued in.

We knew this wouldn’t be a very fast design, but had a lot of fun building it together and hoped that we might win something for the design effort. In fact, it did win Best Designed Car, plus a couple of ribbons for heat events. We were thrilled. The awards meant a lot, but we had so much fun building it that we knew we’d succeeded before we’d even showed up. I was also pleased that my daughter did nearly all the work on the car, even filing the burrs off the axles. Who knew my 'girly girl' liked sawdust?

Indy Roadster - Larry & Chris Cox

We used your Supercar kit and matched BSA wheels and axles to create this Indy car. We worked the wheels and axles, and used MetalCast paint from Duplicolor. It was a little extra work, but worth the effort. My son came in second in Webelos, first in the open class, and won the sportiest car award.

From Pinewood Derby Times Volume 5, Issue 13

Subscribe to this Free Pinewood Derby E-newsletter

(C)2013, Maximum Velocity, Inc. All rights reserved.

Maximum Velocity Pinewood Derby Car Plans and Supplies

2013-04-09T08:53:00.000-07:00

Finding the Right Level of Parental Involvement

I really enjoy the Pinewood Derby. In fact, my level of enjoyment is probably greater than that of my children. Add the fact that I like to work with my hands, and you have the classic recipe for an over-involved parent. Yes, I admit I have been guilty in the past of doing way too much work on my children's cars.

By contrast, I have seen cars at our weigh-ins that were clearly built by a younger child with little to no parental involvement. Generally, these cars place poorly, sometimes not even reaching the finish line.

I believe that neither of these extremes is the appropriate level of parental involvement. Building a car is a great opportunity for a child and parent to spend time together. Opportunities to interact with your child are too few and far between to let one slip away.

So how much should a parent be involved? I suggest that parents should serve mostly as a coach, allowing their child to do as much work on the car as he/she can physically and safely accomplish. Clearly, the level of involvement must vary based on age and physical capabilities. For example, my 12-year-old son's latest car was built on his own with only some coaching from me. He got frustrated a few times, and when he did I showed him a different way to hold a tool, clamp his car, hold the can of spray paint, etc., but he did the actual work. On the other hand my 9-year-old daughter also built a car. She did a large majority of the work, but I helped set up the tools, and assisted when she needed a little extra muscle power and technique.

How can you most effectively be a coach to your child? There is no one answer to this question, but here are some ideas that might be beneficial to you.

DESIGNING THE CAR

A few years ago I asked one of my younger children what they wanted their car to look like. I believe the response was an 'elephant' (or some other large land mammal). I don't know about you, but making a car look like an elephant would be an impossible task for my child or myself! So instead, I sketched out some possible ideas, and fairly quickly we had a design that was much more practical. The point is that children often have unrealistic expectations of what they can create given their (and your) skills, the limitations of the car dimensions, the time remaining to the race, and the sophistication of your household tools. So here are a few ideas to help you and your child arrive at a reasonable
design:

- Dig the Matchbox/Hot Wheels cars out of the toy box and find an interesting design. Then sketch the profile of the car on paper, simplifying it where needed.

- Have your child sketch a rough drawing of their ideas. Then work with them to make it practical.

- If your child wants the car to represent an animal or other complex object, suggest building a flat and thin car with a plastic animal(s) or object fastened on top. This is much easier and will likely satisfy your child. For example, a few years ago my oldest son wanted to build a 'rocket car.' He ended up building a 'rocket carrier' using a very small rocket from the hobby shop (see the picture at:
http://www.maximum-velocity.com/timothy2000.jpg ).

- Look on the Internet for car design ideas. The links below have a large assortment of pictures.

Shape N Race Derby

Pine-Pro

There is also an assortment of cars on our web site at Maximum Velocity!

WORKING ONE STEP AT A TIME

Children generally want to skip the 'boring' steps and get right to attaching the wheels. But to get the best results, the building process should proceed in a step-by-step manner. Coach your child to take one step at a time. The resulting car will not only end up nicer, but your child will begin learning the valuable skills of organization and patience.

USING HAND TOOLS

Training experts tell us that people learn much more quickly by performing a task themselves, than by watching someone else perform the task. So, if your child is unfamiliar with using a tool (you can assume that your child is unfamiliar unless you have previously shown them how to use the tool), place their hand(s) on the tool in the proper position, and put your hands on top of your child's hands.
Work with your child, using your hands to guide and add a little muscle power. This is especially useful when a younger child is sawing. To saw along a line takes a certain amount of strength and technique, and young children can become frustrated very quickly. By adding your hands, your child will not only be involved in creating the car, but they will also become better at working with their hands.

SANDING

Kids generally don't like to sand (I don't blame them). But to end up with a nice paint job, the car does need to be virtually smooth. In the past, my kids would sand for a minute or two and then come to me and say, "Daddy, is this enough?" I would tell them no, they would go back to sanding for another minute, and the process would repeat many times over.

Then someone shared with me an amazing technique. Take a pencil and scribble on all of the surfaces of the car that need to be sanded (lightly on surfaces that are almost done, and heavily on very rough surfaces. Then tell your child to sand until all of the pencil marks are gone. At my house, this eliminates a lot of whining!

SCHEDULING

If left up to my children, all of the work would be done on the night before the race. Although last minute jobs do occasionally perform very well, this is not the best recipe for building a nice car. So, instead sit down with your child and write out a simple schedule. For example, if there are 4 weeks before the race, write down what needs to be done in each of those 4 weeks. The schedule might be:

Week 1 - Design and rough cut

Week 2 - Shape, sand, primer coat of paint

Week 3 - Final coat of paint, prepare wheels and axles

Week 4 - Attach weight, lubricate, attach wheels, and align

If your child is a noted procrastinator, a daily schedule might be appropriate!

Good luck in coaching your child. When you get the urge to jump in prematurely, put your hands behind your back, grit your teeth, and count to 20!

From Pinewood Derby Times Volume 5, Issue 13

Subscribe to this Free Pinewood Derby E-newsletter

(C)2013, Maximum Velocity, Inc. All rights reserved.

Maximum Velocity Pinewood Derby Car Plans and Supplies

2013-04-05T08:55:00.000-07:00

PINEWOOD DERBY MEMORY
The Race

Our pinewood derby experience leading up to our race was included in your newsletter in 2005 (Volume 4, Issue 11 - February 23, 2005). Our race was delayed and we learned the lesson of patience. Here is a follow up as to what happened after the snow storm.

Last year my son was in his final year of Cub Scouts. Our pack was planning the annual pinewood derby. The race had to be rescheduled due to a big snow storm that hit our area. We were very disappointed. To make the time go faster our family decided to use the extra time to build more cars (each one of us could have our own car in the race). So using our own designs, we drew different styles until we each found our favorite. Dad's car was black; he named it the Night Rider. My car was red with a golden glitter finish. My son's car was purple - it was very metallic.

The race was very crowded and most of our scouting families attended. The room was filled with energy, all the scouts as well as their families were ready to go. The extra cars were registered in an after-race that families could enter - the main race was for scouts only.

Heat after heat the cars ran smooth. Suddenly there was a commotion at the back of the room. One of the attendants had accidentally knocked a car off the holding table. We all held our breath to find out whose it was.

Over the loud speaker our number was called; it was my son's car. The rear right wheel was totally off. Tears filled his eyes. After the weeks of hard work, the waiting, and the anticipation he was crushed. Now what would he do? The judges allowed him to fix the car. Normal rules were no contact with the car until after the race, but since the accident was not his fault, they bent the rules. He had five minutes to repair it. We had come prepared, our emergency supplies ready. My son and I did our best.

Finally it was the purple car's turn; first down the track. Heat after heat, car after car the purple car flew down the track. It did not seem to matter what lane or whose car it went up against, the outcome was the same. The purple car was taking the lead. By the end of the race the purple car was the leader, delayed, broken, but bound to win. Some things happen for a reason. The trophy was his!

Now the after-race, the families got to join the fun. My car was last every heat, but wait, dad's car was winning! My son's car was entered again and still holding together. Random pairing joined them together. Father against son. Man against boy. The black car against the purple. The scout wins! Cheers filled the room. Again and again the cars flew down the bright yellow track. Again and again the cars challenged each other. Time after time the son and father went neck and neck, nose to nose. First and second was the call.

At the end of the race the final tally was purple car 1st Place, Black Night Rider a close second. Two trophies came home that day; Two proud racers, each with their own design. Each with their own happy memories. I was proud too, remember I held the glue bottle!

If a lesson was learned it was never give up. Try, try again, and never - I mean never! - leave home without the glue.

Brenda Puntel
Austintown, Ohio

From Pinewood Derby Times Volume 5, Issue 12

Subscribe to this Free Pinewood Derby E-newsletter

(C)2013, Maximum Velocity, Inc. All rights reserved.

Maximum Velocity Pinewood Derby Car Plans and Supplies

2013-04-02T07:53:00.002-07:00

PINEWOOD DERBY CAR SHOWCASE

'32 Ford Coupe - Bob Davis

This is a picture of my son's second pinewood derby car. It is loosely based on a '32 Ford coupe body with a dragster look to it. Everything was hand painted by my son (I masked off a pattern for him to follow). Every car we build has a funny saying on the back, so - since Alex is a Terminator fan - I painted "Hasta La Vista Baby" on it. We spent many hours cutting, sanding, polishing, etc. on it.

Although it didn't take first place, it did finish 4th out of twenty cars. Given our enjoyable experience over the years, he is already excited about building another car for this year's derby.

Silver Lightning - Trevor Colvin

My name is Trevor Colvin. I am in Pack 28 Den 1 in Denair, California. I applied several coats of metallic silver paint and clear acrylic. I used dry transfers for the flames, stripe and the lightning bolts on her nose. The number 6 is for my favorite NASCAR driver Mark Martin. I put the weights on the side for stability. I seem to get better speed from this too.

iPod Racer - Jeff & Nicholas Lafrenz

Here is my son's pinewood derby car for this year. He wanted to have an iPod, so, that is what we did. He placed second in his class and fifth overall. The 'screen' of the iPod has the Webelos logo, my son's name, etc. I created all of the graphics from scratch in Adobe Illustrator and printed them out on photo paper. While I did the major cutting on the car, he sanded, painted and glued on the stickers. The wheels are sanded, axles de-burred and polished with plenty of graphite.

From Pinewood Derby Times Volume 5, Issue 12

Subscribe to this Free Pinewood Derby E-newsletter

(C)2013, Maximum Velocity, Inc. All rights reserved.

Maximum Velocity Pinewood Derby Car Plans and Supplies

2013-03-28T16:00:00.001-07:00

Pinewood Derby Car Showcase

Green Machine - Doug Burgess

My son William did 90 percent of the work on this car. The car came
in second - just .004 seconds behind his brother Jack. The boys are
committed to building fast cars. They spent 6 hours in the garage
polishing 10 sets of axles so we could test them and choose the
fastest ones for their cars.

Knife - Craig Look

This is my son Jacob's Knife car. He took third place. As you can
see, the knife has a folding blade.

Sherman Tank - Craig Look

My son, Evan, took first place with his Sherman Tank. The tank has a
rotating turret to blow away the competition (unless it's a Tiger
tank!).

From Pinewood Derby Times Volume 12, Issue 13

Subscribe to this Free Pinewood Derby E-newsletter

(C)2013, Maximum Velocity, Inc. All rights reserved.

Maximum Velocity Pinewood Derby Car Plans and Supplies

2013-03-26T09:28:00.001-07:00

Pinewood Derby Car Showcase

Viper - Bruce Edney

The Viper design is based on the Lola B08/86 Mazda MZR-R coupe which
raced in the American Le Mans Series LMP2 class at Petit Le Mans in
October 2009. This car raced in the 2012 Mid-America Pinewood Derby,
and the PWDR and WIRL racing leagues.

Flower Power - Brian Masek

The Flower car is a Stealth that I built to improve my building
skills. I actually built two Stealths so I gave one to Shelli, my
wife, who is very creative. I built it, primed it and gave it to her
to do whatever she wanted. This is what she came up with and it
looked great! It got 2nd place in the "family" race.

Sky News - Brian Masek

The Sky News Van was my personal project for last year so that I
would have something to work on myself and meddle less with the boy's
cars. I saw a YouTube video of a video car that someone else had
made, but they just put a camera on a block and didn't do anything
special with the design. So I decided to try to make a remote TV truck
with a working video camera. The truck is not legal for races (it's
slightly too large, and with the camera and 9V battery is very
overweight), but it is actually designed to be slow anyway. I bent the
axles so that all other cars would pass it and would be captured on
the video. At our derby race last year we set it facing the finish
line of the race track which allowed the adults to watch the races on
a large TV. Then at the end of the race we ran it down the track.

Stealth GT - Doug Burgess

The Stealth GT is camouflaged with a GT body. My son Jack built the
Stealth car, while I built the GT body that covers it. The Stealth
car won the pack championship this weekend.

From Pinewood Derby Times Volume 12, Issue 13

Subscribe to this Free Pinewood Derby E-newsletter

(C)2013, Maximum Velocity, Inc. All rights reserved.

Maximum Velocity Pinewood Derby Car Plans and Supplies

2013-03-22T08:11:00.001-07:00

PINEWOOD DERBY CAR SHOWCASE

Blue Lightning - Lee Klinghoffer

This is my daughter Jenna's skateboard car, called "Blue Lightning",
which raced in the open category. It weighed in at 13.2 ounces! Some
nice touches were the consistency of the team paint scheme, black
glitter grip tape, and real screws for the trucks. She took 2nd place
in the open.

Maserati GranTurismo - Lee Klinghoffer

I was inspired by a Maserati GranTurismo convertible and made some
minor design tweaks. Paint job was a 3-level Tamiya primer, purple,
then deep blue metallic to achieve the cobalt blue effect. It weighed
in at 22.3 ounces in our open race! I took first place. Great, great
fun.

Batmobile - Dennis Wang

This year my Wolf scout wanted to build the Batmobile. We did some
research for some images, and he ended up picking the design from the
first two motion pictures. We used Microsoft Visio to create templates
from the top and side views. We glued our templates to do the major
shaping. The rest of the shaping was done with a Dremel tool and
Rotozip sander. We took clear plastic, spray painted one side with
black spray paint and then inlaid it to the cockpit which was carved
out with the Dremel. We took first in design, and we're heading to
District in March.

Lego Indy - Dennis Wang

Our pack runs a sibling race and my soon to be Tiger scout wanted to
build a Lego race car. He eventually settled on an Indy car. We used
Microsoft Visio to create the top and side view templates and a scroll
saw to shape our standard BSA block. Visio helped us keep the blocks
to scale. We used 1/8 inch dowels as the peg portion of the Legos.
When the car was done, it didn't look complete. So we decided to put
sponsor stickers. Since Mason is really into "Plants vs Zombies", we
used images we found on-line to decorate the car. The car took first
in design in the parent/sibling race.

From Pinewood Derby Times Volume 12, Issue 13

Subscribe to this Free Pinewood Derby E-newsletter

(C)2013, Maximum Velocity, Inc. All rights reserved.

Maximum Velocity Pinewood Derby Car Plans and Supplies

2013-03-19T08:46:00.006-07:00

Pinewood Derby Car Troubleshooting

So the car is done, you’ve given it a few test runs, and you’re not satisfied with the way it performs. What do you do now? Here are some common symptoms that occur along with some suggestions for correcting the problem.

SYMPTOM: The car starts more slowly than other cars.

CAUSES & SOLUTIONS:

1. Weight has been added to the wheels - Remove the wheel weight and add it to the car body.
2. Wheels do not spin freely - Make sure the wheel-to-body gap is set properly using a wheel alignment tool (or use a dime), and that the wheels/axles are thoroughly lubricated with a recommended lubricant (graphite must be broken in to perform well).
3. Car is not properly staged - Make sure the car is pointing straight down the track, and the wheels don’t touch the guide rail.
4. The car is too heavy (outlaw-type races) - Reduce the weight to something less than 12 ounces (less for short tracks).

SYMPTOM: The car is fast down the hill, but is passed on the flat section of the track

CAUSES & SOLUTIONS:

1. The car is not at the maximum weight - Add weight to bring the car to the maximum allowed weight (typically 5 ounces).
2. The weight position is not set properly - Move weight such that the balance point of the car is at the recommended position (1 to 1-1/4 inch in front of the rear axle for most tracks).
3. The wheels are not aligned - Adjust the wheel alignment such that the car rolls eight feet on a smooth and level surface with less than 1/2 inch of deviation.
4. Wheels do not spin freely - See comments above.

SYMPTOM: The car wobbles back and forth

CAUSES & SOLUTIONS:

1. The wheels are not aligned - See comments above.
2. The axles are too small for the wheels - Refit the car with properly-sized axles.
3. The weight position is set too far back on the car - See comments above.

SYMPTOM: The car makes a chattering sound near the finish line

CAUSES & SOLUTIONS:

1. The weight position is set too far back on the car - See comments above.
2. Wheels are not properly lubricated - See comments above.

SYMPTOM: The car hugs the guide rail

CAUSES & SOLUTIONS:

1. The wheels are not aligned - See comments above.
2. The wheel tread is beveled - Replace the wheels with flat tread wheels (be aware that ‘Speed Wheels’ from some suppliers have slightly beveled tread).
3. The track is not level - Adjust the track.

SYMPTOM: The car jumps the guide rail

CAUSES & SOLUTIONS:

1. The car has a raised wheel which is too high - Set the raised wheel no more than 1/16 inch higher than the other wheels.
2. The wheels are not aligned - See comments above.

FINAL THOUGHTS
This article covers many of the problems that are encountered with pinewood derby car performance. But if you run across another problem, please send me an email and I’ll be glad to assist with some causes and solutions. Good luck with your race!

From Pinewood Derby Times Volume 5, Issue 12

Subscribe to this Free Pinewood Derby E-newsletter

(C)2013, Maximum Velocity, Inc. All rights reserved.

Maximum Velocity Pinewood Derby Car Plans and Supplies

2013-03-15T07:49:00.000-07:00

PINEWOOD DERBY CAR SHOWCASE

Reverse Wing - Paul & Jordan Messineo

Jordan and I decided to build the Wing upside down to have greater access to the weights. Since this was our attempt to try to win we were not sure how much time we would have if the car was under or over the limit. I was talking to Jordan about this concern, and Jordan said "Why don't we turn the car upside down to get to the weights." Well it worked. Jordan was the reason we won with that idea - at least I want to think so.

Silver Bullet - Jeff & Jack Jouett

Last year we built the Low-Rider and it finished second in the pack and (after some work) first in the district. This year we designed our own car. It will be a surprise as nobody has seen it yet. We had a few sons and fathers come to my shop to work on cars, but we kept Jack's tucked away. Jack likes the suspense, and can't wait to unveil his car. There are a lot of fathers and sons in the pack waiting to see what we came up with. I don't know how his car will finish, but I'll be very surprised if anyone beats him. He worked very hard on it and I think it is going to be a very fast car.

The Tank - Mark & Hunter Sensabaugh

The design idea for this car was totally from my son Hunter. He is 5-years old, so he must race in the adult division at our pack race. He really likes all things military, but especially tanks. When I asked him to decide what he wanted his car to look like, he said "a tank" without hesitation. We cut the block on both ends to leave the center section, then used a Dremel tool to round the top to make the turret. We then used a dowel rod for the barrel, drilling a hole in the turret and gluing it in with wood glue. We weighted the car internally using 3/8 inch lead weight by drilling holes through the body and then using wood filler to seal the holes. We used the Pro-Hub tool to polish and angle the hubs and the Pro-Body tool to relocate the axle holes to their farthest possible locations on the block. We used the other Pro-Tools as well. The weight placement had the car balanced about 1 and 1/4 inches in front of the rear axles. When we got to the race the official scale showed the car 0.15 grams light. That's when we added a lead piece on the top as the turret hatch which put the weight at 5 ounces. The tank came out smoking fast and was clearly outrunning the other adult built cars by about two car lengths. The only other car close was the scoutmasters, who ran a pretty close second. As they were calling the winners names my son said he wished he would win a trophy. Then about a minute later they announced him as the winner of the adult class. Needless to say the look on his face was worth a million dollars!

From Pinewood Derby Times Volume 5, Issue 11

Subscribe to this Free Pinewood Derby E-newsletter

(C)2013, Maximum Velocity, Inc. All rights reserved.

Maximum Velocity Pinewood Derby Car Plans and Supplies

2013-03-12T10:00:00.000-07:00

PINEWOOD DERBY MEMORY
First Year Racing

I was eight years old when I participated in my first pinewood derby. My father carved a simple car with a pocket knife, I sanded it and installed the wheels. I remember not having any powdered graphite so all I could do for lubrication was to rub a pencil lead on the axle nails. I was so excited when race night came. I was even more excited when my car took first place. I received a small trophy that I remember clutching, not wanting to put it down. My father passed on just 4 short years later. The memories I have of him working on my car and the night at the races are some of the most treasured on my childhood. The trophy I won that night became one of my most prized possessions. Although I have moved many times and parted with many possessions, I still have my little blue and gold trophy.

Thirty years have passed now. Last year my own eight year old son, Jeffrey, found my pinewood trophy. He was in his first year of Cub Scouts. He loved my little trophy and wanted to try to win one of his own. I told him that winning wasn’t everything and that the real fun was in making and racing the car (but deep down, I remembered how excited I was when I had won when I was his age). So we decided we would work hard on his car for the upcoming race. We found a construction tip book and I got some friendly pointers from some of my friends who also had kids in scouts. Jeffery came up with a simple but sleek design. I cut the car with a jig saw and Jeffrey sanded it. We filed the burrs of the axles and smoothed the wheels. After lubricating the wheels and doing our best to make the car go straight, it was ready.

Race day came and I could see the excitement in my son’s eyes. His car ran six heats and won every one. He ended up third in his age group (based on total time) and 7th out of 75 scouts overall. Not bad for his first year. He received a medal for his third place finish (only the overall winner received a trophy). My son had fun, but he wanted to race again and have another chance to win a trophy. He decided to race his car in the district races to be held in 6 weeks time. In the mean time, we worked on his car, correcting an alignment problem with one of the front wheels. One of the wheels had come loose during the Pack race and now continually pulled the car to the side. We had to lift it off the track completely to make the car go straight.

There were several very fast cars at the district race. The track record was tied and then broken in the early heats. My son’s car performed well, winning every heat and tying the track record in the process - the wheel repair seemed to have worked. I knew his times were fast and we were on the edge of our seats when the winners from each age group were announced. My son won 1st Place for the Wolf age group. He was presented with a small blue and gold trophy much like mine. The smile on his face was priceless. After the awards were handed out for each age group, the top four cars in each age group were raced again to determine the overall winner. My son’s car won two of four heats and was just barely nosed out by less than an inch in the other two. But He won 1st Place overall in the district with the fasted combined four heat times. This time he won a bigger, all gold trophy. When he brought both trophies home to show his mother, I think he was the happiest kid on earth. I have since given him my trophy and all three are now proudly displayed in our home. We are now preparing for this year's pinewood derby race. Whatever the result, the memories of my son’s first year racing are unforgettable, for both him and myself.

Chris & Jeffrey Corron
Greenville, South Carolina

From Pinewood Derby Times Volume 5, Issue 11

Subscribe to this Free Pinewood Derby E-newsletter

(C)2013, Maximum Velocity, Inc. All rights reserved.

Maximum Velocity Pinewood Derby Car Plans and Supplies

2013-03-08T09:00:00.001-08:00

PINEWOOD DERBY CAR SHOWCASE

Home Depot - Stephen Henry

This is the car my son Benjamin Henry built for his first pinewood
derby. He placed second in his age group! As you can see, we had to
lighten the car quite a bit to be able to adjust the center of mass
rearward to where we thought it would work best. We added a screw and
some washers to adjust the weight easily on race day. He painted it
himself using a spray can for the orange and borrowed my airbrush for
the windows. The decals were from a 1/25 scale plastic model. They
were a little big for the car so we trimmed them with a razor before
we applied them.

Wind Cracker - Lee Klinghoffer

This is my son Jared's car called "Wind Cracker". We built it
together for this year's pinewood derby. We had to use a bit of extra
block to get some height to accommodate the design. We did a cutout on
the underside of the front for a fast start off the line. The car was
primed, and then painted with Tamiya spray paint. A purple undercoat
was followed with a deep metallic blue to get a deep cobalt blue tone.
He did not, unfortunately, win a speed award (we couldn't get rid of a
small rear end wobble), but he did win an award for outstanding
craftsmanship.

Blue AGP - Jeremy Isaac

This was my son's Awana Grand Prix car this year. He wanted to go for
speed instead of design this time, so we pulled out all the stops and
it paid off big time: First place in the Sparks division, followed by
first place overall. After running a total of 8 heats, this car's
slowest time was notably faster than the best time from any other car
all day.

From Pinewood Derby Times Volume 12, Issue 12

Subscribe to this Free Pinewood Derby E-newsletter

(C)2013, Maximum Velocity, Inc. All rights reserved.

Maximum Velocity Pinewood Derby Car Plans and Supplies

2013-03-05T08:57:00.003-08:00

PINEWOOD DERBY MEMORY
90 Percent

I do a lot of hands-on work in the garage with my three sons around. Drilling, cutting, sanding. You name it, they have done it with my supervision. My oldest son (a Life Scout) never had the advantage of me using your site for tips when he was racing and never did better than 10th place in our Pack Pinewood Derby. But he did his best!

My 2nd son, now a 1st year Webelo, has taken 1st place at the Pack and 2nd place at the District two years in a row, with him doing 90 percent of the work. Being the Cubmaster I hear smart remarks about "his dad must be doing the work". So this year I stressed to the parents that yes, my son has won 2 years in a row and all the information we used was found on the internet.
You just have to look for it like I did!

So this year, like I always have, I asked my son, "Get a Hotwheels car that you like and we will try to duplicate it; but it still has to be your design."

He responded back, "I already know I want a low flat car because they have less wind resistance!". So I told him "The whole idea is to do your best and if you win that's great!"

So we transferred the lines from the slots to the other side of the block, and marked the block for drilling holes (3 wheels to touch the ground). Then he drilled the holes with a drill press. I then laid out the weight placement for him to drill out. He then used my scroll saw to cut out the body, and then sanded it by hand. Next he chamfered the axle heads and removed the burrs. Then he sanded and polished the wheels.

Spray paint was next, followed by lubricating the wheels. Now I stepped back into the action and helped him install the wheels onto the car, and then align them. I thought to myself, "Yes he did 90 percent of the work."

On race day he came home again taking 1st Place. After the race I said to him, "You know we even forgot to polish the axles! Next year why don't we shoot for another category like best of show, or most original, and give someone else a chance to win the race?" He replied, "Yeah, let's do it!"

Bill Whittaker

From Pinewood Derby Times Volume 5, Issue 10

Subscribe to this Free Pinewood Derby E-newsletter

(C)2013, Maximum Velocity, Inc. All rights reserved.

Maximum Velocity Pinewood Derby Car Plans and Supplies

2013-03-01T08:26:00.001-08:00

PINEWOOD DERBY CAR SHOWCASE

Mean Green Machine - Bob Babich

Here is a picture of my son's car from 2005. Robby did a lot of the work himself with my guidance. His goal was to have a cool design (he designed the car) and he wanted to use a skin along with paint. At the end of the day, he finished second in his den and second in the Pack. Yes, the boys car that won our den, won the pack. Actually, places 1 - 6 in our Pack came from our Den and we had over 100 cars in the PWD race. Pretty competitive Den to say the least. Robby lost to a car that set 3 track records in 4 heats and still only lost by a few thousandths of a second. At the end of the day, my son was happy, and said, "Dad, next year I want to WIN."

Flintstone Coupe - Scott Wheeler

I make a pace car every year for my pack. One year a mom told me that her son could not make a car because she didn't have a saw. So prior to handing out all of the kits I took a kit and just carved on it with my scout knife. I shaved off all of the corners and pointed it like you sharpen a pencil. I then took a hand drill and drilled a few holes. I prepared a mixture of wood shavings and white glue and wiped it all over the car to make it look like bark. Then I went into the back yard and pulled a twig off of the tree to make the canopy. A small piece of brown construction paper cut with scissors and glued to the canopy frame made the covering.

The wheels are standard BSA that have just been sanded down until all of the design is gone. I then painted them to look like stones with different shades of flat gray model paint.

After I showed it to the mother she said that maybe he could build one after all. Her son got some help from a neighbor and he did real well in the race if I correctly recall.

Dollar Car - Kevin & Kyle White

My son had always wanted to build a 'dollar' car,' so we needed a flat car design to make it look like he wanted. We designed the dollar bill - which included his name and age - and we wanted the wheels to block the design as little as possible. The Extended Wing kit was perfect for the task, and it went together easily and quickly. The tungsten weights were a must to get the weight toward the rear. How did it do? It never lost a race

From Pinewood Derby Times Volume 5, Issue 10

Subscribe to this Free Pinewood Derby E-newsletter

(C)2013, Maximum Velocity, Inc. All rights reserved.

Maximum Velocity Pinewood Derby Car Plans and Supplies

2013-02-26T07:56:00.000-08:00

Eliminating Pinewood Derby Race Variation
By Randy Davis

Have you ever looked at heat times for pinewood derby cars? If your
event uses an electronic timer, then the heat times are available and
can provide important insight on race performance.

Quite often the heat times vary considerably, while in some cases the
heat times are quite close. This difference in heat times is sometimes
called "race variation". Today we will look at what causes race
variation, identify what can and what cannot be controlled, and then
suggest ways to minimize race variation.

UNCONTROLLABLE FACTORS
Some factors that cause heat variation cannot be directly controlled
by the car builder, however, in some cases they can be minimized by
adjusting the car design. The main factors in this category are: Lane
Variation, Staging Variation, and Finish Line Variation.

Lane Variation
Under racing conditions, race variation will be introduced due to lane
differences. On many tracks there are fast lanes and slow lanes. This
lane variation can be due to defects in the track surface and lane
guides, and/or warping of the track due to poor setup, improper
storage, or exposure to heat or moisture. Although the race
participant cannot directly control these factors, lane variation can
be minimized by:

1. Setting the balance point of the car - If the track is known to be
rough or warped, then setting the balance point to be less aggressive
(more stable), will help the car to stay on a more true line as it
runs down the track.

2. Setting the alignment - As long as the track guides are reasonably
smooth, setting the car to rail-ride will minimize variation because
the car will hold a straight line. Also, when rail-riding, the balance
point of the car can generally be set more aggressive to improve
performance.

3. Running on three wheels - keeping one wheel off the ground reduces
track contact, which can help minimize variation.

Staging Variation
Variation in heat times is also introduced by differences in the way
the car is staged from heat to heat. If the car owner places their
own car on the starting line, then variation can be minimized by
staging the car consistently. But if a race official stages the car,
then little can be done (other than to make sure the official knows
which end of the car is the front end!)

Finish Line Variation
The finish line can also introduce variation. If the front of the car
is quite narrow, then the point at which the finish line sensor is
tripped can vary depending on whether the car is centered, or is
shifted left or right as it passes the sensor (see Figure 1). To
minimize this source of variation, make sure the front of the car is a
minimum of 3/4 inch in width.(1)

Figure 1 - Finish Line Variation

CONTROLLABLE FACTORS
There are many factors that can cause race variation which can be
controlled by careful car design and construction. Some of these
which have already been mentioned are weight position, alignment, and
3 versus 4 wheels on the ground. Additional factors include:
precision components, better fitting components, aerodynamics, and
lubricant choice.

If there are no limits on components and if the track is very smooth,
then heat variation can virtually be eliminated. In an experiment
using needle axle outlaw wheels, and Krytox 100 lube, the heat
deviation was measured at .0016 seconds (standard deviation).(2) But
even with more stock components, the heat deviation can be kept to
.0030 seconds (standard deviation).(3) So, proper design and
construction can make a huge difference in heat variation.

Precision Components
Regardless of the kit type, stock wheels and axles are not perfect.
Wheels can be out of round, have a left-to-right wobble, and/or out of
round bores. Axles also have defects and variation. To minimize heat
variation, the wheels are axles should be as accurate as possible.
Some possible remedies include:

Wheels
1. Truing wheels on a lathe or with a Pro-Wheel Shaver XT.
2. Measuring wheels and using the most accurate ones.
3. Polishing the bore of the wheel.
4. Purchasing trued wheels.

Axles
1. Polishing axles to a high shine.
2. Beveling the axle head.
3. Grooving the shaft.
4. Purchasing accurate replacement axles.

Better Fitting Components
When wheels and axles have a sloppy fit, then the wheels have an
opportunity to move in undesirable ways in response to track defects.
So, to minimize heat variation, the wheels and axles should be sized
to fit. This may not be possible due to rule restrictions, but if
allowed, size the axle to be no more than 5 thousandths of an inch
smaller than the bore. After-market axles with larger diameters are
available for BSA and other wheels with a sloppy wheel/axle fit.

Aerodynamics
Low-profile cars and narrow wheels both reduce aerodynamic drag and
turbulence. Although these are minor factors, some improvement in
heat variation can be achieved by reducing the cross-section of the
car.

Lubricant choice
Another possibility for reducing heat variation is the lubricant
choice. Although I do not have firm results, it appears that Krytox
100 produces slightly less heat variation than graphite.

CONCLUSION
So, if you want to improve heat variation - and performance as well -
consider implementing some of the options discussed above. You will
find that your car is more consistent, and consistently faster than
most (if not all) of the entrants in your race.

(1) For more information on finish line variance, see Is Your Finish
Line Providing Accurate Results?

(2) See Solenoid Start Gate: Are Races More Consistent?

(3) See Cheater Bars - Do They Work?

From Pinewood Derby Times Volume 12, Issue 11

Subscribe to this Free Pinewood Derby E-newsletter

(C)2013, Maximum Velocity, Inc. All rights reserved.

Maximum Velocity Pinewood Derby Car Plans and Supplies

2013-02-22T07:28:00.000-08:00

PINEWOOD DERBY CAR SHOWCASE

CUDA - James White

This car named "CUDA" was built for my grandson's (Aaron Shain's) 2013
pinewood derby races. The rear fenders are made from a portion of the
plastic bottle that the BSA wheels come in, and the cockpit canopy is
made from a slice off the side of a small shampoo bottle.

Finn McMissile - Caleb Tachick

At my son Caleb's first Awana Grand Prix, he and Finn held their own
most of the day, but ended up around 6th or 7th. But since it was our
first year, the real goal was the design award. He came home with 2nd
place; he would have had first but his sister's Cancer Survivor Ribbon
car took first. They never raced each other until after the event when
the track was open for fun runs. They ran neck and neck. Finn
McMissile is shown here with the BSA wheels we swapped over to for
the Home Depot race a month later, where he took 4th place -- not bad
for a full bodied car.

Cancer Survivor Ribbon - Kailyn Tachick

Here is my daughter Kailyn's 1st place Awana car in the design
category. This car was in honor of her grandma, who within the last
year underwent treatment and surgery for cancer. We thank the Lord
she is doing OK today. We did not hollow out the nose (my first year
to build), but did incorporate rear fenders, reduced midsection as on
supersonic jets, a concave tail end like a Shelby Daytona coupe, and
speed axles from Maximum Velocity. After losing her first heat(in a
double elimination race format), she continued to terrorize the
loser's bracket to within a few heats from the end!

From Pinewood Derby Times Volume 12, Issue 11

Subscribe to this Free Pinewood Derby E-newsletter

(C)2013, Maximum Velocity, Inc. All rights reserved.

Maximum Velocity Pinewood Derby Car Plans and Supplies