Pinewood derby rant!

[Mitch Rapp]

I dont want to watch that, but thank you.
I say that for a reason (and it's not to be a jerk like some -BB - would lead you to believe) - I want to see what I can do.
I would like to try a couple of different designs to see if there was much of a difference. I'd like to toy with weights and where the weights are etc and use MY ideas.
Now, if it came down to it, and I would think this would be awesome to do, and we had a CFF PWD Day...I'd build about three. I have two ideas and then one based off (after I'd done mine) the video.

It's just how I am. I see bikes and cars (race) and look at the lines and think about airflow etc. While I realize those two things have to consider cooling and intake, the basic aerodynamics are still in play, I'd think.
I think about my bikes (well, two of the four, anyway) - makes me think of a rain drop.

I wonder how much aero would come into play in such a short distance as this. Obviously a flat fronted 'car' wont be as good as another design, but how much could you do?

I'll keep that video in mind, and it's likely I'll never build one so I watch later anyway (I mean, I dont really have an opportunity to do it, to race one)

Nothing wrong with that approach....I did the same. Only saw the vid after I tried....and failed lol. Good luck to you.
Do keep the vid in mind, though, and his channel in particuar. He does lotsa cool things like builing really large air horns, world record sized super soakers, full auto snowball gun, can't miss automatic bullseye dartboard, and much more.
Exlpains every scientific principle used, too. Worth the time to check out a few vids not Derby related. My kids love his vids.

 

[Alfred]

My parents were "done" with scouting by the time I was of age. But I'm thinking max weight, low and just aft of center ballast , true wheels for diameter and narrow the wheels to minimum contact on track and axle, polish axle surfaces, graphite. Then paint it to look like sponge-bob.

 

[Gator]

My parents were "done" with scouting by the time I was of age. But I'm thinking max weight, low and just aft of center ballast , true wheels for diameter and narrow the wheels to minimum contact on track and axle, polish axle surfaces, graphite. Then paint it to look like sponge-bob.

That used to be against the rules. However we did build a car back in the 1980's that won the district race ( 180 plus cars ) and mounted the wheels with some camber to minimize the contact surface. And like you say, smooth the axles and the O/D of the wheels.

One thing that is very effective that many overlook is to "run in" the wheels / axles beforehand, crank up a belt sander and set the car down on it and let it run for a few seconds at a time.

.

 

[Ferrisfan]

If they still use the blocks that have a pre-cut groove for the axles, cutting a small v-Notch at the ends helps you load graphite into the wheel hubs.

 

[Sneakymedic]

I need yall to help on my pulling tractor. LOLOL

 

[Gunbelt]

I need yall to help on my pulling tractor. LOLOL

Don’t use nails for axles.

 

[.EC.]

Lol! I remember these with my Cub Scout son. Fun Times!

One dad told me that at the troop he was with before, there was a dad who was an engineer with Northrop Grumman. He ended up using company resources to machine out an unbeatable car that won every race. How do us proles compete with that???

 

[HMP]

Lol! I remember these with my Cub Scout son. Fun Times!

One dad told me that at the troop he was with before, there was a dad who was an engineer with Northrop Grumman. He ended up using company resources to machine out an unbeatable car that won every race. How do us proles compete with that???

You smash his whenever you get a chance.

 

[Diablos]

Lol! I remember these with my Cub Scout son. Fun Times!

One dad told me that at the troop he was with before, there was a dad who was an engineer with Northrop Grumman. He ended up using company resources to machine out an unbeatable car that won every race. How do us proles compete with that???

Ask Tonya Harding for some advice

 

[Tug McClutchin]

Man this makes me remember running them when I was a kid. Shame BSA has gone crazy and abandoned their core values. I had a great time making my derby cars... I remember kids showing up with mini race haulers set up with their favorite drives scheme. Mine was ugly and did poorly but my pops made sure I did all the work. For that I thank him. I learned alot more than the kids who showed up with dads car...

 

[georgel]

Lol! I remember these with my Cub Scout son. Fun Times!

One dad told me that at the troop he was with before, there was a dad who was an engineer with Northrop Grumman. He ended up using company resources to machine out an unbeatable car that won every race. How do us proles compete with that???

When I was a sporting goods manager in Raleigh, back in the 70's, I had a high school kid working for me. He drove an old car with a busted radio and asked if I knew where to get one. Well, I had an old pull out and gave it too him, but told him he would have to fabricate something to make it mount in his car and he'd have to do something to make it look decent in the dash too. He gleefully, took the radio and said it wouldn't be a problem. A couple of days later, when he came back to work, he asked if I wanted to see the radio. So, I went out to the lot with him and here is this radio solidly mounted in the dash with a nice trim bezel to make it all look good. I said he did some nice work and got it done faster than I thought he would be able to. He then told me he didn't do it. His dad worked for IBM and ran a design lab. His dad told his staff to make it work and they cranked out the parts and did the installation.

 

[SnowRooster]

I have very fond memories of the pinewood derbies growing up. It was a lot of fun making those cars. I can’t imagine buying one prebuilt, take all the fun out of it.